Crime Numbers
There were 23 murders in Kent County in 2017, the most recent year with a complete set of crime statistics. Other incidences of violent crimes recorded that year include 420 rapes, 513 robberies, and 1,383 aggravated assaults. Larceny was the leading property crime with 5,516 cases followed by 1,779 burglaries, 790 motor vehicle thefts, and 92 arsons.
While the murder rates for 2013 and 2017 remain the same, Kent County recorded higher numbers of rape (88.3%), aggravated assault (18.1%), and motor vehicle theft (36.7%) between both years. The five-year crime trend in the county also indicates declining robbery (17.5%), burglary (42.1%), larceny (19%), and arson (14%) rates.
Criminal Records
The Michigan Criminal History Record Section allows members of the public to search its database and perform statewide background checks for a fee. You can do this from its Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) platform. This service requires users to register or log in as guests. Results are available for viewing and printing.
Residents of Kent County can also request records checks through the Sheriff’s Office. Simply visit or mail your request to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office at:
701 Ball Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Police reports including offense and accident reports are available from the Sheriff’s Office. The public can obtain these records by submitting Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests. Submit your FOIA request online from the Michigan FOIA webpage. Make sure to select Sheriff from the drop-down list of Kent County Departments.
Michigan law empowers the State Police to collate and make public information about all registered sex offenders living in the state. Search the Michigan Sex Offender Registry to find registered offenders by name. Input cities, street addresses, and zip codes in Kent County to find those living in this county.
The Kent County Sheriff Department operates the correctional facility in the county. This county jail is located at:
701 Ball Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Call (616) 632-6400 to contact the Administration staff of the Kent County Correctional Facility. Call (616) 632-6300 to request a Kent County Inmate Search. The Sheriff Department provides a handy online inmate locator tool to help members of the public find individuals currently incarcerated in the county jail or released in the last 30 days. Friends and family members can deposit funds in inmates’ accounts using checks and money orders. They can do this in person at the electronic kiosks found in the jail’s visitor’s lobby and the ones in the accounting department. The correctional facility allows deposits up to $1500.
Kent County Court Records
The 17th Circuit Court is the highest trial court in Kent County. It has jurisdiction over criminal cases involving felonies and serious misdemeanors, all civil cases involving more than $25,000, all domestic relations cases, and appeals from lower courts. The court is in:
Kent County Courthouse
180 Ottawa Avenue NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: (616) 632-5220
Fax: (616) 632-5130
The County Clerk maintains the records of the 17th Circuit Court. Inquirers may view and obtain these Kent County Court Records by submitting a FOIA request through the Michigan FOIA webpage.
There are six District Courts in Kent County. Below are their addresses and contact information:
63rd District Court
1950 East Beltline NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Phone: (616) 632-7770
Fax: (616) 363-6124
63rd District Court Probation
Phone: (616) 632-7800
Fax: (616) 363-6808
These serve the Cities of Cedar Springs, East Grand Rapids, Lowell and Rockford; Townships of Ada, Algoma, Alpine, Bryon, Bowne, Caledonia, Cannon, Cascade, Courtland, Gaines, Grand Rapids, Gratton, Lowell, Nelson, Oakfield, Plainfield, Solon, Sparta, Spencer, Tyron, and Vergennes, Casnovia Village, and Lake and Kent City.
59th District Court
3161 Wilson Avenue SW
Grandville, MI 49418
phone: (616) 538-9660
59th District Court
4343 Remembrance Road NW
Walker, MI 49534
Phone: (616) 453-5765
61st District Court
180 Ottawa NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: (616) 632-5700
62nd-A District Court
2650 DeHoop Avenue SW
Wyoming, MI 49509
Phone: (616) 530-7385
62nd-B District Court
4740 Walma Avenue SE
Kentwood, MI 49512
Phone: (616) 698-9310
63rd District Court
1950 E Beltline Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525-7075
Phone: (616) 632-7770
These courts handle all criminal misdemeanors with punishments not exceeding one year as well as civil litigations with values up to $25,000. The Probate Court in Kent County is at:
Kent County Courthouse
180 Ottawa Avenue NW, Suite 2500
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: (616) 632-5440
Fax: (616) 632-5430
To order certified copies of Probate Court records, use the webform on Kent County Probate Case page. Using this link, the public can request certified copies of Letters of Guardianship, Probate Conservatorship, and Representative of a Decedent Estate. The fee for each of these documents is $12.
Search for real estates in Kent County by using the Property Search tool that combines data from the Treasurer and Equalization offices. This search provides the parcel numbers and addresses of the lands in the county. For real estate documents, use the Document Search feature provided by the county’s Register of Deeds. While searching the database is free, there is a 10 cents per page fee for viewing, printing, and saving found documents.
Vital Records
The 17th Circuit Court maintains and issues divorce records in Kent County. Use its Certified Court Record Request webform to request for copies of your divorce record. Each certified copy of a judgement of divorce costs $15.
