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 9, 2026.
Lawrence County, Ohio, has about 56,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Lawrence County depends on where the incident happened: the Lawrence 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 Ohio Public Records Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Lawrence County public records, Lawrence County arrest records, Lawrence County warrants, Lawrence County inmate search, Lawrence County criminal records, Ohio arrest records and Ohio inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Lawrence 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 Lawrence County that is the Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Sheriff's Office
The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 219 arrests for 2022.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 740-532-3525. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at lawcoso.com/inmates.html (page title: LCSO INMATES | LAWRENCE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE), phone 740-532-3525, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Lawrence County
The six cities the FBI lists in Lawrence County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Ironton: 127 arrests reported for 2025.
- South Point: 8 arrests reported for 2023.
- Coal Grove.
- Chesapeake.
- Proctorville.
- Hanging Rock.
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.
What the Ohio Public Records Act Requires
The Ohio Public Records Act sets the rules: an answer promptly, within a reasonable period of time, at a charge of the actual cost of copying, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 740-533-4360, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Lawrence County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Ohio Public Records Act the answer is due promptly, within a reasonable period of time.
How long does an agency in Lawrence County have to answer?
Under the Ohio Public Records Act, promptly, within a reasonable period of time. It may charge the actual cost of copying.
How do I get a report from the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 740-532-3525. Under the Ohio Public Records Act the answer is due promptly, within a reasonable period of time.
Is this the official Lawrence 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.