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 between September 23, 2026 and October 4, 2026.
Lake County, Michigan, has about 13,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Lake County depends on where the incident happened: the Lake 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 Michigan Freedom of Information Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, cities, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Lake County public records, Lake County arrest records, Lake County warrants, Lake County inmate search, Lake County criminal records, Michigan arrest records and Michigan inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Lake 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 Lake County that is the Lake 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 Lake County State Police in Lake County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Lake County Sheriff's Office
The Lake County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 163 arrests for 2020.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (231) 745-6201. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at lakecountymi.gov/corrections (page title: Sheriff Office Corrections | Lake County), phone (231) 745-6201, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 4, 2026.
Cities in Lake County
The FBI lists no city in Lake County with a reporting agency of its own.
The cities and towns in the county are Baldwin and Luther.
What the Michigan Freedom of Information Act Requires
Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act the agency must answer a request within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension, and it may charge labor and copying, at rates the law caps. 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 lakecountymi.gov/foia-requests (page title: FOIA Requests | Lake County).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, (231) 745-2775, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Lake County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Lake County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension.
How long does an agency in Lake County have to answer?
Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension. It may charge labor and copying, at rates the law caps.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Lake County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Lake County State Police in Lake County.
How do I get a report from the Lake County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (231) 745-6201. Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension.
Is this the official Lake 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.