Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Kentwood, Michigan, in Kent County, has about 55,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Kentwood starts two cases, a criminal case in the District Court and a license case before the Secretary of State, and leaves three records. This guide follows the arrest from the roadside to the court file and the driving record.
This guide covers the law, the arrest, booking, the court case, the license case, the records and common questions.
Related guides: Kentwood public records, Kent County OWI, Kentwood arrest records, Kentwood warrants, Kentwood inmate search, Kentwood criminal records, Michigan arrest records and Michigan inmate search.
The OWI Law in Michigan
In Michigan the offense is OWI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Michigan is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect OWI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Secretary of State, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Michigan counts prior offenses within 7 years for a second offense; a third is a felony with no time limit.
Who Makes OWI Arrests in Kentwood
The Kent County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Kentwood (filed by the FBI as Kentwood Police Department) make the OWI arrests in and around Kentwood.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Kent County: the Kent County State Police (state police); Grand Rapids Community College (campus police); Gerald R. Ford International Airport (other agency); the Kent County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the nine agencies in Kent County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 13,381 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Kent County does not break OWI out.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Kentwood
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Kent County Sheriff's Office, held about 940 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at eisjailviewer.kentcountymi.gov. The Kentwood inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
An OWI charge from Kentwood is brought by the Prosecuting Attorney in the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at kentcountymi.gov/1103/Prosecutors-Office, phone 616-632-6710.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kentcountymi.gov/1036/Search-Court-Records.
Statewide, MiCOURT Case Search is the Michigan courts' statewide case search; not every court has joined.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Secretary of State runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Michigan Secretary of State keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
The Records an OWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.
- The court file: from the District Court, kept by the County Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Michigan Secretary of State.
More on each: Kentwood arrest records, Kentwood police reports and Kentwood court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Michigan?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Kentwood heard?
In the District Court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kentcountymi.gov/1036/Search-Court-Records.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Kentwood held?
At the county jail, run by the Kent County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after an OWI arrest in Michigan?
The Secretary of State, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does an OWI count as a prior in Michigan?
7 years for a second offense; a third is a felony with no time limit.
Is this the official Kentwood website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.