| Where to request | Ohio State Highway Patrol, Public Records and Reports Request, which links to Order an OSHP Crash Report/Photos Online |
|---|---|
| Fee | $4.00 for a crash report. A card payment adds a service fee of 1.95% with a $1.75 minimum |
| How long until it is available | Wait a minimum of seven business days from the date of the crash |
| What you need | A browser that runs JavaScript, a valid credit card and a PDF viewer. The crash report number comes from the patrol post that investigated |
| Who may request | By law, any person claiming an interest arising out of the accident, or that person's attorney (R.C. 5502.12) |
| Central Records | P.O. Box 182074, Columbus, OH 43218-2074. (614) 466-3536. oshpcrashreports@dps.ohio.gov |
| How payment is taken | Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express |
| How the report arrives | Online, as soon as the purchase is confirmed. It stays accessible for up to 72 hours |
| How long reports are kept | Five years |
| If it is not found | Email oshpcrashreports@dps.ohio.gov or contact the Central Records Unit |
What the patrol holds
The Ohio State Highway Patrol keeps the complete crash reports and crash photographs for crashes its own troopers investigated, and only those. If a city officer or a sheriff's deputy wrote your report, the patrol does not have it.
Complete is the word that matters. The card troopers hand to drivers says the patrol maintains complete reports, including witness statements, supplements and scale drawings. That is more than the basic report most people picture, and it is the reason to order from the patrol when a claim depends on the details.
Reports and photographs are retained for five years.
The official copy and the free search
Ohio gives you two routes to a trooper's report, and they are not the same thing. The state's public safety department runs a free statewide crash search, which it describes as unofficial crash reports as reported to the department. On the same page it links to the patrol's system as the place to purchase official Highway Patrol crash reports and photos.
| Route | What it is | Cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrol ordering system | The official report, with related reports and statements. Photos can be added | $4.00, plus a card service fee | An insurer, an attorney or a court that wants the official copy and the full file |
| State crash search | Unofficial reports as submitted to the state, for the past five years plus the current year | No cost | Reading what the trooper recorded while you wait, or checking a detail |
The Ohio page explains the free search and how to use it. The rest of this page is about the official copy.
How to order
- Wait seven business daysThe patrol asks for a minimum of seven business days from the date of the crash, so that the completed initial report is there to buy.
- Get the crash report numberIt comes from the patrol post that investigated. The card the trooper gave you, form OHP 0410, has a space for it, along with the officer's name and the post's phone number.
- Open the ordering systemStart from the patrol's Public Records and Reports Request page and follow the link Order an OSHP Crash Report/Photos Online. You need a browser that runs JavaScript, a valid credit card and a PDF viewer.
- Choose the report, the photos, or bothThe prices are in the table below.
- Pay without leaving the page idleThe browser session expires after 20 minutes, and everything in the cart is removed when it does.
- Download at onceThe report is available as soon as the purchase is confirmed, and it stays accessible for up to 72 hours.
Prices
| Item | Price | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Crash report only | $4.00 each | Online, available for up to 72 hours |
| Crash photos only, download | $4.00 per crash | A link within 24 to 48 hours. The link expires 14 days after it is sent |
| Crash photos only, DVD | $12.00 per report | By mail. Allow 4 to 6 weeks |
| Crash report and photos, download | $4.00 total | Report online, photos by link |
| Crash report and photos, DVD | $12.00 total | By mail |
| Certified crash photos | $12.00 total | DVD only |
Two things in that list save money or time. The report with photos by download costs the same $4.00 as the report alone. And certified photos exist only on DVD. To have photos certified, choose the DVD, then email ADPhoto@dps.ohio.gov with the crash number or the order number and ask for the certification letter.
The service fee
Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are accepted. A payment by credit or debit card, Google Pay or PayPal carries a service fee of 1.95% with a $1.75 minimum. Commercial cards carry 3.95% with the same minimum. The fee is charged per transaction by an outside vendor, and the patrol notes that the State of Ohio keeps none of it.
Who may have the report
The rule is in Ohio Revised Code 5502.12. For accidents investigated by the state highway patrol, the director of public safety "shall furnish" all related reports and statements to "any person claiming an interest arising out of a motor vehicle accident, or to the person's attorney", on payment of a fee of four dollars that is not refundable. Photographs cost extra under the same section.
