Why We Built This Site
Michigan gives the public broad access to court records under the state Freedom of Information Act (MCL 15.233) and the Michigan Court Rules (MCR 8.119). The hard part is figuring out which office holds the file you want. The Clerk of Court, meaning the 17th Circuit Court Clerk, keeps the case files for the Circuit Court, which handles felonies, family matters, and higher-dollar civil disputes. The five district courts serving Kent County handle misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, and lower-dollar civil cases. The Probate Court manages estates, wills, and guardianships. The County Clerk and Register of Deeds holds vital records such as birth, death, and marriage documents. The Sheriff manages the jail roster and active warrants. Statewide criminal-history records run through the Michigan State Police (MCL 28.243). We pull together the contact details, search portals, fee schedules, and request steps for these offices into one place.
What You Will Find Here
- Records pages by type: court records, criminal records, inmate records, warrant records, marriage and divorce, probate, and more
- Office contacts: direct contact info for the Clerk of Court, the Circuit Court, the County Clerk, and major facilities
- Search walkthroughs: step-by-step guides for the Kent County records portals and statewide Michigan databases
- Public records help: how to file a Michigan Freedom of Information Act request and what to expect for response time
What We Cannot Do
This is a privately run reference site. We have no connection to any Michigan court, clerk's office, sheriff's office, or state agency. There are real limits to what we can help with:
- We cannot file paperwork or send records requests on your behalf
- We cannot issue certified copies of any court document or vital record
- We cannot give legal advice or explain how a specific case applies to you
- We cannot guarantee that every phone number, fee, or address listed on this site is current right now
Only the issuing court or government office can provide a certified copy with an official seal. We can point you to the right office, but the document has to come from them.
Search Partners
Some pages on this site include search boxes powered by third-party providers. Those companies set their own pricing and run their own services. When you use one of those tools and it leads to a paid signup, we may earn a referral fee. That revenue helps keep this site free for visitors. We do not control what those tools charge or what shows up in their results.