Kent County Clerk of the Court

What the Kent County Clerk of the Court Does

The Clerk of the Court is the public counter for the 17th Circuit Court. The official Kent County page states that the Clerk of the Court is the "keeper of the records" for lawsuits filed in the circuit court. The County Clerk and Register of Deeds, Lisa Posthumus Lyons, runs the broader elected office, but the court-records counter sits in its own suite on the second floor of the courthouse.

The image below shows the official Clerk of the Court page used to source the hours, address, and counter rules below.

Source: Kent County Clerk of the Court.

The clerk staff can confirm what a court file shows, accept a filing, take a fee, and certify a copy. The law bars deputy clerks from advising a party on a legal issue. For form help, the Clerk directs users to the Legal Assistance Center on the 5th floor of the courthouse, to Michigan Legal Help, and to the Michigan Courts Self-Help Center.

Kent County Clerk of the Court Contact

The Clerk of the Court counter is on the second floor of the Kent County Courthouse. The counter is open on weekdays, with no lunch closure listed on the official page. The phone line is staffed during counter hours. For court records that belong to a different court (the 63rd District Court, the Probate Court, or a city district court), the user should call the clerk for that specific court.

The Clerk's office does not have a public computer. Users who need a public terminal for a court records search can use the Legal Assistance Center on the 5th floor or a public library.

Court Records Function

The Kent County Clerk of the Court files complaints, motions, orders, judgments, and notices for the 17th Circuit Court. The file roster covers felony, civil over $25,000, divorce, custody, juvenile, and family-division matters. The clerk also indexes the case, records hearing dates, and tracks fees and bonds. For a full Kent County court records walk-through, see the court records page. For the case docket, see the court dockets page.

The Clerk does not hold every court file. The 63rd District Court keeps its own files for misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, landlord-tenant, and lower-dollar civil work. The County Clerk / Register of Deeds office at 300 Monroe Avenue NW holds vital records, marriage licenses, and recorded land documents. The Probate Court holds estate, guardianship, and conservatorship records on the second floor in Suite 2500.

Kent County Clerk Copy and Certification Fees

Fees for court copies are set by the court and the clerk under Michigan court rules. The official Clerk of the Court page does not publish a full plain-paper copy and certified-copy fee table, but the clerk counter quotes the current fee on request. The Probate Court fee schedule lists separate amounts for probate filings. The chart below lists the fees that the research file confirmed for the related Kent County offices.

FOIA fees on the county side run under MCL 15.234. Court fees run under Michigan court rules and the trial court's local schedule. For non-court records (county budgets, sheriff policies), use the public records page.

How to Request a Certified Copy from the Kent County Clerk

A certified copy carries the clerk's stamp and signature. It is the version a court, a bank, an employer, or a foreign agency wants for a legal use. A plain copy is fine for personal records. The steps below cover the basic request flow at the Clerk of the Court counter.

1. Find the case number first. Use MiCOURT Case Search or call the clerk for help with the file index.
2. Pick the document. A certified judgment of divorce, a certified order of dismissal, and a certified sentencing order are common asks.
3. Plan for the fee. The clerk counter posts the current per-page rate. Bring cash or a check payable to the office named on the receipt.
4. Walk in or mail the request. The Clerk's counter is open Mon-Fri 9 am to 4 pm.
5. For a mailed request, include the case number, the document name, your contact info, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
6. For court files that are sealed or restricted, the request must include a court order or a statement of authority. The clerk cannot release a sealed file without a court order.
7. Pick up the copy at the counter or wait for mail delivery. Check the certification stamp before you leave the counter.

Kent County Online Portals

The Kent County Clerk / Register of Deeds runs an AccessKent / CNSearch document portal for recorded clerk and register records. The portal is for land and clerk records, not for court dockets. Court dockets live on MiCOURT Case Search. E-filing for civil filings runs through the statewide MiFILE system.

The image below shows the self-help resources page that also links to the court records search and to Michigan Legal Help.

Source: Kent County Self-Help Resources.

The 63rd District Court joined more than 50 Michigan courts on MiFILE in June 2025, which moved its civil filings to the statewide e-file system. The Clerk of the Court accepts circuit-court filings through MiFILE where the rule allows it.

FOIA Requests vs Clerk Requests

Kent County court files run under Michigan Court Rule 8.119. Kent County administrative files run under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act at MCL 15.231. The two paths use different forms, different fees, and different appeal routes. A court file goes to the Clerk. A sheriff policy or a county budget goes to the county FOIA process.

Self-Help and Forms

The Clerk of the Court directs self-represented litigants to the Legal Assistance Center on the 5th floor of the Kent County Courthouse. The LAC has self-help forms, public terminals, and brief in-person guidance. Forms also live on Michigan Legal Help at michiganlegalhelp.org and on the Michigan Courts SCAO forms library. Common pro se topics include divorce, custody, fee waiver, landlord-tenant answer, small claims affidavit, personal protection order petition, adult name change, and set-aside.

Related Kent County Searches

For the County Clerk / Register of Deeds office that handles marriage licenses, vital records, and land records, see the County Clerk / Register page. For the 17th Circuit Court itself, see the 17th Circuit Court page. For probate records, see the probate records page. For court records search, see the court records page and the court dockets page.