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 October 9, 2026.
Hillsborough, North Carolina, in Orange County, has about 9,800 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Hillsborough depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the North Carolina Public Records Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Hillsborough public records, Orange County police reports, Hillsborough arrest records, Hillsborough warrants, Hillsborough inmate search, Hillsborough criminal records, North Carolina arrest records and North Carolina inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Hillsborough
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.
Inside Hillsborough that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Hillsborough Police Department); outside it, the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also carries the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (campus police) and North Carolina Memorial Hospital (other agency), each with a records office of its own.
The Mebane Police Department and the Durham Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Orange County, so their arrests are not broken out for Orange County here.
Reports from the Hillsborough Police
For Hillsborough, SearchSystems opened and checked the Hillsborough police records page at hillsboroughnc.gov/Home/Components/ServiceDirectory/ServiceDirector... (page title: Police Records | Service Directory List | Town of Hillsborough, North Carolina), phone 919-296-9500, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Hillsborough had 20 violent and 270 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 197 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Orange County Sheriff's Office
The Orange County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 93 violent and 372 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 595 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (919) 245-2900. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at ocsonc.com (page title: Orange County Sheriff's Office, NC), phone (919) 245-2900, 106 E. Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, NC 27278, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
What the North Carolina Public Records Act Requires
Under the North Carolina Public Records Act the agency must answer a request as promptly as possible; the statute sets no number of days, and it may charge the actual cost of copying. 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 orangecountync.gov/3843/Online-Public-Records-Request (page title: Online Public Records Request | Orange County, NC).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Hillsborough?
From the agency that took it. The Hillsborough police records page is at hillsboroughnc.gov, phone 919-296-9500; the sheriff's reports come from the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Hillsborough have to answer?
Under the North Carolina Public Records Act, as promptly as possible; the statute sets no number of days. It may charge the actual cost of copying.
How do I get a report from the Orange County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (919) 245-2900. Under the North Carolina Public Records Act the answer is due as promptly as possible; the statute sets no number of days.
Is this the official Hillsborough website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.