FAQs

To request a copy of a police report you will need to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. All the information needed to submit a FOIA request along with forms that can be used can be found on our website at: https://stephensonsheriff.com/foia

Please note that the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office is not the FOIA agency for incidents that occur within the corporate limits of the City of Freeport or the corporate limits of the Village of Lena.

Reports for traffic crashes can be obtained from the LexisNexis BuyCrash website at: https://buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com/ui/home.

Alternatively, crash reports can be obtained in-person at the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office Administrative Offices located at the Stephenson County Courthouse - 15 N. Galena Avenue, 3rd floor, Freeport, IL 61032. Office hours for traffic crash reports are Monday - Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The cost for a traffic crash report is $5.00.

The towing company having possession of your vehicle is listed at the top of the written notice that was served to the vehicle owner or vehicle operator at the time it was towed. However, prior to contacting the towing company, you must go in person to the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office administrative offices located on the third floor of the Stephenson County Courthouse located at 15 N. Galena Ave., Freeport, IL 61032.

At the Sheriff’s Office administrative offices, you will be required to produce the yellow copy of the Notice of Vehicle Seizure form and pay an administrative fee. After the administrative fee is paid, you will be given a receipt that you will need to produce to the towing company. Please be advised that the administrative fee DOES NOT include the towing and storage fees that will be assessed by the towing company at the time the vehicle is retrieved.

Administrative fees for a vehicle that was towed and impounded pursuant to Stephenson County Ordinance Chapter 372 Article III can only be paid at the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office administrative offices located at 15 N. Galena Ave., Freeport, IL 61032, Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. (excluding holidays).

Please note that if the vehicle tow involved a DUI offense, there are statutorily required impound times before it can be released. For a first time DUI offense, the impound time is no less than 12-hours, for a second DUI offense it is no less than 24-hours, and for a third or subsequent offense it is no less than 48-hours. Vehicles towed for a DUI offense may be released sooner if it is not owned by the arrestee and a valid, licensed owner or authorized driver is available to take it – or – it is owned by the arrestee but another licensed sober driver is available and authorized to take it.

The owner of record of a motor vehicle towed and impounded under Stephenson County Ordinance Chapter 372 Article III is civilly liable to the County of Stephenson for the administrative fee of $350.00 and is also liable to the towing agent for towing and storage fees.

We accept cash (exact change required & no coins accepted) and bank cards. Payments made by bank cards will be assessed a service fee of approximately $12.25 for a payment of $350.00 and approximately $19.25 for a payment of $500.00. Bank card payments are processed by AllPaid, Inc., and are subject to change. Current fees for bank card payments are listed on a sign posted in the front lobby of the Sheriff’s Office administrative offices.

In most cases you will only need to produce the yellow copy of the Notice of Vehicle Seizure form that is issued to either the vehicle owner or operator at the time the vehicle was towed. However, if the vehicle operator was charged with either driving without a valid license, or driving while license suspended or revoked, and did not produce valid proof of insurance, the vehicle can only be authorized for release to a licensed driver with valid proof of insurance for the vehicle was towed and written notarized consent from the vehicle owner (if owner is not present to pay the fee).

Registered owners of vehicles seized and impounded who wish to contest the $350.00 administrative fee may do so by appearing in person within ten (10) business days of the seizure and impoundment to file a written request for an administrative hearing at the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office administrative offices located at 15 N. Galena Ave., Freeport, IL 61032. The hearing will have no effect on any related criminal matter and will only be used to determine if the vehicle was eligible for impoundment. The owner must post a bond of $350.00 to obtain release of vehicle until the administrative hearing verdict., and an additional cost of $150.00 will be imposed for an administrative hearing.

If the owner of a motor vehicle that was towed and impounded pursuant to Stephenson County Ordinance Chapter 372 Article III fails to appear it shall result in a default order against the vehicle owner for the full $350.00 in addition to the costs incurred resulting from the requested hearing.

