The Haywood County sheriff provides court protection and jail management for the entire county and provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated portions of the county. The towns of Waynesville, Canton, and Maggie Valley have municipal police departments. As of October 1, 2020 the Sheriff's Office took over all law enforcement service for the town of Clyde. Haywood County contains a portion of the Qualla Boundary which is a tribal reservation for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Lands and people living within this reservation are subject mostly to tribal/federal laws rather than county or state laws.