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Our LocationsAfter a car accident, your crash report is one of the first pieces of evidence you will want. It records who was involved, their insurance, what the officer saw, and often who the officer believed caused the crash.
Here is how Ohio crash reports work, who writes them, how to request yours online or from the police, how long it takes, and what to do if something in the report is wrong.
In Ohio, crash reports are formally known as OH-1 Traffic Crash Reports. The officers who respond to your accident document the details of the collision in the report, and the agency they work for keeps the official copy. Most reports are also sent to the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS), which makes them available online.
Ohio law requires police agencies that investigate a crash involving an injury, a death, or more than $1,000 in property damage to send a report to the state within five days. Our article on the information recorded in Ohio crash reports walks through each section of the form.
The agency that responded to your crash is the one that wrote your report, and knowing which one it was tells you where to look:
If you are not sure, check any paperwork the officer gave you at the scene. It often lists the agency name and a report or case number. Understanding how police investigate a car crash can also help you know what the report should include.
If police did not come to the scene, there may be no OH-1 report at all. Contact the police department for the area where the crash happened and ask whether it will take a report. If the other driver was uninsured, you can also file an uninsured accident report, form BMV 3303, with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. It must be received within six months of the crash.
The information in a crash report can include how the accident happened, the other driver’s contact and insurance details, citations issued, witness names, and the officer’s notes on who caused the crash. All of that can help prove the other driver’s negligence.
That information goes a long way in helping your attorney show the insurance company, and if needed the court, that the other driver is at fault for your car accident and resulting injuries.
Ohio is a fault state for auto insurance. When another driver is to blame for your injuries, you file a claim with their insurer, and the compensation available will depend largely on the types and amounts of coverage that driver bought. For this reason, you should always be prepared with strong evidence.
An accident report that details the facts of the crash can help you hold the insurance company and the liable parties accountable. Insurance companies may also be less likely to move a claim forward if there is no police or crash report.
For most crashes, the fastest way to get your report is the Ohio Department of Public Safety crash retrieval site. Reports there are free to view and download. To find yours:
The site covers the current year and the past five years. ODPS notes that the copies on its site are not official documents and that the investigating agency is the official record keeper, so if you need a certified copy, request it from that agency.
For crashes investigated by the State Highway Patrol, you can also order reports and crash photos through the “Public Records & Reports Request” link on the Ohio State Highway Patrol services page. The Patrol suggests waiting at least seven business days after the crash before ordering. Some crashes need more investigation, and information from those investigations may not be released until it is complete.
Hurt in a crash and worried about what your report says about fault? Call 1-800-HURT-NOW for a free consultation, and we can request the report for you.
If the ODPS site does not have your report yet, or you need a certified copy, go to the department that wrote it.
Cleveland Division of Police crash reports go through the city’s public records process. You can submit a request through the city’s online public records portal or in person at the Justice Center downtown, and the city notes that copies may carry a charge. Having the date, location, and report number ready will speed things up. Our guide on who to call after a car accident in Cleveland covers the other calls to make in the first days after a crash.
The Columbus Division of Police directs people to the ODPS site first, where copies are free. You can also submit a report request through the city’s online request page, and the city says electronic copies from the police are free.
The Toledo Police Department points people to the ODPS site, where reports are available at no cost. You can also visit the Records Bureau at the Safety Building on North Erie Street during weekday business hours. For more on the first steps after a crash there, see who to call after a car accident in Toledo.
The Dayton Police Department links to the ODPS site for traffic crash reports. If you need the complete report with witness statements, the department’s Records Bureau on West Third Street handles those requests, and you will need your report number.
Ohio agencies have five days to send crash reports to the state, but that does not mean your report will be online in five days. ODPS says reports may take up to six weeks to appear on its site. If yours is not there after a week or two, contact the agency that wrote it.
Mistakes happen. Officers write reports quickly, often at a chaotic scene, and the details are not always right. If you find an error:
A crash report is important evidence, but it is not the final word on fault. Insurance companies and courts look at all the evidence, and a lawyer can gather what is needed to challenge a report that gets it wrong.
Many reports are available online within days, but ODPS says it can take up to six weeks for a report to appear on its site. The State Highway Patrol suggests waiting at least seven business days before ordering one of its reports.
Generally, yes. Crash reports are public records in Ohio, and you can search for them on the ODPS crash retrieval site or request them from the agency that wrote them. Some information may be withheld while an investigation is still open.
Often, yes, if it is a factual error such as a name, plate number, or insurance company. Contact the agency that wrote the report and bring proof. If you disagree with the officer’s opinion of who caused the crash, the report is unlikely to change, but you can ask to add your own statement.
You can open an insurance claim without it, but the report is one of the most useful pieces of evidence you will have, and the insurer will almost certainly ask for it. Request it as soon as it is available.
If you need help getting a copy of your crash report, or the report gets the facts wrong, our Ohio car accident lawyers at Kisling, Nestico & Redick can help. We request reports, track down witnesses, and build the evidence your claim needs.
Fill out our online form or call 1-800-HURT-NOW to schedule your free consultation and learn more about what comes next for your car accident claim.
