Office of the City Clerk

We use a third-party site to manage our standing committee meeting schedules and agendas. We have pages to help you navigate that third-party site linked below. Already know your way around the legislative management site? You can use our legislative management page to get direct links to the committee pages.

Committee of the Whole

This committee meets at 10:00 am the same day as regular City Commission meetings

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Committee on Appointments

This committee meets at 8:00 am the same day as regular City Commission meetings

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Fiscal Committee

This committee meets at 8:30 am the same day as regular City Commission meetings

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Community Development Committee

This committee meets at 9:15 am the same day as regular City Commission meetings

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Public Safety Committee

This committee meets as scheduled -- usually every three months

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Special Briefings

This committee meets on an as scheduled basis -- usually every third month.

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We're always thinking about the next election. That's why we keep a page to keep you informed. We'll tell you everything you need to know about each upcoming election:

• Current Election Information
• Voter Registration Information
• Absentee Voting
• Election Worker Resources
• And More

Elections

More than 250 citizens serve on City boards and commissions. We process applications to sit on these boards and commissions. This is a great way to get involved in your community. Boards and commissions offer citizen input and review City programs. A lot of times they make recommendations to the City Commission.

Looking for more info about boards and commissions? We have a few resources for you:

• City Boards and Commissions
• Apply for Boards and Commissions
• Regional Boards and Commissions

Community Archives

Are you looking for information about a local issue? Do you want to find records of your relatives and their history in our city? The City Clerk's Office manages official City of Grand Rapids documents.

About the City Archives and Records Center

Apply Online

For the first time, you can apply for your business license online. We'll walk you through the process to get the licenses you need. Just take a look.

Business Licensing

City Charter

The City Charter is the legal document that established Grand Rapids as a city. It identifies roles and responsibilities of City leadership and how the City should be managed.

City Charter

Code of Ordinances

The City's legislation is the code of ordinances, or set of laws, that we enforce.

Code of Ordinances

Apply for a Passport

Due to the Election season, the Clerk's office has suspended Passport appointments.  To find another passport acceptance facility go to https://iafdb.travel.state.gov/. 

Are you a first-time passport applicant? If you've never had a passport before, we'll accept your application in person. You'll want to make sure you're prepared before you come to our office. That's why we have instructions to help you in different situations:

• Apply for a New Passport
• Renew an Expiring Passport

More Information and Visas

We do our best to get you all the info you need. But if there's something you can't find here, the best source of info about U.S. passports is the federal government. You can check out their U.S. Passports website.

You need a visa to travel to certain countries. For others, just a passport is enough. If you're unsure whether the country you're visiting requires a visa, check out the federal government's U.S. Visas website.

Expedited Applications

None of us plan to wait until the last minute, but it does happen. If your trip is less than 14 days away, you'll need to make an appointment at a National Passport Center. Call 877-487-2778 to schedule an appointment.

Looking to request copies of City records? The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows you to request copies or access to most City records.

File a FOIA Request