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 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Dos Palos, California, in Merced County, has about 5,800 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Dos Palos 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: Dos Palos public records, Merced County police reports, Dos Palos arrest records, Dos Palos warrants, Dos Palos inmate search, Dos Palos criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Dos Palos
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 Dos Palos that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Dos Palos Police Department); outside it, the Merced County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol's Merced and Los Banos Area Offices and the Highway Patrol at Chowchilla River Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility in Merced 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 Merced County (other agency) and the University of California at Merced (campus police), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Dos Palos Police
For Dos Palos, SearchSystems opened and checked the Dos Palos police department's page at dospalos.gov/departments/police (page title: Dos Palos California | Police), phone (209) 392-2174, 2174 Blossom Street Dos Palos, CA 93620, Monday - Friday 8am - 4:30pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Dos Palos had 27 violent and 80 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 199 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Merced County Sheriff's Office
The Merced County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 343 violent and 1,310 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,071 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at inmateinquiry.co.merced.ca.us/newworld.inmateinquiry/merced (page title: Inmate Search), 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, (209) 385-7381, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Dos Palos?
From the agency that took it. The Dos Palos police department's page is at dospalos.gov/departments/police, phone (209) 392-2174; the sheriff's reports come from the Merced County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Dos Palos 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 Dos Palos?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol's Merced and Los Banos Area Offices and the Highway Patrol at Chowchilla River Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility in Merced County.
How do I get a report from the Merced County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. 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 Dos Palos 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.