Webster County Arrest Records

An arrest in Webster County is usually the beginning of the criminal defense process. It is the taking of a person into custody when and in the manner authorized by law, including restraint of the person or the person’s submission to custody (Iowa Code § 804.5). A law enforcement officer can make an arrest when there are reasonable grounds for believing that an offense has been committed and that the person to be arrested has committed it.

After the arrest, the individual is transported to the Webster County Detention Center for booking. During the booking process, personal information is collected, fingerprints are taken, and a mugshot is captured. Following the arrest and booking is the arraignment, where the defendant is formally notified of the charges involved.

The Webster County Sheriff's Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, and other agencies maintain Arrest Records, such as arrest history and police reports. Other public records, like Criminal History Records and Webster County court records, may also feature arrest information.

Are Arrest Records Public in Webster County?

Yes. According to Chapter 22 of Iowa Open Records Law, Webster County Arrest Records are public records. Anyone has the right to examine and copy these records across law enforcement agencies in the county. However, the law does not allow the public access to certain types of arrest records (Iowa Code § 22.7), including the following information:

• Peace officer’s investigative reports, privileged records, or information specified in Iowa Code § 80G.2
• Certain portions of electronic mail and telephone billing records of law enforcement agencies if that information is part of an ongoing investigation, except where disclosure is authorized elsewhere in this Code
• Criminal identification files of law enforcement agencies. However, records of current and prior arrests and criminal history data are public records
• The time, date, location, and certain facts and circumstances surrounding an arrest where disclosure would pose a risk to a person or disrupt an investigation
• Juvenile or sealed arrest records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Webster County Arrest records contain information about the arrested person and the arrest, including:

• Personal details of the arrestee (full name, age, sex, date of birth, address)
• Physical description of the arrestee (race, height, weight, skin, eye, and hair color)
• Arrest time, date, location, and officer
• Offense type and case number
• Bond amount and type
• Bail description (if any), release date, and reason.

Webster County Arrest Statistics

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program serves as the central repository for arrest data within Iowa, including Webster County. Chapter 692.15 of the Code of Iowa requires law enforcement agencies within the state to report arrest data to the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s UCR program to form arrest statistics.

According to the Arrest Trends Report, 1,257 arrests were made in the county in 2023. There were 798 arrests for Group A offenses and 459 for Group B offenses. About 594 arrests were for crimes against persons, 530 were for crimes against property, and 695 were for crimes against society.

Find Webster County Arrest Records

The Webster County Jail or Detention Center maintains jail records. Contact the Webster County Sheriff's Office for more information:

Webster County Sheriff's Office
Webster County Law Enforcement Center
702 1st Avenue South
Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Phone: (515) 573-1410

The Iowa Department of Corrections allows individuals to search for inmates within Iowa using the Search Offender tool. To complete a search, the individual will be required to provide information such as the offender's name, birth date, number, sex, location, offense, and county of commitment.

Individuals can also use the IowaVINE system to search for information on an offender's custody status and register to receive telephone and email notifications about the offender. This service is also made available to assist victims of crime who have a right to know about an offender’s custody status.

Free Arrest Record Search in Webster County

The Fort Dodge Police Department provides free access to arrest records such as incident reports, accident reports, and arrest history. There is no fee for records that take less than 30 minutes to produce. Contact the department via email, phone, or in person during business hours to request police reports:

Fort Dodge Police Department
Attn: Records
702 1st Avenue South
Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Phone: (515) 573-1424

Some third-party websites may also provide access to Webster County arrest records for free. These sites are independent of public agencies and usually gather information from several sources. They are easy to navigate, but in many cases, users may only access basic information such as a subject's full name, age, and date of birth access information. At the same time, search results from these third-party websites are usually not accurate and complete for legal purposes. In some cases, users may need to pay a small fee to complete a search for arrest information.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Webster County, arrests can stay on a person's record permanently per the Iowa Record Retention Manual.

Expunge Webster County Arrest Records

In Webster County, expungement is the segregation of an arrest record in a secure area or database exempting it from public access (Iowa Code § 907.1(3)). Arrest records are only eligible for expungement if the petitioner meets the following requirements:

Not-guilty verdicts and criminal-charge dismissals (Iowa Code § 901C.2):

• The criminal charges of the case were acquitted or dismissed.
• The arrested person has paid all financial obligations like court costs and fees ordered by the court or clerk of the district court.
• At least one hundred eighty (180) days have passed since the criminal charges have been acquitted or dismissed.
• The case was not dismissed because the arrested person was found not guilty due to insanity.
• The arrested person was not found incompetent to stand trial in the case.

Misdemeanor offenses (Iowa Code § 901C.3):

• A minimum of eight (80 years have passed since the conviction date
• The arrested person has no pending criminal charges.
• The court had not previously granted the arrested person two deferred judgments.
• The arrested person has paid all financial obligations, such as fines, fees, court costs, and restitution, ordered by the court or the district court clerk.

Petitioners can file Rule 2.86—Form 1 with the district County Court to expunge records with not-guilty verdicts. Individuals who want to expunge records under misdemeanor convictions can file Rule 2.86—Form 2 with the district County Court.

Webster County Arrest Warrants

A Webster County arrest warrant authorizes an officer to arrest or detain a person. If there is probable cause to believe an offense has been committed, the magistrate shall, except as otherwise provided, issue a warrant for the arrest of the person (Iowa Code § 804.1).

The arrest warrant contains the defendant's name and will state by name or general description an offense that authorizes the warrant. It also contains the date of issuance, the county or city where it was issued, and the magistrate's signature with the magistrate’s name of office (Iowa Code § 804.2).

Do Webster County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Webster County Arrest Warrants do not expire until the person named on the warrant is arrested or the court magistrate cancels the warrant.