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 September 30, 2026.
Howard County, Nebraska, has about 6,600 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Howard County depends on where the incident happened: the Howard 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 Nebraska Public Records Statutes requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, cities, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Howard County public records, Howard County arrest records, Howard County warrants, Howard County criminal records, Howard County court records, Nebraska arrest records and Nebraska inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Howard County
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
In Howard County that is the Howard 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 State Patrol in Howard County in Howard County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Howard County Sheriff's Office
The Howard County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 3 violent and 0 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 24 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Cities in Howard County
The FBI lists no city in Howard County with a reporting agency of its own.
The cities and towns in the county are St. Paul, Dannebrog, Elba, Howard City (Boelus), Farwell, Cushing and Cotesfield.
How Many Reports: Howard County in 2025
The one agency in Howard County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3 violent and 0 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
The Howard County Sheriff's Office reported 24 arrests to the FBI for 2025, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Nebraska Public Records Statutes Requires
The Nebraska Public Records Statutes sets the rules: an answer within 4 business days, at a charge of copying, and staff time after the first four hours, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, (308) 754-4075, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Howard County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Howard County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Nebraska Public Records Statutes the answer is due within 4 business days.
How long does an agency in Howard County have to answer?
Under the Nebraska Public Records Statutes, within 4 business days. It may charge copying, and staff time after the first four hours.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Howard County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the State Patrol in Howard County in Howard County.
How do I get a report from the Howard County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Nebraska Public Records Statutes the answer is due within 4 business days.
Is this the official Howard 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.