The Republic of Sarah was originally developed by CBS with a pilot ordered, but the network ultimately passed on the show.

On January 30, 2020, The CW announced it had ordered a new pilot for the series, this time with a completely new cast than the CBS version.

The series received a full series order from The CW on May 12, 2020, consisting of a 13-episode first season.

Stella Baker was reported to star in the title role in February 2020, with the rest of the main cast including Luke Mitchell, Izabella Alvarez, Nia Holloway, Hope Lauren, Landry Bender, Ian Duff, and Forrest Goodluck joining the following month.

Xander Berkeley was cast in a recurring role as Sarah and Danny's estranged father on January 15, 2021, followed by Daniel Di Tomasso joining in a recurring capacity on March 25, 2021.

Principal photography for the series' pilot was originally scheduled for spring 2020 but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The series was canceled by The CW on September 2, 2021, after just one season.

The show received mixed reviews, holding a 43% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 7 critic reviews and a weighted average score of 48 out of 100 on Metacritic.