If an impounded vehicle is not claimed after thirty-five (35) days it shall be deemed abandoned and will be disposed of in the manner provided by law for the disposition of abandoned vehicles as provided in section 625 ILCS 5/11-200 et seq. This shall not affect the fee due to the County of Stephenson.

The Stephenson County Seized and Impounded Vehicles Ordinance is located in Chapter 372 Article III of the code of ordinances of Stephenson County and can be found online at https://ecode360.com/46881720.

The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office has a medication disposal drop-box located in the front lobby of the Public Safety Building located at 204 W. Exchange Street in Freeport. This drop box is available 24/7/365 for safe disposal of your unused, unwanted, or expired medication. Please note that liquids and syringes cannot be put in the medication drop box. Medications put in the drop box should be separated from their external packaging and placed into a single sealed zip-lock style plastic bag. Please discard of medication exterior packaging at your home.

The medication disposal drop box is not intended for vitamins, nutritional supplements or non-prescription lotions and ointments.

Generally, the DEA holds two (2) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events each year; one in the Spring and one in the Fall. The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office participates in both of these events and partners with rural fire departments to hold them. The goal of the Sheriff’s Office is to move the event location each time they are held so that we can try to get them out to all areas of Stephenson County. Follow the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for official announcements about the next DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event. The website for the DEA National Take Back Day event is: https://www.dea.gov/takebackday

For current information about all jail related procedures please visit: https://stephensonsheriff.com/corrections

If you believe you have been the victim of identity theft, or a phone or internet scam, please contact the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number (815-235-8252) to make a report. If you have received a suspicious e-mail or phone call but have not responded or provided any personal information, or if you would like information on privacy, identity theft, or phone and email scams, please visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website at: https://www.ftc.gov/

Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website for important information regarding the importance of car seat and booster seats, as well as tips on which car seat or booster seat is the right one for you! Click the link here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/right-seat

Yes! The Stephenson County Sheriff's Office is committed to the safety of our community’s youngest passengers. As a courtesy to Stephenson County residents, we offer free Child Safety Seat Inspections to help ensure that child restraint systems are correctly installed and used properly. Each inspection typically takes 30 to 60 minutes per car seat and requires the participation of a parent or caregiver. A valid ID with a Stephenson County address is required at the time of inspection to verify residency. We want to make sure you leave with confidence, knowing your child is riding as safely as possible.

To request an appointment for your free inspection, please visit https://stephensonsheriff.com/child-safety-seat-inspections and a certified technician will contact you to schedule a convenient time.

A list of fees can be found online at: https://stephensonsheriff.com/civil-process. Questions can also be directed to our Civil Process Division by email to sheriffprocess@stephensoncountyil.gov, or by phone to: 815-235-8253.

Tickets are paid with the Office of the Stephenson County Circuit Clerk. Please visit their website for additional information: https://stephensoncountyil.gov/government/circuit_clerk_and_court/index.php

Please visit the “careers” section of our website to find our online employment application; any position that we are currently accepting applications for can be found in the dropdown box at the top of the form. https://stephensonsheriff.com/careers

Stephenson County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Yes! We have a both a Reserve Deputy Unit and a Mounted Patrol Unit comprised of dedicated members of the community who volunteer their time to supplement our services in a variety of assignments. To apply to become a member of one of our volunteer units please visit: https://stephensonsheriff.com/careers

To learn more about the Reserve Deputy Unit and the Mounted Patrol Unit please visit: https://stephensonsheriff.com/reserve-unit

Appointments are required for all offender registrations, and can be made by either calling 815-235-8257; or by filling out the form on our website at: https://stephensonsheriff.com/offender-registration-appointment. Upon receipt of the online form, someone with the Offender Registration Unit will contact you to schedule an appointment. You must provide a working telephone number and a valid email address. Please note that submissions of the online form are only monitored Monday - Thursday during normal business hours.

