Find Kent County Court Records by the Correct Court and Case Type
Kent County court records are held by multiple courts serving Grand Rapids and surrounding communities. A felony or divorce case may be with the 17th Circuit Court, while a traffic ticket, eviction or misdemeanor may belong to a district court. Estate and conservatorship matters usually involve Probate Court.
What this guide does: It directs you to official Kent County and Michigan court-record services, explains how to search using a name or case number, compares the courts, and covers dockets, record copies, fees, older files and restricted information.
PublicCourtRecords.org is an independent informational publisher. It does not operate these court databases, provide certified records or offer legal advice.
Which Kent County Court Has Your Record?
The court handling the case determines where you should search. Michigan does not treat every Kent County court filing as part of one countywide online records database.
| Record or Case | Likely Court | Starting Point |
|---|---|---|
| Felony criminal case | 17th Circuit Court, after district-court preliminary stages | Circuit Clerk / Court Name Search |
| Divorce, custody, family case | 17th Circuit Court Family Division | Circuit Clerk |
| Circuit-level civil lawsuit | 17th Circuit Court | Court Name Search / Clerk |
| Misdemeanor or traffic case | Relevant District Court | Court-specific search / MiCOURT |
| Small claim, eviction, district civil case | Relevant District Court | District Court case search |
| Estate, will, conservatorship | Kent County Probate Court | Probate Name Search |
| Minor guardianship (GM/LG) | 17th Circuit Court under current county routing | Circuit Court rather than the Probate Name Search |
| Federal lawsuit or bankruptcy | Federal courts, not county trial courts | PACER / appropriate federal clerk |
Official Kent County Court Record Search Portals
Use these court and government resources rather than an unrelated commercial database. Each service covers a particular court or record category.
Circuit Court Name Search
Start here for available Circuit Court criminal, civil and family case information. Criminal online searches require identifying information including the defendant’s name and birth year.
MiCOURT Case Search
Use the Michigan case search for participating district courts. Select the appropriate court rather than assuming all Kent County records are indexed in one search.
Probate Name Search
Search available probate case information separately from the Circuit and District Court tools. Certain minor guardianship cases have been reassigned to Circuit Court.
District Court Directory
Identify which district court serves the location of the case. The county’s directory explains the Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood, Grandville, Walker and 63rd District jurisdictions.
How to Search Kent County Court Records: 7 Steps
These steps work whether you begin with a person’s name, a court notice or a case number.
- Identify the record type. Determine whether the case involves a felony, misdemeanor, traffic ticket, divorce, civil lawsuit, probate matter or another court proceeding.
- Confirm the responsible court. Use the 17th Circuit Court for appropriate Circuit matters, the relevant District Court for district-level cases, or Probate Court for its assigned cases.
- Open the official portal. Use the county Clerk of the Court, the court-specific district search, Michigan MiCOURT or the county Probate Name Search.
- Enter the available identifiers. Use a full name, exact case number, filing year or other fields the portal requests. Circuit criminal name searches require birth-year information.
- Review the matching case. Compare the court, party names, case number, filing date, case type and available status. Do not rely on a common name alone.
- Inspect docket details and document availability. Record the case number and identify the actual order, judgment, filing or register of actions needed. Not every docket entry provides a downloadable document.
- Contact the custodian for official copies. Ask the court clerk about access, certification, fees, delivery and older records when the public portal cannot provide the document.
Kent County District Courts: Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood and Other Areas
Kent County has distinct district-court jurisdictions. The 59th District Court serves Grandville and Walker through its locations, while the 61st, 62-A, 62-B and 63rd serve other specified communities. Local court selection is especially important for misdemeanors, civil infractions, landlord-tenant disputes and small claims.
| District Court | Area Served | Useful Search Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| 59th District Court | Grandville and Walker | Choose the appropriate 59th District location and official court resources. |
| 61st District Court | Grand Rapids | Use the Grand Rapids court’s official case-search resources. |
| 62-A District Court | Wyoming | Use the 62-A case-search route and confirm the court. |
| 62-B District Court | Kentwood | Use Kentwood’s district-court records access. |
| 63rd District Court | Remaining covered communities including Cedar Springs, East Grand Rapids, Lowell, Rockford and multiple townships | Use the 63rd District Court’s official MiCOURT link. |
How to identify the district court from an address
If you have the location of an incident or dispute but no court number, begin with the county’s official District Court Jurisdiction Map. The court jurisdiction may depend on municipal boundaries rather than the mailing address or where a defendant presently lives.
View District Court Jurisdictions ↗
63rd District Court location
63rd District Court
1950 E Beltline Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Phone: 616-632-7770
County-listed hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM.
