| Where to request | City of Columbus, Find an Accident Report, which links to the Ohio Department of Public Safety's crash report search |
|---|---|
| Fee | No cost through the state's site. From the division: electronic copies free, paper copies $.05 a page |
| How long until it is available | Once the report is submitted to the state and accepted. A report filed on paper takes several weeks to appear |
| What you need | A crash number or document number, or the dates and the county for the state's advanced search |
| Who may request | Not published on the city's page. Ohio law names any person claiming an interest in the accident, or their attorney |
| In person | Public Records Unit, 120 Marconi Blvd., Columbus, OH 43215 |
| Phone and fax | Public Records Unit, (614) 645-4925. Record Section fax, (614) 645-4001 |
| How payment is taken | For paper copies: cash, money order or certified check payable to City of Columbus Treasurer Police. No personal checks |
| If it is not found | Check whether another agency in the Columbus area wrote the report, then send the division a report request |
Why the report is not on the Columbus police website
People look for a Columbus crash report on the city's website and do not find it. The city says so itself: copies of accident reports are not available through the Columbus Police website. The division files its electronic crash reports with the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and that is where the public copy lives.
The city's page puts three facts next to each other. Reports are available on the state's site once they have been submitted and accepted. There is no cost for copies obtained there. And a report that was filed on paper will not be there for several weeks after submission.
The division still runs its own request service for people who want a copy from Columbus directly. Both routes are below.
Route one: the state's crash search
The city's page links to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, which describes its search as unofficial crash reports as reported to the department, covering the past five years plus the current year.
- Open the state's crash report searchUse the link on the City of Columbus page named View / Retrieve Columbus Police Accident Reports.
- Search by number if you have oneThe form takes a crash number or a document number. You can enter up to 10 document numbers at once, separated by semicolons.
- Or use Advanced OptionsIf you do not know either number, the form says to search using Advanced Options. Enter a crash start date and a crash end date, and choose Franklin County.
- Pick the agencyThe agency list includes an entry for the Columbus Police Department, with the state's code COP00. Choosing it removes reports written by the sheriff, the Highway Patrol and the suburban departments in the same county.
- Open the report and save itThere is no cost for the copy.
A date range of a few days around the crash works better than a single day when you are not sure of the date the officer wrote down.
Route two: asking Columbus police directly
The division can process a request locally in two ways.
| Method | How it works | What to include |
|---|---|---|
| Online Report Request form | Submit the form on the city's website. A member of the Records Unit contacts you when the request is completed | The details of the crash and how to reach you |
| Fax | Fax the request to the Columbus Police Record Section at (614) 645-4001 | Your contact information, inside the request |
What a copy from the division costs
Electronic copies of offense and accident reports are free of charge. A paper copy costs $.05 a page. Paper fees are payable by cash, money order or certified check made payable to City of Columbus Treasurer Police. The city notes that personal checks are not accepted.
What state law allows a local agency to charge
Ohio Revised Code 5502.12 lets the agency that submitted a report charge a fee of four dollars, or another amount approved by the county's board of commissioners, when it furnishes a copy. Columbus charges less than that for paper and nothing for an electronic copy.
The Public Records Unit
Other police records in Columbus go through the division's Public Records Unit. Its stated mission is to provide access to all public records retained by the Division of Police in accordance with law and division policy. The unit is part of the Records Management Bureau, inside the Support Services Subdivision.
| Address | 120 Marconi Blvd., Columbus, OH 43215 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (614) 645-4925 |
| Request forms | A Public Records Request Form online, and the same form as a PDF |
| Handles | Offense reports and other public records of the division |
This matters when you need more than the crash report. An offense report from the same event, for a stolen car or an assault that followed the crash, is not on the state's crash site. The city says offense reports are accessible through the Public Records Unit.
Who may get the report
The city's pages do not list who may have a crash report. State law does. Under Ohio Revised Code 5502.12, the agency that submitted a report "shall furnish a copy of such report and associated documents to any person claiming an interest arising out of a motor vehicle accident, or to the person's attorney".
When it goes wrong
The state search does not show the report
It may not have been accepted yet, or the officer may have filed it on paper, which the city says takes several weeks to reach the state. Widen the date range, then send the division a Report Request so that the Records Unit can tell you where the report stands.
A different agency came to the crash
Many agencies work in and around Columbus. The city is direct about it: if you filed a report with another police agency in the Columbus metro area, you need to contact that agency. A crash on a freeway may have been worked by state troopers. For those, see Ohio State Highway Patrol crash reports.
You need a paper copy for a court or an insurer
Ask the division for a hard copy and be ready to pay the page fee by cash, money order or certified check. Ask the person who wants it whether the state's free copy is enough first. The state describes its search results as unofficial.
Other Ohio agencies
The Ohio page explains the state search for every agency and sets Columbus beside the Highway Patrol and Cleveland.
Questions about Columbus police crash reports
Where do I get a Columbus police accident report?
From the Ohio Department of Public Safety's crash report search, where Columbus Division of Police electronic reports are submitted. The city's own site says copies are not available through it. You can also ask the division directly through its online Report Request form or by fax.
How much is a Columbus police crash report?
Nothing through the state's site. From the division itself, electronic copies of offense and accident reports are free of charge and a paper copy costs $.05 a page.
How long does a Columbus crash report take to appear?
It appears on the state's site once it has been submitted and accepted. The city gives no number of days for electronic reports. For a report filed on paper it says the state will not have it for several weeks after submission.
Can I fax a request for a Columbus crash report?
Yes. Fax it to the Columbus Police Record Section at (614) 645-4001 and include your contact information in the request.
How do I pay for a paper copy from Columbus police?
By cash, money order or certified check made payable to City of Columbus Treasurer Police. Personal checks are not accepted.
What if a different department wrote the report?
Columbus police only release their own reports. If you filed a report with another police agency in the Columbus metro area, the city says you need to contact that agency for a copy.
Is a Columbus crash report the same as a police report?
The division treats them separately. Crash reports go to the state's site. Offense reports are handled by the division's Public Records Unit.