How to Request Copies of Records & Incident Reports from Forrest County Sheriff's Office (step-by-step)

FCSO charges a flat $5.00 fee when releasing reports to "involved parties" - people like victims, complainants, and legal representatives. If you were directly involved in the incident (or represent someone who was), expect that $5 fee to apply.

Decide how you want to receive the records before submitting your request - delivery format affects your total cost. Email is often the simplest option. If your files are under 25 MB, FCSO lists email delivery as no charge. Paper copies cost $0.15 per black-and-white page and $0.25 per color page. That adds up fast for long reports, so request only the pages you actually need. Prefer electronic media? A USB flash drive (up to 1 GB) or CD costs $10 each. That's separate from any searching, reviewing, reproducing, or redacting fees.

FCSO's costs fall into two categories: copying fees and report-release fees. Paper copies run $0.15 per black-and-white page and $0.25 per color page. If you're an "involved party" requesting a report (victim, complainant, or legal representative), there's also a flat $5.00 report-release fee.

Some requests require staff time for searching, reviewing, reproducing, or redacting records. FCSO calculates these costs using the hourly rate of the lowest-paid qualified employee, multiplied by actual time spent. Good news for simple requests: if the total work takes less than 15 minutes, FCSO may waive the searching, reviewing, and redacting costs entirely.

FCSO requires payment in advance before providing copies or access. They accept cash, check, or money order - make checks and money orders payable to the FCSO. To avoid extra trips, confirm your total first so you can pay the correct amount up front.

Want records on a USB flash drive (up to 1 GB) or CD? Budget $10 per drive or disc - that's on top of any searching, reviewing, reproducing, or redacting charges. For smaller files, email is cheaper. Files under 25 MB sent by email are listed as no charge, so you can skip the media fee when you don't need physical copies.

Two things keep costs down: small requests and short staff time. When searching, reviewing, and redacting take less than 15 minutes total, FCSO may waive those costs. Longer requests get billed at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid qualified employee. Delivery method matters too. If your files can be emailed and stay under 25 MB, that's listed as no charge - ask whether your request qualifies.

Pickup What to Bring

• ✓ A government-issued photo ID
• ✓ Any documentation you have that supports you being an “involved party” (for example, if you’re requesting as a victim, complainant, or legal representative), since a flat $5.00 fee may be charged for release of reports to involved parties
• ✓ Payment ready up front, since FCSO requires payment in advance before providing copies or access to records
• ✓ Cash, check, or money order (make checks/money orders payable to the FCSO)

When you contact FCSO, be clear about format and cost upfront. If email works for you, ask whether the records can be sent that way and kept under 25 MB (no charge). Also confirm how and when they want payment - remember, FCSO requires payment in advance.