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 28, 2026.
Modoc County, California, has about 8,500 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Modoc County depends on where the incident happened: the Modoc 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: Modoc County public records, Modoc County arrest records, Modoc County warrants, Modoc County criminal records, Modoc County court records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Modoc 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 Modoc County that is the Modoc 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 Alturas Area Office in Modoc County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's list also carries Union Pacific Railroad in Modoc County (other agency), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Modoc County Sheriff's Office
The Modoc County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 26 violent and 37 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 146 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Modoc County
The one city the FBI lists in Modoc County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Alturas: 20 violent and 19 property crimes reported for 2025; 148 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: Modoc County in 2025
The two agencies in Modoc County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 46 violent and 56 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Modoc County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 294 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
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 modoccountyca.nextrequest.com (page title: Open Public RecordsNextRequest | Modern FOIA & Public Records Request Software).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Modoc County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Modoc 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 Modoc 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 Modoc County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol's Alturas Area Office in Modoc County.
How do I get a report from the Modoc 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 Modoc 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.