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 2, 2026.
Preston County, West Virginia, has about 34,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Preston County depends on where the incident happened: the Preston 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: Preston County public records, Preston County arrest records, Preston County warrants, Preston County inmate search, Preston County criminal records, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Preston 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 Preston County that is the Preston 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 Kingwood State Police in Preston 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 Department of Natural Resources in Preston County and the State Fire Marshal in Preston County (state agency), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Preston County Sheriff's Office
The Preston County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 2 violent and 49 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 182 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
Reports from the City Agencies in Preston County
The four cities the FBI lists in Preston County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Kingwood: 1,152 arrests reported for 2025.
- Terra Alta.
- Reedsville: 1,152 arrests reported for 2025.
- Masontown: 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: Preston County in 2025
The one agency in Preston County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2 violent and 49 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the four agencies in Preston County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,638 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 handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Preston County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Preston 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 Preston 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 Preston County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Kingwood State Police in Preston County.
How do I get a report from the Preston 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 Preston 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.