The Kent County Clerk keeps and issues certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records. The Clerk’s Office can provide certified copies of birth and death certificates from 1867 to the present and certified copies of marriage licenses from 1845 to the present. Use the birth, death, or marriage webform to request the records you want. The fee for the first certified copy of any of these vital records is $10. Each additional copy of the same record costs $3.
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Kent County?
Residents of Kent County may obtain Kent County public records in compliance with the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. All property records in Kent county are open for public inspection. Interested persons may obtain property records from the custodians of the record.
Where and How to Find Property Records in Kent County
Kent County property records are maintained by the Register of Deeds. Interested persons may inspect or obtain copies of land records online or in-person by visiting the Register of Deeds office at
County Administration Building
300 Monroe Avenue NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2288
Phone: (616) 632-7610
Fax: (616) 632-7615
Visits to the office of the Register of Deeds should be on a weekday between 8 00 a.m. and 4 45 p.m. Copies of a record cost $1.00 per page and $5 for each certification.
How to Look Up Kent County Property Records
The Register of Deeds maintains an online Self Service platform where interested persons may search for Kent County property records like deeds and request certified and uncertified copies of the property records. Users may carry out a Document search by providing the name of either party, grantors, document number, liber, page, parcel, or recording start and end date. Alternatively, an advanced search may be carried out allowing users to search with other parameters such as Lot number, unit, block, town, etc..
Alternatively, users may utilize the property search platform to find real estate and other property information. Users will need to provide information such as the parcel number or street address. In-person assistance in finding property records may be obtained from the Register of Deeds office at
County Administration Building
300 Monroe Avenue NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2288
Location of Kent County Property Assessors
CITIES
Cedar Springs
66 South Main St
Cedar Springs, MI 49319
(616) 696-1330
East Grand Rapids
750 Lakeside Dr SE
East Grand Rapids, MI 49506
(616) 949-2110
Grand Rapids
300 Monroe Ave NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616) 456-3000
Grandville
3195 Wilson Ave SW
Grandville, MI 49418
(616) 531-3030
Kentwood
4900 Breton Ave SE
Kentwood, MI 49508
(616) 698-9610
Lowell
301 East Main St
Lowell, MI 49331
(616) 897-8457
Rockford
7 South Monroe St - P.O. Box 561
Rockford, MI 49341
(616) 866-1537
Walker
4243 Remembrance Rd NW
Walker, MI 49544
(616) 453-6311
Wyoming
1155 28th St SW
Wyoming, MI 49509
(616) 530-7226
TOWNSHIPS
Ada Township
7330 Thornapple River Dr SE
P.O. Box 370, Ada, MI 49301
(616) 676-9191
Algoma Township
10531 Algoma Ave NE
Rockford, MI 49341
(616) 866-1583
Alpine Township
5255 Alpine Avenue NW
Comstock Park, MI 49321
(616) 784-1262
Bowne Township
8240 Alden Nash
P.O. Box 35
Alto, MI 49302-0035
(616) 868-6846
Byron Township
8085 Byron Center Avenue SW
Byron Center, MI 49315
(616) 878-9066
Caledonia Charter Township
8196 Broadmoor Ave SE
Caledonia, MI 49316
(616) 891-0070
Cannon Township
6878 Belding Road
Rockford, MI 49341
(616) 874-6966
Cascade Charter Township
2865 Thornhills SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546-7192
(616) 949-1500
Courtland Township
7450 - 14 Mile Road NE
Rockford, MI 49341
(616) 866-0622
Gaines Township
8555 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
Caledonia, MI 49316
(616) 698-6640
Grand Rapids Charter Township
1836 East Beltline NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
(616) 361-7391
Grattan Township
12050 Old Belding Road
Belding, MI 48809
(616) 691-8450
Lowell Charter Township
2910 Alden Nash SE
Lowell, MI 49331
(616) 897-7600
Nelson Township
2 Maple Street
P.O. Box 109
Sand Lake, MI 49343
(616) 636-5332
Oakfield Township
10300 - 14 Mile Road
Rockford, MI 49341
(616) 754-5679
Plainfield Charter Township
6161 Belmont Avenue NE
Belmont, MI 49306-9609
(616) 364-8466
Solon Township
15185 Algoma Avenue NE
Cedar Springs, MI 49319
(616) 696-1718
Sparta Township
160 East Division
Sparta, MI 49345
(616) 887-8863
Spencer Township
14960 Meddler Avenue
Gowen, MI 49326
(616) 984-0035
Tyrone Township
28 E. Muskegon
P.O. Box 275
Kent City, MI 49330
(616) 678-4779
Vergennes Township
10381 Bailey Drive
Lowell, MI 49331
(616) 897-5671
INCORPORATED VILLAGE
Caledonia
250 S. Maple St.
Caledonia, MI 49316
(616) 891-9384
Casnovia
141 North Main
Casnovia, MI 49318
(616) 675-4780
Kent City
83 Spring Street
P.O. Box 296
Kent City, MI 49330
(616) 678-7232
Sand Lake
2 East Maple
P.O. Box 139
Sand Lake, MI 49343
(616) 636-8854
Sparta
156 East Division Street
Sparta, MI 49345
(616) 887-8251
