Search Kent County Marriage Records

How to Get a Kent County Marriage License

A Kent County marriage license comes from the Kent County Clerk / Register of Deeds. The office runs an online form and an in-person counter at 300 Monroe Avenue NW in Grand Rapids. The steps below come from the official county Get a Marriage License page. Each step matters, and one missed item can push the wedding off the calendar. Plan ahead, because a three-day wait runs from the date the license is applied for.

The image below shows the official county marriage license page used to start the request.

Source: Kent County Get a Marriage License.

The form is short. The proof is strict. Bring the right ID the first time, and the clerk can move the file through.

1. Set a wedding date with someone who can lawfully perform the ceremony.
2. Confirm the wedding will happen within 33 days of the application date.
3. Confirm both people getting married and all witnesses are 18 or older.
4. Confirm at least one applicant lives in Kent County, or that both live out of state and the wedding is in Kent County.
5. Apply online, or apply in person at 300 Monroe Avenue NW, Floor 1, Grand Rapids, Mon-Fri 8:00 am to 4:45 pm. In-person forms are not processed after 4:30 pm.
6. Pay the license fee at the time of filing.
7. Wait three days. Then pick up the license at the same counter.
8. Hold the ceremony. Return the signed license within 10 days, by mail or in person.

Online forms received after 4:45 pm are not handled until the next business day. The clerk does not refund a license fee if a wedding is called off.

Kent County Marriage License Requirements

Both applicants must show ID and meet the county's rules on age, residency, and the date of the wedding. The rules are set by state law and the county clerk's office process. The ceremony itself must take place inside Michigan if the in-county fee is paid, or inside Kent County if both applicants are out of state. The wedding cannot be held until the third day after the form is filed.

Each applicant must bring three documents:

• A driver's license or state-issued ID. Photocopies are accepted.
• A government-issued birth certificate. A hospital souvenir record is not accepted.
• A Social Security number. The card itself is not required, just the number.

If the ceremony will be held in English, both applicants must be able to understand English. If not, the county may ask for an interpreter. The license is good for 33 days from the application date. Miss that window and a new license, plus a new fee, is needed. The 33-day rule is short, so do not file too far ahead of the wedding date.

A prior marriage does not block a new license, but the prior union must be fully ended. The clerk will ask for the date of divorce or the date of the prior spouse's death. False information on the form is a serious matter and can void the license.

Marriage License Fees

The Kent County Clerk sets two fee tiers, based on residency. Fees are due at the time the form is filed, not at pickup. The clerk takes payment in person and online when the online portal is used. Cash, check, and card are common at the counter; check the county page for the current list of accepted methods before going in.

The fee covers the license and the work of the clerk's office. It does not cover certified copies of the final marriage record. Those are sold for a separate fee after the signed license is returned and the record is filed. The clerk will not waive the fee without a court order.

Marriage License Application Fields

The county online form asks for the same data the in-person form asks for. Fill in both applicants' info, the wedding plan, and the payment details. The chart below is a field-by-field map of what to have on hand before opening the form. The list pulls from the county application format and the standard Michigan license form.

The clerk uses the SSN to issue the license but does not print it on the public copy of the record. A clerk staff member checks the form for missing parts before the file moves forward.

Getting a Certified Marriage Record

A signed marriage license must be returned to the County Clerk / Register of Deeds within 10 days of the ceremony. Once the office files the record, certified copies can be ordered. A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and is the version most banks, courts, and federal agencies will accept. A plain paper copy is fine for personal use but is not valid for legal proof of marriage.

To request a certified marriage record, give the clerk both names at the time of the wedding, the date of the ceremony, the requester's contact info, the type and number of copies needed, a mailing address, payment, and ID if asked. Walk-in requests are taken at 300 Monroe Avenue NW. Mail requests should include a check and a self-addressed return envelope. The clerk holds Kent County marriage records dating back many decades; older index data may need a clerk look-up.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also keeps a state-level index of marriage records. For very old or out-of-county records, the state office may be the better path. For Kent County weddings, the local clerk is faster and cheaper.

How to Find Kent County Divorce Records

A divorce in Kent County is a court case, not a vital record. The case lives on the family docket of the 17th Circuit Court. Public users can search divorce filings on MiCOURT Case Search, the statewide portal that covers most trial courts in Michigan. The same portal is used for civil and criminal court files. See the Kent County court records page for a full walkthrough of search fields, filters, and result reads.

For a copy of the judgment of divorce, contact the Clerk of the Court at the Kent County Courthouse on Ottawa Avenue. The clerk holds the case file, the orders, and the signed judgment. A certified copy is needed for name-change work, Social Security updates, tax filings, and remarriage. The Clerk of the Court page lists copy fees and counter hours.

Search by case number for the cleanest hit. A name search works as a fallback, but common names will return many cases. Add a filing date range or a case type filter to cut the noise. Child support orders and Friend of the Court files can have their own access rules and may not show full detail on the public docket.

Filing for Divorce in 17th Circuit Court

A divorce case is filed in the 17th Circuit Court family/domestic division. The court uses MiFILE for e-filing on most family cases. A complaint for divorce, the summons, and a set of state forms start the case. After filing, the other party is served, and the court sets a path that depends on whether children are involved and whether the case is uncontested.

The Kent County Legal Assistance Center, on the 5th Floor of the Kent County Courthouse at 180 Ottawa Avenue NW, helps self-represented parties pick the right forms and fill them out. The LAC does not give legal advice and does not represent parties in court, but it does walk people through the steps of a Do-It-Yourself filing. Walk-in hours run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 am to 4 pm, and Wednesday from 9 am to 1 pm. No appointment is needed.

For a guided online tool, the county points users to the Do-It-Yourself Divorce form set on Michigan Legal Help, powered by LawHelp Interactive. The tool builds the right forms based on the answers given. The final forms still must be filed with the 17th Circuit Court clerk.

Friend of the Court and Family Records

Most Kent County divorce cases with minor kids involve the Friend of the Court, also called FOC. The FOC office handles custody, parenting time, child support, and mediation. FOC records are part of the family case file but have tighter access rules than a plain civil docket. A party to the case can see most FOC filings. A non-party usually cannot.

FOC orders are entered through the same case number as the divorce. Updates to support amounts, parenting-time changes, and review hearings show up on the docket. Some financial detail and some child-related detail is sealed by court rule. Sealed pieces will not appear on a public MiCOURT search and are not handed out at the clerk counter without a court order.

Restricted Family Information

Not every family file is open. Michigan law and court rules wall off certain records. Adoption files are sealed by MCL 710.67. Juvenile delinquency and child protective files are restricted by MCL 712A.28. Personal protection orders carry their own access rules, and the court will not share the protected party's home address.

A divorce file in Kent County can also be sealed in part by court order. A judge may seal a financial filing, a medical filing, or a piece tied to a child. Some clients ask to seal a whole divorce file. That is rare and is granted only when the privacy interest beats the public's right to a court record. The judge weighs both sides under court rule and state case law.

To view a sealed file, a party files a motion in the case. A non-party files a motion to intervene and to unseal. The clerk does not unseal a record without a written court order. Plan for a hearing, and bring a clear reason for the request.

Related Kent County Searches

For probate matters, including wills, estates, guardianship, and conservatorship, see the Kent County probate records page. For non-court records held by the county, like deeds, business filings, and FOIA topics, see the public records page. For the clerk that handles court files at 180 Ottawa Avenue NW, see the Clerk of the Court page. For the vital records and license clerk at 300 Monroe Avenue NW, see the County Clerk / Register of Deeds page. For the trial court that hears divorce and family cases, see the 17th Circuit Court page.