Reviewed and updated October 9, 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 24, 2026 and September 26, 2026.
Huntsville, Alabama, in Madison County, has about 230,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Huntsville depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Alabama Public Records Law 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: Huntsville public records, Madison County police reports, Huntsville arrest records, Huntsville warrants, Huntsville inmate search, Huntsville criminal records, Alabama arrest records and Alabama inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Huntsville
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
Inside Huntsville that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Huntsville Police Department); outside it, the Madison County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's agency list also places one other agency and four campus police departments in Madison County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Huntsville Police
For Huntsville, SearchSystems opened and checked the Huntsville police records page at huntsvilleal.gov/residents/public-safety/huntsville-police/records/... (page title: Records & Reports | City of Huntsville), phone 256-427-7020, 815 Wheeler Ave. NW, Huntsville, AL 35801, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Huntsville had 934 violent and 5,376 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 5,897 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Madison County Sheriff's Office
The Madison County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 258 violent and 1,179 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 3,545 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 256.722.7181. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at madisoncountysheriffal.org/inmate-roster (page title: Inmate Roster | Madison County Sheriff's Office | Sort Booking Time | Descending | Page 1), phone 256.722.7181, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
What the Alabama Public Records Law Requires
The Alabama Public Records Law sets the rules: an answer within a reasonable time; the statute sets no fixed deadline, at a charge of a reasonable fee for copies, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at madison.alacourt.gov/records-request (page title: Madison County | Twenty-Third Circuit Court of Alabama).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Huntsville?
From the agency that took it. The Huntsville police records page is at huntsvilleal.gov, phone 256-427-7020; the sheriff's reports come from the Madison County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Huntsville have to answer?
Under the Alabama Public Records Law, within a reasonable time; the statute sets no fixed deadline. It may charge a reasonable fee for copies.
How do I get a report from the Madison County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 256.722.7181. Under the Alabama Public Records Law the answer is due within a reasonable time; the statute sets no fixed deadline.
Is this the official Huntsville 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.