Oakland County, MI sheriff non-emergency number
Source: oaklandcountymi.gov · checked October 25, 2026
Oakland County had 1,274,395 residents at the 2020 Census. The sheriff's office is the primary law-enforcement agency for unincorporated parts of the county and runs the county jail; cities and towns inside the county usually have their own police department, listed below.
When to call 911 instead
Call 911 if any of this is true right now:
- Someone is injured, unconscious, or threatening to hurt somebody.
- A crime is in progress, or the suspect is still nearby.
- There is a fire, a gas smell, or a crash with injuries or blocked traffic.
- You are not sure. A dispatcher would rather triage one unnecessary 911 call than miss a real one.
Use the non-emergency number for things that have already finished and nobody is in danger:
- A theft, burglary, or vandalism discovered after the fact, including when you need a report number for insurance.
- A car blocking a driveway or hydrant, an abandoned vehicle, a parking complaint.
- Noise, a loud party, fireworks, or a barking dog.
- A minor collision with no injuries where the vehicles have been moved.
- Found property, a follow-up on an existing case, or a general question for Oakland County Sheriffs Office / Oakland County Jail.
Non-emergency lines are usually answered by the same communications centre as 911, but at a lower priority — expect to hold, and expect to be asked whether anyone is in danger.
Sheriff's office details
Pontiac, MI 48341
Official services and forms
311 and 211
311 is for city services rather than policing — potholes, missed collections, street lights, parking, and in some cities non-emergency police reports. Where a city runs a 311 service, the page says so above.
211 is a free nationwide line for health and human services: housing, food, utility assistance, mental health, and crisis support. It is operated by local United Way and partner organisations and is available in most of the country by dialling 211 or through 211.org.
Questions about the Oakland County sheriff
What is the non-emergency number for the Oakland County sheriff?
(248) 858-4950 — published by Oakland County Sheriffs Office / Oakland County Jail and checked on October 25, 2026.
Should I call the sheriff or the city police?
Whoever has jurisdiction where the incident happened. Inside a city or town with its own police department, call that department — the cities below link straight to their numbers. In unincorporated Oakland County, on county roads, or at the county jail and courthouse, call the sheriff.
What else does a sheriff's office handle?
Beyond patrol in unincorporated areas: the county jail and inmate enquiries, serving civil process and evictions, court security and transport, sex-offender registration, concealed-carry permits in many states, and civil fees. A non-emergency line is usually the right first call for all of those.
Is this the same as calling 911 in Oakland County?
No. 911 goes to the emergency communications centre and should be used only when there is a threat to life, injury, fire, or a crime in progress. The number above is for everything else.
Cities and towns in Oakland County
Inside these jurisdictions, call the local police department rather than the sheriff.
- Troy87,294 residents
- Farmington Hills83,986 residents · (248) 871-2600
- Southfield76,618 residents
- Novi66,243 residents · (248) 348-7100
- Pontiac61,606 residents
- Royal Oak58,211 residents
- Oak Park29,560 residents
- Madison Heights28,468 residents
- Auburn Hills24,360 residents · (248) 370-9444
- Birmingham21,813 residents
- Ferndale19,190 residents
- Wixom17,193 residents
- Berkley15,194 residents
- Hazel Park14,983 residents
- Rochester13,035 residents
- South Lyon11,746 residents
- Farmington11,597 residents
- Clawson11,389 residents
- Beverly Hills10,584 residents
- Walled Lake7,250 residents
- Milford6,520 residents
- Huntington Woods6,388 residents
- Holly5,997 residents
- Bloomfield Hills4,460 residents
- Lathrup Village4,088 residents
- Oxford3,492 residents
- Franklin3,139 residents
- Lake Orion2,876 residents
- Keego Harbor2,764 residents
- Pleasant Ridge2,627 residents
- Sylvan Lake1,723 residents
- Lake Angelus287 residents
Official sources used on this page
This page was last verified against its sources on October 25, 2026. Source URLs are re-requested on a rolling monthly cycle; see Methodology.