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.
Bay County, Florida, has about 200,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Bay County depends on where the incident happened: the Bay 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 Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) 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: Bay County public records, Bay County arrest records, Bay County warrants, Bay County inmate search, Bay County criminal records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Bay 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 Bay County that is the Bay 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 in Bay County in Bay 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 campus police department, two other agencies and five state agencies in Bay County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Bay County Sheriff's Office
The Bay County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 232 violent and 859 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 3,365 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (850) 747-4700. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at bayso.org/faqs (page title: Bay County Jail Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | Bay County Sheriff's Office), phone (850) 747-4700, 3421 N Highway 77 Panama City, FL 32405, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Bay County
The six cities the FBI lists in Bay County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Panama City: 117 violent and 502 property crimes reported for 2025; 5,444 arrests reported for 2025. The Panama City police department's page is at panamacitypolice.gov, phone (850) 872-3198 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Lynn Haven: 16 violent and 158 property crimes reported for 2025; 629 arrests reported for 2025.
- Panama City Beach. The Panama City Beach police records page is at panamacitypolice.gov/records, phone (850) 872-3198 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Springfield: 39 violent and 111 property crimes reported for 2025; 404 arrests reported for 2025. The Springfield police records page is at springfieldfl.net/police/page/records-request, phone (850) 872-7545 (verified September 26, 2026).
- Parker: 8 violent and 62 property crimes reported for 2025; 117 arrests reported for 2025.
- Mexico Beach.
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: Bay County in 2025
The five agencies in Bay County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 412 violent and 1,692 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the five agencies in Bay County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 9,959 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Bay County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Bay County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) the answer is due promptly and in good faith; the statute sets no number of days.
How long does an agency in Bay County 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 Bay County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol in Bay County in Bay County.
How do I get a report from the Bay County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (850) 747-4700. 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 Bay 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.