Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026.
Hardee County, Florida, has about 26,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Hardee County depends on where the incident happened: the Hardee 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, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Hardee County public records, Hardee County arrest records, Hardee County warrants, Hardee County inmate search, Hardee County criminal records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Hardee County
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.
In Hardee County that is the Hardee 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 Hardee County in Hardee 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 five state agencies in Hardee County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Hardee County Sheriff's Office
The Hardee County Sheriff's Office is the county agency.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (863) 773-0304. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at hardeeso.com/bureaus/booking_questions.php (page title: Welcome to Hardee County Sheriff s Office), phone (863) 773-0304, 900 East Summit St. Wauchula, FL 33873, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Hardee County
The two cities the FBI lists in Hardee County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Wauchula.
- Bowling Green.
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.
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 hardeecountyfl.gov/government/public-records-request (page title: Public Records Request | Hardee County Board of County Commissioners).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Hardee County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Hardee 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 Hardee 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 Hardee County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol in Hardee County in Hardee County.
How do I get a report from the Hardee County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (863) 773-0304. 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 Hardee 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.