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 4, 2026.
Big Horn County, Montana, 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 Big Horn County depends on where the incident happened: the Big Horn 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 Montana Public 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: Big Horn County public records, Big Horn County arrest records, Big Horn County warrants, Big Horn County inmate search, Big Horn County criminal records, Montana arrest records and Montana inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Big Horn 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 Big Horn County that is the Big Horn 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 Big Horn County Sheriff's Office
The Big Horn County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 61 violent and 95 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 142 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 406-665-9802. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at bighorncountymt.gov/176/Sheriff (page title: Sheriff | Big Horn County, MT), phone 406-665-9802, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 4, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Big Horn County
The one city the FBI lists in Big Horn County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Hardin: 18 violent and 58 property crimes reported for 2025; 312 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: Big Horn County in 2025
The two agencies in Big Horn County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 79 violent and 153 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Big Horn County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 454 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Montana Public Records Act Requires
Under the Montana Public Records Act the agency must answer a request in a timely manner; the statute sets no number of days, and it may charge the actual cost of fulfilling the request. 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, (406) 665-9720, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Big Horn County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Big Horn County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Montana Public Records Act the answer is due in a timely manner; the statute sets no number of days.
How long does an agency in Big Horn County have to answer?
Under the Montana Public Records Act, in a timely manner; the statute sets no number of days. It may charge the actual cost of fulfilling the request.
How do I get a report from the Big Horn County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 406-665-9802. Under the Montana Public Records Act the answer is due in a timely manner; the statute sets no number of days.
Is this the official Big Horn 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.