For additional information about the offender registration process, please visit: https://stephensonsheriff.com/157-resources.

If you were arrested and charged with either a misdemeanor and/or a felony offense and were released without booking pursuant to the Pre-Trial Fairness Act, you must be fingerprinted prior to your first court date. Appointments are required for all arrest fingerprinting services, and a valid government-issued photo ID must be presented at the time of fingerprinting. If you were issued an arrest fingerprint notice card when you were served with your charging documents, you should bring it with you to your appointment.

To request an appointment for arrest fingerprints, please complete and submit the form found our website at: https://stephensonsheriff.com/arrest-fingerprints, and a member of our team will follow up with you as soon as possible to schedule your appointment. Please note that form submissions are only monitored during our regular business hours, which are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Submissions received outside of these hours will be reviewed the next business day. We do our best to be flexible when scheduling, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to coordinate appointments efficiently.

As the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center for all areas of Stephenson County outside the corporate limits of the City of Freeport, the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office maintains an Emergency Key Holder File to quickly contact the appropriate people during security issues, fires, medical emergencies, or natural disasters. Providing this information helps our deputies serve and protect your business more effectively. All data is securely stored in Sheriff’s Office files and is never distributed or sold.

For your convenience, you may complete and submit our Emergency Key Holder form located on our website at: https://stephensonsheriff.com/emergency-key-holder.

If you would like to commend an employee please complete the form located at: https://stephensonsheriff.com/commendation-form, or mail a note to the attention of the Sheriff at: 15 N. Galena Ave., Freeport, IL 61032.

We provide an easy to complete online form for formal complaints against Sheriff’s Office employees on our website at: https://stephensonsheriff.com/citizen-complaint. It is the policy of the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office to thoroughly investigate complaints concerning employees or any of the office's policies and procedures. The office strives to complete all investigations within forty-five (45) days of receiving the complaint, however, complaints more complex in nature may require additional time to complete the investigation. At the completion of the investigation, you will be notified of the disposition.

Additional information about our citizen complaint procedures can be located on our website at: https://stephensonsheriff.com/download/34.

Yes! The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office partners with Stateline Area Crime Stoppers, a volunteer organization that provides citizens the ability to provide information to law enforcement while remaining completely anonymous.

Tips to Stateline Area Crime Stoppers can be made by telephone to: 866-TIPSNOW, online at www.statelineareacrimestoppers.com, on the P3 Tips mobile app, or by using the “Submit a Tip” button on the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office mobile app. Tipsters to Stateline Area Crime Stoppers may be eligible for cash rewards of up to $1000!

Stateline Area Crime Stoppers is a non-profit organization funded entirely through donations and court ordered fines. Stateline Area Crime Stoppers is certified by the Illinois State Crime Stoppers Association and is the official Crime Stoppers organization of the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office. The Stateline Area Crime Stoppers Board of Directors is made up of concerned citizens of Stephenson County who oversee the operation of the program. The responsibility for establishing policy, raising funds and for controlling the amount of reward payments rests with the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors also approves the rewards to be paid based on the information presented by the law enforcement coordinator. Contributions to Stateline Area Crime Stoppers are tax deductible!

To learn more about Stateline Area Crime Stoppers, please visit: www.statelineareacrimestoppers.com.

If you receive correspondence form the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) via mail it is legitimate; please note however that the Illinois Sheriff’s Association will never call anyone and ask for donations. If you receive a telephone call from someone asking for a monetary donation and claiming to be with the ISA, it is a scam!

The ISA has been in existence since 1928 and they are dedicated to improving public safety. The primary mission of the ISA is to assist the 102 County Sheriffs throughout the state with training, communication, and the necessary resources for them to serve local communities more efficiently. The Office of Sheriff is the longest continuously existing non-military law enforcement entity in history.

To join the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, please visit: https://www.ilsheriff.org/membership/