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 on September 23, 2026.
Madera County, California, has about 165,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Madera County depends on where the incident happened: the Madera County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. 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 sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Madera County public records, Madera County arrest records, Madera County warrants, Madera County inmate search, Madera County criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Madera County
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.
In Madera County that is the Madera County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol's Madera and Oakhurst Area Offices in Madera 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 Madera County (other agency), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Madera County Sheriff's Office
The Madera County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 369 violent and 723 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,186 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at inmatepublicview.maderacounty.com (page title: Inmate Inquiry | Search), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Madera County
The two cities the FBI lists in Madera County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Madera: 301 violent and 760 property crimes reported for 2025; 2,339 arrests reported for 2025.
- Chowchilla: 72 violent and 133 property crimes reported for 2025; 888 arrests reported for 2025.
A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.
How Many Reports: Madera County in 2025
The three agencies in Madera County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 742 violent and 1,616 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Madera County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,413 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the California Public Records Act Requires
Under the California Public Records Act the agency must answer a request within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances, and it may charge the direct cost of copying only, not staff time. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at madera.gov/city-government/public-records-request (page title: Public Records Request | City of Madera).
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 Madera County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Madera County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the California Public Records Act the answer is due within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances.
How long does an agency in Madera County 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 Madera County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol's Madera and Oakhurst Area Offices in Madera County.
How do I get a report from the Madera 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 Madera County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.