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 23, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Mason County, Michigan, has about 29,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Mason County depends on where the incident happened: the Mason 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, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Mason County public records, Mason County arrest records, Mason County warrants, Mason County inmate search, Mason County criminal records, Michigan arrest records and Michigan inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Mason 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 Mason County that is the Mason 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 Mason County State Police in Mason County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Mason County Sheriff's Office
The Mason County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 36 violent and 87 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 413 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 800-542-4600. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at masoncounty.net/departments/sheriff (page title: Mason County), phone 800-542-4600, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 28, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Mason County
The one city the FBI lists in Mason County with a reporting agency of its own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Ludington: 18 violent and 54 property crimes reported for 2025; 368 arrests reported for 2025. The Ludington police department's page is at ludington.mi.us/230/Police-Department, phone (231) 843-3425 (verified September 26, 2026).
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: Mason County in 2025
The two agencies in Mason County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 54 violent and 141 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Mason County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 781 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Michigan Freedom of Information Act Requires
The Michigan Freedom of Information Act sets the rules: an answer within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension, at a charge of labor and copying, at rates the law caps, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at masoncountymi.gov/departments/administrator/foia.php (page title: Mason County).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, (231) 845-7377, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Mason County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Mason 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 Mason 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 Mason County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Mason County State Police in Mason County.
How do I get a report from the Mason County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 800-542-4600. Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days, with a 10-day extension.
Is this the official Mason 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.