County Clerk

Online Services

County Clerk/Register of Deeds

Mary Hollinrake, County Clerk / Register
Sonya Dean, Chief Deputy Clerk

County Administration Building
300 Monroe Avenue NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2288
Phone: (616) 632-7640
Fax: (616) 632-7645

Kent County Courthouse
180 Ottawa Avenue NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2288
Phone: (616) 632-5480
Fax: (616) 632-5458

Office Hours
Monday-Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Mission Statement

Maintain public records for the citizens of Kent County. Disseminate information requested in a proficient, timely manner.

Overview

The Kent County Clerk’s Office has three major functions: to manage County elections; to manage vital County records; and to process and maintain all Circuit Court files. The Clerk is Clerk to the Board of Commissioners, and statutorily serves on numerous County boards and commissions. In Kent County, the Clerk is also the Register of Deeds.

The Clerk’s Election Division oversees all elections conducted in Kent County including school elections and monitors campaign finance law.

The Register of Deeds Office records all documents pertaining to real property in Kent County, including deeds, mortgages, land contracts, liens and other real estate documents.

The Clerk files, stores, and retains original vital records (i.e., birth, death, and marriage records), and makes certified copies of said records available to the public. The Clerk also processes applications for concealed weapons licenses, notary publics, business registrations and records military discharges. In 2005, the division moved to an imaged system, converting old microfilm documents to digital images, to better serve the public.

As Clerk of the Circuit Court, she keeps the Circuit Court’s records. The Clerk opens, maintains, tracks, and stores the records for all cases filed in the Circuit Court including all juvenile court cases. Court files are public records, and may be inspected at the Clerk’s court office. Litigants file at the Clerk of the Court’s office for divorce, other family matters (e.g., paternity, custody, and juvenile support), civil actions for which the amount of damages exceeds $25,000, and other civil matters over which the Circuit Court has jurisdiction. All felony criminal cases are filed with the Clerk. The Clerk of the Court’s financial division processes payments for court-ordered fines, costs, restitution, forensic fees, and other assessments.

Strategic Goals

Ensure the public's accessibility to the communities "vital records"
Advocate for stream-lined election laws that improve voting process and enhance the integrity of elections and increase voter participation
Protect current revenue streams and explore methods to ensure changes in statutory allowable fees cover costs.

Operational Goals

To comply with all federal and state statutes and rules
To process and maintain filings/records to ensure their integrity
To distribute information requested in a timely manner
To provide and preserve information regarding real property located in Kent County
To research and develop new ways of using technology to improve the input, storage, and retrieval of information

2010 Adopted Uses: $4,134,076

2010 Adopted Revenues: $5,670,900

Department History of Uses

Uses	2006 Actual	2007 Actual	2008 Adopted	2009 Adopted
Personnel	$2,986,596	$2,966,478	$3,099,514	$3,011,058
Commodities	364,004	396,615	218,350	328,650
Contractual Services	79,823	106,908	100,457	63,917
Capital Outlay	705	1,673	2,000	1,600
Special Projects	426,439	506,240	622,915	728,851
Total Uses	$3,857,567	$3,977,914	$4,043,236	$4,134,076

Personnel FTE	52	52	50	48

Significant Budget Issues

The budget spikes up during even numbered years due to costs associated with the type of elections held in even numbered years (i.e., state-wide gubernatorial, or presidential elections).

One Clerk II and one Clerk Typist II positions were eliminated for 2010.