As of 2026-07-22 · verified against primary sources
Mississippi charitable solicitation registration: requirements, fees, and deadlines
| Registration | Required |
| Agency | Mississippi Secretary of State — Charities Division |
| Initial fee | $50 |
| Renewal fee | $50 |
| Renewal / report due | 15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end |
| Filing channel | Electronic filing available |
Who must register
Mississippi generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Mississippi Secretary of State — Charities Division before soliciting contributions there, unless an exemption applies. Requirements attach to out-of-state charities soliciting Mississippi residents as well as local ones.
Miss. Code § 79-11-503(1) · official source
How to register in Mississippi
- 01Register with the Mississippi Secretary of State through the online charities portal before soliciting — e-filing is mandatory — and pay the $50 fee. You may not solicit until the certificate of registration issues (at the latest, noon on the 30th day after a complete filing).Miss. Code § 79-11-503(1), (3) (register and pay $50 before any solicitation; no soliciting without a valid certificate); § 79-11-509(3) / SOS Rule 2.03 (eff…
- 02Renew online by the 15th day of the fifth month after your taxable year ends (May 15 for calendar-year filers). Extensions follow the IRS timeframe and are requested through the portal. Claiming an exemption instead? Mississippi requires a $50 Notice of Exemption, filed online before soliciting.Miss. Code § 79-11-503(4)(a) (renewal by the 15th day of the fifth month after the taxable year); SOS Rule 2.06 (extensions, online, IRS timeframe); Rule 2.0…
Exemptions we check for
Likely exempt if it is a bona fide religious institution (or an integral part of one) that is federally tax-exempt, has no private inurement, and is primarily supported by government grants or contracts, membership funds, congregations, and service fees — such institutions are outside Mississippi's definition of charitable organization (Miss. Code § 79-11-501(a)(iii)); Mississippi expects exemption claimants to file a $50 Notice of Exemption before soliciting.
Miss. Code § 79-11-501(a)(iii) (conditions (A)-(C)). Machine proxy · a filing is required to claim this exemption
Likely exempt if it neither intends to receive nor actually receives contributions over $25,000 in the July-through-June measuring year and all of its fundraising is carried on by unpaid persons (Miss. Code § 79-11-505(1)(d)) — the exemption must be claimed with a $50 Notice of Exemption before soliciting, and registration is required within 30 days if contributions exceed the threshold.
Miss. Code § 79-11-505(1)(d). Measuring period is a 12-month window ending JUNE 30 (not the org's fiscal year) — our latest-FY contributions figure approxima… · a filing is required to claim this exemption
The state, not Steadworthy, decides whether an exemption applies.
Financial statement thresholds
- CPA review at $250,000+ contributions · Miss. Code § 79-11-507(2)
- Independent audit at $750,000+ contributions · Miss. Code § 79-11-507(1)
If you use a paid fundraiser
Paid fundraising cuts twice in Mississippi: the small-organization exemption requires all fundraising be done by unpaid persons, so paying anyone to fundraise removes it — and separately, ANY paid fundraising triggers the audited-financial-statement requirement regardless of the charity's size, a trap most summaries miss.
Miss. Code § 79-11-505(d) (small-org exemption conditioned on all fundraising by unpaid persons); § 79-11-507 (audit required for any organization using paid…
If you haven't registered yet
Mississippi has no fixed late fee — a lapsed renewal instead bars solicitation until the registration is current, and the statute gives the Secretary of State discretionary penalties for violations. Getting current means renewing through the portal (with a solicitation affidavit for the lapse period); the practical consequence of delinquency is the solicitation bar, not an automatic fine.
Miss. Code § 79-11-503(6) (solicitation bar); § 79-11-509(4)(c) (discretionary penalties); SOS Rule 2.05(F) (solicitation affidavit on late renewal). · how to get current, calmly
Is your charity registered in Mississippi? Check free.
Mississippi registration: common questions
- Does a charity need to register to solicit donations in Mississippi?
- Yes. Mississippi generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Mississippi Secretary of State — Charities Division before soliciting contributions in the state, unless an exemption applies. The requirement reaches out-of-state charities soliciting Mississippi residents.
- How much does charitable registration cost in Mississippi?
- The initial registration fee is $50, and renewal is $50. Fees are stated as the state sets them; where a fee varies with contributions, the tiers are cited on this page.
- When is the Mississippi charitable registration renewal due?
- 15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end. The date is computed from the organization's own fiscal year end under the rule this page cites, so it differs between charities.
- Are any charities exempt from registering in Mississippi?
- Mississippi recognizes exemptions, and this page lists each one we check for with its statutory citation. At least one of them still requires a filing to claim it — an exemption is not always automatic. The state, not a third party, decides whether an exemption applies.
- Does Mississippi require audited financial statements?
- Mississippi requires an accountant's report above a revenue threshold. The lowest threshold on record is a review above $250,000 in contributions. Every threshold and its citation are listed on this page.
Related: registration fees by state · renewal deadlines by state · exemptions · all state registration requirements
Nearby states
Fundraising rarely stops at a border — where Mississippi charities also commonly solicit:
Citations
- Miss. Code § 79-11-503(1) · source · verified 2026-07-22
- Miss. Code § 79-11-503(1) (register with the Secretary of State) · source · verified 2026-07-22
- Miss. Code § 79-11-503(1) ('a filing fee of Fifty Dollars ($50.00)'); Rule 2.01(B) (nonrefundable). · source · verified 2026-07-22
- Miss. Code § 79-11-503(4)(a) ('the Fifty Dollar ($50.00) renewal fee'). NO fixed late fee exists — late renewal triggers a solicitation affidavit (Rule 2.05(… · source · verified 2026-07-22
- Miss. Code § 79-11-503(4)(a) · source · verified 2026-07-22
- E-file mandatory · source · verified 2026-07-22
- Miss. Code § 79-11-501(a)(iii) (conditions (A)-(C)). Machine proxy · source · verified 2026-07-22
- Miss. Code § 79-11-505(1)(d). Measuring period is a 12-month window ending JUNE 30 (not the org's fiscal year) — our latest-FY contributions figure approxima… · source · verified 2026-07-22
- Miss. Code § 79-11-507(2) · source · verified 2026-07-22
- Miss. Code § 79-11-507(1) · source · verified 2026-07-22
- Miss. Code § 79-11-503(1), (3) (register and pay $50 before any solicitation; no soliciting without a valid certificate); § 79-11-509(3) / SOS Rule 2.03 (eff… · source · verified 2026-08-07
- Miss. Code § 79-11-503(4)(a) (renewal by the 15th day of the fifth month after the taxable year); SOS Rule 2.06 (extensions, online, IRS timeframe); Rule 2.0… · source · verified 2026-08-07
- Miss. Code § 79-11-503(6) (solicitation bar); § 79-11-509(4)(c) (discretionary penalties); SOS Rule 2.05(F) (solicitation affidavit on late renewal). · source · verified 2026-08-07
- Miss. Code § 79-11-505(d) (small-org exemption conditioned on all fundraising by unpaid persons); § 79-11-507 (audit required for any organization using paid… · source · verified 2026-08-07
Statuses and requirements reflect public records and cited sources as of the dates shown. Informational, not legal advice.