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.
Clay County, South Dakota, has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Clay County depends on where the incident happened: the Clay 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 South Dakota Open Records Law 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: Clay County public records, Clay County arrest records, Clay County warrants, Clay County criminal records, Clay County court records, South Dakota arrest records and South Dakota inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Clay 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 Clay County that is the Clay 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 carries the University of South Dakota (campus police), with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Clay County Sheriff's Office
The Clay County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 4 violent and 13 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 19 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Clay County
The one city the FBI lists in Clay County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Vermillion: 22 violent and 136 property crimes reported for 2025; 359 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: Clay County in 2025
The two agencies in Clay County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 26 violent and 149 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Clay County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 378 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the South Dakota Open Records Law Requires
The South Dakota Open Records Law sets the rules: an answer within 10 business days, at a charge of copying and staff time, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at claycountyoem.org/public-information (page title: Public Information Requests | Clay County, South Dakota Emergency Management).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State's Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Clay County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Clay County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the South Dakota Open Records Law the answer is due within 10 business days.
How long does an agency in Clay County have to answer?
Under the South Dakota Open Records Law, within 10 business days. It may charge copying and staff time.
How do I get a report from the Clay County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the South Dakota Open Records Law the answer is due within 10 business days.
Is this the official Clay 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.