Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest 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.
Highlands County, Florida, has about 110,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Highlands County depends on where the incident happened: the Highlands 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: Highlands County public records, Highlands County arrest records, Highlands County warrants, Highlands County inmate search, Highlands County criminal records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Highlands 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 Highlands County that is the Highlands 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 Highlands County in Highlands 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 Highlands County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office is the county agency.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (863) 402-7200. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at highlandssheriff.gov/inmateSearch (page title: Inmate Search | Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, FL), phone (863) 402-7200, 400 S Eucalyptus St, Sebring, FL 33870, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Highlands County
The two cities the FBI lists in Highlands County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Sebring.
- Lake Placid: 19 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.
What the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) Requires
Under the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119) the agency must answer a request promptly and in good faith; the statute sets no number of days, and it may charge the copy fees set by statute, plus a special service charge for large requests. 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 highlandsfl.gov/departments/county_attorney/request_a_public_record... (page title: Highlands County, FL).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State Attorney, (863) 402-6501, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Highlands County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Highlands 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 Highlands 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 Highlands County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol in Highlands County in Highlands County.
How do I get a report from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (863) 402-7200. 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 Highlands 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.