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.
Sanibel, Florida, in Lee County, has about 6,400 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Sanibel depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) 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: Sanibel public records, Lee County police reports, Sanibel arrest records, Sanibel warrants, Sanibel inmate search, Sanibel criminal records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Sanibel
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
Inside Sanibel that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Sanibel Police Department); outside it, the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol in Lee County in Lee County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's agency list also places one other agency, seven state agencies and two campus police departments in Lee County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Sanibel Police
For Sanibel, SearchSystems opened and checked the Sanibel police department's page at mysanibel.com/283/Police (page title: Police | Sanibel, FL), phone 239-472-3111, 800 Dunlop Rd Sanibel, FL 33957, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Sanibel had 5 violent and 44 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 131 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Lee County Sheriff's Office
The Lee County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 977 violent and 3,870 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 13,047 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at sheriffleefl.org/arrest-search (page title: Arrest Search | Lee County Sheriff's Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 4, 2026.
What the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) Requires
The Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) sets the rules: an answer promptly and in good faith; the statute sets no number of days, at a charge of the copy fees set by statute, plus a special service charge for large requests, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at leegov.com/publicrecords (page title: Public Records Request Center).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State Attorney, (941) 637-2104, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Sanibel?
From the agency that took it. The Sanibel police department's page is at mysanibel.com/283/Police, phone 239-472-3111; the sheriff's reports come from the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Sanibel have to answer?
Under the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119), promptly and in good faith; the statute sets no number of days. It may charge the copy fees set by statute, plus a special service charge for large requests.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Sanibel?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol in Lee County in Lee County.
How do I get a report from the Lee County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) the answer is due promptly and in good faith; the statute sets no number of days.
Is this the official Sanibel 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.