The section also gives the director two powers that explain most delays. Patrol reports, statements and photographs "may be withheld until all criminal prosecution has been concluded". And the director "may require proof" of an applicant's right to the documents.
What is blacked out
A report you buy is not the raw file. The patrol routinely removes certain private information because Ohio's public records law does not treat it as public.
| Removed | Statute the patrol cites |
|---|---|
| Driver's license numbers | R.C. 149.43(A)(1)(dd) |
| Telephone numbers of the parties to the crash | R.C. 149.43(A)(1)(mm) |
| Residential and family information of dedicated public service workers | R.C. 149.43(A)(1)(p), (A)(7) and (A)(8) |
| Confidential law enforcement investigatory records | R.C. 149.43(A)(1)(h) and (A)(2), and R.C. 5502.12 |
| Personal information of a juvenile in a school vehicle crash | R.C. 149.43(A)(1)(gg) |
School bus crashes
The last line has a way around it for parents. If your child is under eighteen and was in a crash that involved a school vehicle, first complete the purchase. The copy you receive is redacted. Then fill in form OHP 0413, Request for Records, as the parent or guardian, and send it by email to ADCentralRecords@dps.ohio.gov, by fax to (614) 644-9749, or by mail to P.O. Box 182074, Columbus, OH 43218-2074. Once the form is verified, the patrol sends another copy with your child's information only, at no additional cost.
When it goes wrong
The report is not there yet
Inside seven business days that is expected. After that, write to oshpcrashreports@dps.ohio.gov or call Central Records at (614) 466-3536. A crash under further investigation can have an initial report available while later material is held until the investigation is complete.
You bought it and cannot open it
The patrol gives the same email address for a purchased report that will not open. Write before the 72 hours run out if you can, and include your order number.
You cannot order online
The Central Records Unit takes questions by mail at P.O. Box 182074, Columbus, OH 43218-2074, and the patrol's card tells people who cannot complete an order online to contact the unit for help.
A trooper did not write your report
Then the patrol has nothing to sell you. For Columbus, see Columbus police crash reports. For other departments, the Ohio page shows how the free state search finds a report from any agency.
Questions about Ohio Highway Patrol crash reports
How much is an Ohio State Highway Patrol crash report?
$4.00 for the report. Paying by credit or debit card, Google Pay or PayPal adds a service fee of 1.95% with a $1.75 minimum, charged by an outside payment vendor. Crash photos are priced separately.
How long after a crash can I order the Highway Patrol report?
The patrol asks you to wait a minimum of seven business days from the date of the crash, so that the completed initial report is available. Some crashes need more investigation, and that added material is released only when the investigation is complete.
How long can I open the report after I buy it?
For up to 72 hours. A report bought online is available once the purchase is confirmed and can then be printed or downloaded during that time. Save a copy as soon as it opens.
What is blacked out on a Highway Patrol crash report?
The patrol routinely redacts driver's license numbers, the telephone numbers of the parties, residential and family information of certain public service workers, confidential investigatory records, and the personal information of a juvenile involved in a school vehicle crash.
How do I get crash photos from the Ohio Highway Patrol?
Order them in the same system. Photos by download cost $4.00 and arrive as a link within 24 to 48 hours. Photos on DVD cost $12.00 and are mailed, which takes 4 to 6 weeks. Certified photos are provided on DVD only.
Is the Highway Patrol report the same as the one on Ohio's free crash search?
Not exactly. The state's public safety department describes its free search as unofficial crash reports, and describes the Highway Patrol's system as the place to purchase official patrol reports and photos. The patrol keeps the complete file, including witness statements, supplements and scale drawings.
Where do I find the Highway Patrol crash report number?
From the patrol post that investigated the crash. The card troopers hand out, form OHP 0410, has spaces for the crash report number, the investigating officer and the post's phone number.
My child was on a school bus in a crash. How do I get the full report?
Buy the report first. The copy you receive is redacted. Then send the patrol form OHP 0413, Request for Records, as the parent or guardian. Once it is verified, the patrol sends another copy with your child's information at no additional cost.