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 2, 2026.
Nelson County, Kentucky, has about 49,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Nelson County depends on where the incident happened: the Nelson 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 Kentucky Open Records Act 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: Nelson County public records, Nelson County arrest records, Nelson County warrants, Nelson County criminal records, Nelson County court records, Kentucky arrest records and Kentucky inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Nelson 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 Nelson County that is the Nelson 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 carries Nelson County Schools and Bardstown Schools (other agency), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Nelson County Sheriff's Office
The Nelson County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 15 violent and 107 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 109 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Nelson County
The two cities the FBI lists in Nelson County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Bardstown: 8 violent and 246 property crimes reported for 2025; 505 arrests reported for 2025.
- Bloomfield: 0 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025; 22 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.
How Many Reports: Nelson County in 2025
The three agencies in Nelson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 23 violent and 353 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Nelson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 636 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Kentucky Open Records Act Requires
The Kentucky Open Records Act sets the rules: an answer within 5 business days, at a charge of the actual cost of copying, 10 cents a page for standard copies, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at nelsoncountyky.gov/open-records-request (page title: Open Records Request | Nelson County, Kentucky).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Nelson County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Nelson County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Kentucky Open Records Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
How long does an agency in Nelson County have to answer?
Under the Kentucky Open Records Act, within 5 business days. It may charge the actual cost of copying, 10 cents a page for standard copies.
How do I get a report from the Nelson County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Kentucky Open Records Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Nelson 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.