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 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Adams County, Iowa, has about 3,600 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Adams County depends on where the incident happened: the Adams 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 Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, cities, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Adams County public records, Adams County arrest records, Adams County warrants, Adams County inmate search, Adams County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Adams 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 Adams County that is the Adams 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.
Reports from the Adams County Sheriff's Office
The Adams County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 5 violent and 2 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 133 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at adamscountyso.com (page title: Welcome to the Adams County Sheriff's Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
Cities in Adams County
The FBI lists no city in Adams County with a reporting agency of its own.
The cities and towns in the county are Corning, Prescott, Nodaway and Carbon.
How Many Reports: Adams County in 2025
The one agency in Adams County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 5 violent and 2 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
The Adams County Sheriff's Office reported 133 arrests to the FBI for 2025, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) Requires
Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) the agency must answer a request without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified, and it may charge the actual cost of copying and retrieval. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, 641-322-4008, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Adams County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Adams County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) the answer is due without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified.
How long does an agency in Adams County have to answer?
Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22), without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified. It may charge the actual cost of copying and retrieval.
How do I get a report from the Adams County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) the answer is due without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified.
Is this the official Adams 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.