Sheriff's Office

Records Division

We offer same day first-come, first-serve appointments as well as appointments up to 30 days in the future for fingerprints and other services.

Main Office

Monday – Friday
9:00am - 5:00pm
(616) 632-6200

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South Sub Station

Tuesdays only
9:00am - 5:00pm
(616) 632-6490

This office closes mid-day for a 30 minute staff lunch. The time of closure varies due to customer traffic.

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North Sub Station

Monday, Thursday & Friday
9:00am - 5:00pm
(616) 632-6020

This office closes mid-day for a 30 minute staff lunch. The time of closure varies due to customer traffic.

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The Information Services Unit is responsible for a variety of tasks but most importantly, they maintain all the criminal records for the department. They are also the primary point of contact for most citizens, as they need access to records such as traffic crash reports and insurance reports.

Records Division

The Records Division is responsible for receiving and distributing the majority of the Freedom of Information requests for the Sheriff's Department. In addition, it handles all Sheriff's Office Information calls and all walk-in requests for service.

The Records Division serves the public in the area of:

  • Statistical reports regarding trends in criminal activity.
  • Handgun purchase permits & registration.
  • Finger printing for licensing and job applicants.
  • Accident reports for minor accidents on the roadway and private property.
  • Maintenance of a database on inmates booked into the jail including fingerprint records, mug shot pictures and biographical information.

All documents are stored in electronic form on cd-roms as the major platform. This is a shared database between the Kent County Sheriff's Office, Grand Rapids Police Department and the Kentwood Police Department.

Records Checks

Records checks are sent to the Sheriff Office for several reasons; the most frequent are for employment or housing. When we receive a request by mail we will try to reply to the request within five business days. To help distribute the workflow, these requests are generally sent to our Sub stations to be completed by those clerks. Records checks can be completed at any of our offices on a "walk in" basis. In the event the person brings the request in, we will answer it immediately. Each records check can take anywhere from five minutes to twenty minutes depending on if the person has a record to be reported and how much of the record needs to be confirmed.

Criminal History Records Check

The Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) allows a search of public records contained in the Michigan Criminal History Record Section.