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 2, 2026.
Stafford County, Virginia, has about 169,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Stafford County depends on where the incident happened: the Stafford 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 Virginia Freedom of Information Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Stafford County public records, Stafford County arrest records, Stafford County warrants, Stafford County criminal records, Stafford County court records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Stafford 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 Stafford County that is the Stafford 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 Stafford County State Police in Stafford County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Stafford County Sheriff's Office
The Stafford County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 386 violent and 1,298 property crimes reported for 2024 and reported 3,616 arrests for 2024.
Its reports come from its records unit.
How Many Reports: Stafford County in 2024
The one agency in Stafford County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 386 violent and 1,298 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
The Stafford County Sheriff's Office reported 3,616 arrests to the FBI for 2024, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Virginia Freedom of Information Act Requires
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act sets the rules: an answer within 5 working days, at a charge of the actual cost of searching and copying, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at staffordcountyva.gov/services/request/public_records_(foia).php (page title: Stafford County, VA).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Commonwealth's Attorney, (540) 658-8780, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Stafford County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Stafford County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 working days.
How long does an agency in Stafford County have to answer?
Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, within 5 working days. It may charge the actual cost of searching and copying.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Stafford County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Stafford County State Police in Stafford County.
How do I get a report from the Stafford County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 working days.
Is this the official Stafford 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.