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 October 4, 2026.
Nicholas County, West Virginia, has about 24,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Nicholas County depends on where the incident happened: the Nicholas 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, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Nicholas County public records, Nicholas County arrest records, Nicholas County warrants, Nicholas County inmate search, Nicholas County criminal records, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Nicholas 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 Nicholas County that is the Nicholas 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 Summersville State Police and the Richwood State Police in Nicholas County; a report taken on a state highway by one of them comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's list also carries the Department of Natural Resources in Nicholas County and the State Fire Marshal in Nicholas County (state agency) and Central West Virginia Drug Task Force (other agency), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Nicholas County Sheriff's Office
The Nicholas County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 119 violent and 8 property crimes reported for 2024 and reported 190 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (304) 872-7880. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at nicholascountywv.org/sheriff (page title: Nicholas County Sheriff's Department | Sheriff), phone (304) 872-7880, 449 Water Street, Suite 1 Summersville, WV 26651, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 4, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Nicholas County
The two cities the FBI lists in Nicholas County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Summersville: 9 violent and 51 property crimes reported for 2024; 234 arrests reported for 2025.
- Richwood: 1,152 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: Nicholas County in 2024
The two agencies in Nicholas County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 128 violent and 59 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Nicholas County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,576 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act Requires
Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the agency must answer a request within 5 business days, and it may charge the actual cost of copying. 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 Prosecuting Attorney, (304) 872-7870, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Nicholas County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Nicholas 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 Nicholas 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 Nicholas County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Summersville State Police and the Richwood State Police in Nicholas County.
How do I get a report from the Nicholas County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (304) 872-7880. Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Nicholas 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.