Kent County
Kent County was founded in 1750 as one of the five counties in the state with no active county government. The county relies on state-administered courts and municipal governance. It has a population of about 170,168 residents and covers an area of approximately 168.6 square miles. The county's largest town, Warwick, serves as a commercial and residential hub.
Kent County's court system includes superior, district, family, probate, and municipal courts. The Superior Court, located in Warwick, has jurisdiction over serious criminal offenses such as felonies. It also deals with general civil cases where the claims exceed $10,000 and may handle equity cases, among other significant legal matters. The District Court, also located in Warwick, addresses misdemeanors typically without jury trials, small civil cases under $10,000, and issues such as landlord-tenant disputes, replevin actions, and domestic violence protective orders. Family Court in Kent County handles all domestic relations matters, including divorce, child custody, division of property, alimony, paternity, and juvenile cases, including juvenile delinquency, adoptions of minors, child neglect, and abuse cases. Probate Courts across the county, including those in East Greenwich, Warwick, West Greenwich, and West Warwick, deal with estate administration, guardianships, conservatorships, certain cases related to testamentary trusts, and similar matters. On the other hand, Municipal Courts, including West Warwick Municipal Court, handle local ordinance violations, traffic infractions, requests for certain injunctions, and violations of local housing and zoning ordinances.
Court records in Kent County are available through the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal. They refer to legal documentation of case trials held in the various county courts, including indexes, petitions, docket entries, memoranda, orders, and judgments generated during legal proceedings. The public can also access non-confidential records and dockets by visiting Court Clerk Offices, which have public terminals for record searches, or the county courthouse at:
222 Quaker Lane
Warwick, RI 02886
Phone: (401) 822-6900
Certain records, such as those related to adoptions, juvenile matters, and grand jury proceedings, are sealed to protect privacy. To view these confidential documents, individuals must obtain a court order. However, the county makes the following court records accessible to the public:
- Civil Records
- Criminal Records
- Probate Records
- Traffic Records
- Family Records.
