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.
Lincoln County, West Virginia, has about 19,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Lincoln County depends on where the incident happened: the Lincoln 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 West Virginia Freedom of Information 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: Lincoln County public records, Lincoln County arrest records, Lincoln County warrants, Lincoln County inmate search, Lincoln County criminal records, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Lincoln 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 Lincoln County that is the Lincoln 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 Hamlin State Police in Lincoln County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's list also carries the State Fire Marshal in Lincoln County and the Department of Natural Resources in Lincoln County (state agency), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office is the county agency.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at p2c.lincolnsheriff.org/jailinmates.aspx (page title: Lincoln County Sheriffs Office P2C), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 27, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Lincoln County
The two cities the FBI lists in Lincoln County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Hamlin.
- West Hamlin: 23 arrests reported for 2023.
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 West Virginia Freedom of Information Act Requires
The West Virginia Freedom of Information Act sets the rules: an answer within 5 business days, 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, (304) 824-7990, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Lincoln County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
How long does an agency in Lincoln County have to answer?
Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act, within 5 business days. It may charge the actual cost of copying.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Lincoln County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Hamlin State Police in Lincoln County.
How do I get a report from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Lincoln 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.