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 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Hanson County, South Dakota, has about 3,500 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Hanson County depends on where the incident happened: the Hanson 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, cities, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Hanson County public records, Hanson County arrest records, Hanson County warrants, Hanson County criminal records, Hanson County court records, South Dakota arrest records and South Dakota inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Hanson 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 Hanson County that is the Hanson 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 Hanson County Sheriff's Office
The Hanson County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it reported 11 arrests for 2020.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (605) 239-4409. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at hansoncountysd.gov/sheriffs-department (page title: Sheriff’s Office | Hanson County, South Dakota), phone (605) 239-4409, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Cities in Hanson County
The FBI lists no city in Hanson County with a reporting agency of its own.
The cities and towns in the county are Alexandria, Emery, Fulton and Farmer.
What the South Dakota Open Records Law Requires
Under the South Dakota Open Records Law the agency must answer a request within 10 business days, and it may charge copying and staff time. 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 State's Attorney, 605-996-7551, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Hanson County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Hanson 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 Hanson 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 Hanson County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (605) 239-4409. Under the South Dakota Open Records Law the answer is due within 10 business days.
Is this the official Hanson 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.