Reviewed and updated October 7, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026.
Santa Maria, California, in Santa Barbara County, has about 111,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Santa Maria depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the California Public Records Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Santa Maria public records, Santa Barbara County police reports, Santa Maria warrants, Santa Maria inmate search, Santa Maria criminal records, Santa Maria court records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Santa Maria
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
Inside Santa Maria that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Santa Maria Police Department); outside it, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol's Santa Barbara, Buellton and Santa Maria Area Offices in Santa Barbara County; a report taken on a state highway by one of them comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's list also carries Union Pacific Railroad in Santa Barbara County (other agency) and Allan Hancock College and the University of California at Santa Barbara (campus police), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Santa Maria Police
For Santa Maria, SearchSystems opened and checked the Santa Maria police department's page at cityofsantamaria.org/services/departments/police-department (page title: Police Department | City of Santa Maria), phone (805) 928-3781, 1111 West Betteravia Road Santa Maria, CA 93455, Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Santa Maria had 697 violent and 2,026 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,960 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 293 violent and 936 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,465 arrests for 2023.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 805-683-2724. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at sbsheriff.org/command-and-divisions/custody-operations/south-county... (page title: Jail Information | Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office), phone 805-683-2724, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
What the California Public Records Act Requires
The California Public Records Act sets the rules: an answer within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances, at a charge of the direct cost of copying only, not staff time, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney, (805) 568-2300, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Santa Maria?
From the agency that took it. The Santa Maria police department's page is at cityofsantamaria.org, phone (805) 928-3781; the sheriff's reports come from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Santa Maria have to answer?
Under the California Public Records Act, within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances. It may charge the direct cost of copying only, not staff time.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Santa Maria?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol's Santa Barbara, Buellton and Santa Maria Area Offices in Santa Barbara County.
How do I get a report from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 805-683-2724. Under the California Public Records Act the answer is due within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances.
Is this the official Santa Maria 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.