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 September 25, 2026.
Modesto, California, in Stanislaus County, has about 221,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Modesto 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: Modesto public records, Stanislaus County police reports, Modesto arrest records, Modesto warrants, Modesto inmate search, Modesto criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Modesto
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 Modesto that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Modesto Police Department); outside it, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol at Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force and the Highway Patrol's Modesto Area Office in Stanislaus 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 California State University at Stanislaus (campus police) and Union Pacific Railroad in Stanislaus County (other agency), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Modesto Police
For Modesto, SearchSystems opened and checked the Modesto police records page at modestogov.com/274/Modesto-Police-Records (page title: Modesto Police Records | Modesto, CA), phone 209-572-9580, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The agency that reports for Modesto had 1,298 violent and 4,197 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 10,361 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 383 violent and 820 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,205 arrests for 2023.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at scsdonline.com/online-services/inmates-list (page title: Who’s in Jail | Sheriff's Office), 250 E. Hackett Rd., Modesto, CA 95358, 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.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at stanislaus.courts.ca.gov/general-information/public-case-and-hearin... (page title: Judicial Administrative Records Request Form | Superior Court of California | County of Stanislaus).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Modesto?
From the agency that took it. The Modesto police records page is at modestogov.com/274/Modesto-Police-Records, phone 209-572-9580; the sheriff's reports come from the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Modesto 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 Modesto?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol at Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force and the Highway Patrol's Modesto Area Office in Stanislaus County.
How do I get a report from the Stanislaus 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 Modesto 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.