For civil records, the court lists an in-person public access terminal and a charge for copies or registers of actions. It also directs users to MiCOURT for online case searches.
Kent County Criminal Court Records and Case Status
Criminal matters can pass through different courts. District courts handle misdemeanors and early stages of felony proceedings; felony cases that proceed to Circuit Court are handled by the 17th Circuit Court.
Searching 17th Circuit criminal records
According to the official Clerk’s guidance, an online criminal case lookup requires the defendant’s name and year of birth. The county’s court-specific quick links describe the online criminal search window as going back to 2018 until further notice.
Older cases or cases not returned online may still require direct contact with the Clerk. A different county page references a longer historic coverage period, so do not interpret either published date as a guarantee that a particular older file is visible through today’s public interface.
What a criminal docket can tell you
- The court handling the matter and available case number.
- Filed charges or case classifications, if publicly displayed.
- Recorded proceedings, hearings or case events.
- The case status and available disposition information.
- Whether a separate clerk request is needed for the actual document.
Kent County Probate Court Records, Estates and Guardianships
The Kent County Probate Court handles matters within its statutory jurisdiction, including estates and conservatorships. Its official Probate Name Search is different from the Circuit Court search.
The county specifically warns that minor guardianship case types ending in GM or LG have been reassigned to the 17th Circuit Court and do not appear in the Probate Name Search results.
Search probate cases
Use the official probate search for available case information. Confirm the case type before ordering documents or making a courthouse trip.
Request probate documents
Probate records can involve letters of authority, orders, estate filings and other documents. Availability and certification are determined by the court.
Probate Court office
Kent County Courthouse
180 Ottawa Avenue NW, Suite 2500
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: 616-632-5440
County-listed office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM. The public filing counter is listed as 9:00 AM–4:00 PM.
How to Read a Kent County Court Docket
A docket or register of actions is a chronological account of activity recorded in a case. It can show filings, hearings, orders and other procedural events. It is not necessarily a complete set of downloadable court documents.
| Term | What It Usually Means | What to Verify |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Court-assigned identifier | Correct court and complete identifier |
| Filed date | Date a case or document was entered | Whether it concerns the case or an individual filing |
| Register of actions | Chronological case activity summary | Whether the underlying documents can be inspected |
| Disposition | Recorded resolution or outcome | Actual wording and later modifications |
| Judgment / order | Formal court decision or directive | Whether an official or certified copy is required |
| Hearing date | Scheduled court event | Current time, location and changes with the court |
For additional terminology, read Court Records: Official Search and Access Guidance.
How to Request Certified Kent County Court Records
Finding a case online and obtaining a court-certified document are separate tasks. A school, agency, attorney or other recipient may require a certified judgment, divorce document, order or another specific record rather than a screenshot of a docket.
17th Circuit Court copy requests
The Kent County Clerk of the Court maintains Circuit Court files. The office allows record inspection and explains how to request copies. Its current guidance states that requests may not be completed immediately when document volume is high.
- Identify the correct Circuit Court case and complete case number.
- Write down the parties, approximate year and exact document needed.
- Specify whether you need a regular copy or a certified copy.
- Contact the Clerk to confirm delivery or pickup arrangements and total charges.
- For paperless filings, ask whether a qualifying electronic copy is available without a copy fee.
17th Circuit Court Clerk
180 Ottawa Avenue NW, Suite 2400
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Case information: 616-632-5480
Fax: 616-632-5458
Public counter hours listed by the Clerk: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM; Friday, 8:15 AM–4:00 PM.
What information should you prepare?
- Your name and contact details.
- Case number, if available.
- Names of the parties or business involved.
- Approximate filing year or date range.
- Document title, such as judgment, order or decree.
- Whether certification is required by the recipient.
- Your preferred response or delivery method.
Kent County Court Record Copy Fees
Copy fees vary by court and by the type of record. The following amounts come from Kent County’s official Circuit Clerk and Probate Court guidance. They are not a universal fee schedule for every district court or for filing a lawsuit.
| Service | Published Charge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court regular copy | $1 per page | From Circuit Clerk guidance |
| Circuit Court certified copy | $10 first page + $1 each additional page | Certification requested through Clerk |
| Circuit Court electronic copy | No copy fee for qualifying fully paperless cases | Confirm eligibility and delivery with Clerk |
| Probate standard copy | $2 per sheet | Probate fee schedule |
| Probate certified copy | $12 | Check applicable document and request rules |
| Probate exemplified copy | $10 + $2 per sheet | Distinct from standard certification |
| 63rd District Court copies / register of actions | $1 per page | Published in 63rd District Court civil guidance |
Check the Probate Court fee schedule ↗ or review the Circuit Clerk’s copy guidance ↗ before paying.
