Kent County DUI Records Search

Kent County DUI records cover OWI arrests and court cases handled by the 17th Circuit Court and three district courts in the Grand Rapids area. You can search these records through the state's free MiCOURT system, through ICHAT, or by contacting the court clerks directly. This page explains each method and what you will find.

Kent County Court System for OWI Cases

Kent County has four courts that handle OWI cases, and which court you end up in depends on how serious the charge is. First and second offense OWI cases are misdemeanors. They go to one of three district courts depending on where the arrest happened. Third offense and above are felonies under MCL 257.625, and those go to the 17th Circuit Court. OWI causing death or serious injury also go to the Circuit Court.

The 17th Circuit Court handles felony OWI cases for all of Kent County. It sits at 180 Ottawa Avenue NW in Grand Rapids. The Circuit Court Clerk can be reached at (616) 632-5480. Their website at kentcountymi.gov has an online name search tool you can use for free. Public access terminals are also available in the courthouse lobby for walk-in searches. MiCOURT links to these records as well.

Three district courts handle misdemeanor OWI. The 61st District Court covers Grand Rapids city. It sits at 61 Sheldon Avenue SE in Grand Rapids, and you can call them at (616) 632-5700. Their website is at 61stdistrictcourt.org. The 62A District Court at 2660 Burlingame Avenue SW in Wyoming handles cases from that area at (616) 530-7500. The 62B District Court at 4740 Walma Avenue SE in Kentwood takes cases from Kentwood and nearby areas at (616) 554-0700.

How to Search Kent County DUI Records

The fastest free option is MiCOURT. This is the Michigan courts' statewide case lookup tool. It covers all Kent County courts and lets you search by name or case number at no cost. Case codes to look for include SD (Statute Drunk Driving), OD (Ordinance Drunk Driving), and FD (Felony Drunk Driving). Results show party names, charges, court dates, and case status.

ICHAT is the Michigan State Police criminal history database. It costs $10 per search and covers convictions statewide, not just court filings. You can access it at apps.michigan.gov/ICHAT. ICHAT shows OWI convictions that are part of a person's permanent criminal record. It does not show pending cases or arrests that did not lead to conviction. For a complete picture, use both MiCOURT and ICHAT together.

The 17th Circuit Court also has its own online name search tool through the county website. You can find current and past cases there without going to the courthouse. For in-person access, the lobby terminals at 180 Ottawa Avenue NW are open during court hours. Staff at the clerk's office can assist with more complex searches.

The image above shows the Michigan state-level search tools available to the public, including those used for Kent County OWI record lookups.

Michigan OWI Law and Kent County Cases

Michigan does not use the term DUI in its statutes. The state calls it OWI, which stands for Operating While Intoxicated. The main law is MCL 257.625, part of the Michigan Vehicle Code. This statute covers all impaired driving offenses in Kent County and across the state.

The standard BAC limit is 0.08%. If you blow 0.17% or higher, that is the Super Drunk law and the penalties are much steeper. Drivers under 21 face a Zero Tolerance limit of 0.02%. Commercial drivers have a limit of 0.04%. There is also OWVI (Operating While Visibly Impaired), which does not require a specific BAC reading. OWPD (Operating With Presence of Drugs) applies to any Schedule 1 controlled substance and is strict liability. All of these charges show up in Kent County DUI records.

Michigan removed the 10-year lookback period in 2007. That means every prior OWI conviction counts when determining if a current charge is a first, second, or third offense. A third offense OWI is always a felony, no matter how long ago the prior convictions happened. This makes long-term criminal history especially important in Kent County felony OWI cases.

Implied consent under MCL 257.625c through 625e means that driving in Michigan is treated as consent to a breath or blood test. Refusing the test results in a one-year license suspension for a first refusal and two years for a second refusal within seven years. Refusal records are separate from the OWI criminal case but both appear in driving history through the Secretary of State.

Kent County Sheriff and Arrest Records

The Kent County Sheriff's Office makes OWI arrests in unincorporated areas of the county and assists local departments. The sheriff's office is at 705 Ball Avenue NE in Grand Rapids and can be reached at (616) 632-6100. Arrest records from the sheriff can be requested through a FOIA request under MCL 15.231. The Michigan State Police also has FOIA information at their website.

An arrest record and a court record are different things. The arrest record shows when someone was taken into custody. The court record shows what charges were filed and what happened in the case. Both may exist for the same OWI incident. Searching MiCOURT gets you the court side. For the arrest record, you contact the arresting agency directly.

OWI convictions become permanent on both the criminal history and the driving record in Michigan. The Michigan State Police criminal history page explains how records are maintained. The Secretary of State keeps driving records, and an OWI shows there too. Driver Responsibility Fees of $1,000 per year for two years apply to OWI convictions, for a total of $2,000.

Driving Records and OWI History in Kent County

OWI convictions in Kent County appear on Michigan driving records maintained by the Secretary of State. You can request a driving record through the SOS driving records page. These records show license suspensions, revocations, and any OWI-related entries. A driving record is separate from a criminal history record and covers only traffic and vehicle-related matters.

If someone loses their license due to an OWI in Kent County, they may need to go through the Road to Restoration program to get driving privileges back. This involves hearings with the Driver Assessment and Appeal Division. Records of these hearings are separate from the court file but relate directly to the OWI conviction.

The Michigan State Police impaired driving page has current data on OWI enforcement statewide, including statistics that reflect trends seen in Kent County as one of the state's most populous counties.

Felony OWI Records at the 17th Circuit Court

Third-offense OWI and OWI causing death or serious injury are the main felony charges in Kent County. These cases are filed in the 17th Circuit Court. The Circuit Court record includes arraignment, pretrial hearings, motions, and the trial or plea. If the person is convicted and sent to prison, they may appear in the OTIS database at michigan.gov/corrections. OTIS covers people currently in prison or on parole.

The 17th Circuit Court's online name search tool covers felony OWI cases going back several years. Walk-in access is available at 180 Ottawa Avenue NW. Staff at (616) 632-5480 can tell you what is available and how to get copies. Certified copies of court documents cost a fee set by the court. Plain copies cost less. Both are available from the Circuit Court Clerk.

Kent County handles a large volume of felony OWI cases each year given the county's size and the fact that Grand Rapids is the second-largest city in Michigan. The Michigan Legislature site at legislature.mi.gov has the full text of MCL 257.625 and related statutes that apply to these cases.

Cities in Kent County

Two cities in Kent County have their own pages with more detail on local OWI records and court locations.

Nearby Counties

Kent County borders several counties in west-central Michigan. OWI cases that cross county lines may involve courts in these neighboring counties.