No Kent County Court Record Found? Check These Causes
Wrong court selected
A Grand Rapids district case may be with the 61st District Court rather than the 63rd. Confirm location and court number.
Name differs from search
Try an alternate surname, former name, spelling or an exact case number. Use only fields and matching options actually offered by the portal.
Older record
Public online search coverage is not the same as the court’s full historical holdings. Ask the appropriate clerk about retained or archived files.
Restricted information
Sealed, confidential, expunged or otherwise protected material may not be publicly available. Do not attempt to bypass access restrictions.
Probate case routing changed
Minor guardianship types GM and LG no longer appear in the county’s Probate Name Search. Check the Circuit Court route.
Recent update not displayed
A docket may lag behind a filing or court event. Confirm time-sensitive information, especially hearings and deadlines, directly with the court.
Recovery checklist
- Confirm the correct Michigan county and court.
- Compare the court number against existing paperwork.
- Retry with the exact case number.
- Check reasonable name variations.
- Review the court’s stated online coverage.
- Ask the clerk about older or non-digitized records.
- Confirm any access restriction with the custodian.
A missing search result is not proof that no case exists.
Public Access, Privacy and Restricted Records
Many Michigan court records are publicly accessible, but public access is not unrestricted. A case may contain confidential information, sealed documents or records subject to special statutory or court-rule protections.
Online access can also be more limited than in-person access. A clerk may be able to explain whether a public document can be inspected, copied or certified even when the online system provides only limited information.
Use name matches carefully. Before associating a record with a particular individual, compare the court, case number, publicly available identifiers, case type and other reliable details. PublicCourtRecords.org is not a consumer reporting agency and its material should not be used as an employment, tenant, credit or other eligibility-screening report.
Kent County Court Records: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I search Kent County MI court records online for free?
Official public case-search tools allow users to look up available court information without necessarily purchasing copies. Access to documents, certified copies and additional services may involve fees. Use the correct court’s official system.
Where do I search 17th Circuit Court records?
Start with the Kent County Clerk of the Court’s official page and Court Name Search. The Clerk maintains Circuit Court case files and provides records assistance at 616-632-5480.
Which court handles Grand Rapids traffic and misdemeanor cases?
The 61st District Court serves the City of Grand Rapids. Other municipalities have different district-court jurisdictions, so check the court identified on your ticket or court notice.
How do I find Kent County divorce records?
Divorce cases are handled through the 17th Circuit Court. Search available Circuit case information, then contact the Clerk for a particular divorce judgment or certified copy.
Does Kent County Probate Court have a name search?
Yes. Kent County offers a separate Probate Name Search. Its official notice explains that minor guardianship cases ending in GM or LG have been reassigned to Circuit Court and do not appear in probate search results.
How much does a certified Circuit Court record cost?
The Clerk publishes a charge of $10 for the first certified page and $1 for each additional page. Confirm the current price and total number of pages with the Clerk before ordering.
Why is an older Kent County criminal case missing online?
Historical records may fall outside the current online search window or require direct clerk assistance. A case not appearing online does not establish that it never existed or was deleted.
Can I search federal cases through Kent County court websites?
No. Federal court records are maintained separately. PACER is the federal electronic court-record access service; county Circuit, District and Probate Court tools are for their respective Michigan court matters.
Official Sources and Verification
This guide uses county court guidance and official Michigan court resources. Check the current responsible court page before relying on an office schedule, fee, online coverage date or records procedure.
- Kent County Courts Directory — court types and official resources.
- 17th Circuit Court Clerk — case searches, copies, fees and contact information.
- District Courts in Kent County — jurisdiction and district assignments.
- 63rd District Court Civil Division — case searches, filing processes and copy requests.
- Probate Court Name Search — probate search and minor guardianship routing.
- Probate Court Fee Schedule — standard, certified and exemplified copies.
- Probate Court Resources — forms, record requests and related services.
- Michigan MiCOURT Case Search — district-court case search for participating courts.
- PACER — separate federal court case-record access.
Research reference: October 13, 2026. Fees, portal coverage, office hours and procedures may change. The responsible court or clerk is the authoritative source.
Identify the court first. If your record is in Circuit Court, begin with the Circuit Clerk. For traffic, small claims or misdemeanor cases, confirm the district court’s jurisdiction. For probate matters, use Probate Court unless the case has been assigned elsewhere. Save the complete case number before requesting an official document.