How to Get a Crash Report in Ohio

The agency that investigated your crash is the official record keeper. You get the official report, with the diagram, from that agency.^1,2

OSHP keeps complete crash reports and crash photos only for crashes its own officers investigated. For those crashes, the complete report includes witness statements, supplements and scale drawings.^5,6

The Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) receives crash reports on public roads from all law enforcement agencies in Ohio, for statistical purposes only. ODPS also supplies OH-1 crash report forms to Ohio law enforcement.^2,7

If an OSHP officer investigated your crash, buy the report online through OSHP's Crash Ordering System. Search for your crash, then complete the purchase. You must finish the purchase to get a copy. When the purchase is complete, OSHP shows a confirmation screen and strongly recommends that you print and keep a copy of it. You can then print or download the report.^3,4,5,8

If a county or local agency investigated your crash, contact that agency to find out the proper procedure for getting the report.³

You can search unofficial copies of crash reports sent to ODPS on its Crash Retrieval site. The search covers the past five years plus the current year. These copies are not official documents. ODPS says they are for statistical use only and are not sufficient for any court proceeding. It also warns they may have been changed to clarify the data before entry. For help with the site, ODPS lists an email address on the Crash Retrieval page.^1,7

If you cannot complete an OSHP order online, contact OSHP's Central Records Unit for help. For questions about getting a crash report, you can reach Central Records by email, mail or fax. OSHP lists these contact details on its Public Records page and its crash ordering site.^5,6,8

You can also order OSHP crash photos online. They come on a DVD sent by mail or as an electronic download. Certified crash photos come only on DVD. After you order the certified DVD, you email the crash or order number to request the certification letter. The email address for this is listed on OSHP's crash ordering site.^5,8

To go back to an OSHP order you already placed, open the Retrieve page of the Crash Ordering System and enter your transaction number.⁹

For other OSHP records, such as criminal investigation reports, use the online Submit a Request button on OSHP's Public Records page.⁵

To search OSHP's Crash Ordering System, enter the crash number and the crash year. OSHP crash numbers use the format xx-xxxx-xx. If you do not know the crash number, use Advanced Options. The search also has a field for the last name of a driver involved.⁴

To get the crash report number, contact the Highway Patrol post that investigated the crash.⁶

To order OSHP crash reports or photos online, you need a web browser that can run JavaScript, a valid credit card and a PDF viewer. Online ordering accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.^5,8

The ODPS Crash Retrieval search works by crash number or document number. You can enter up to 10 document numbers at once, separated by semicolons. If you do not know either number, use Advanced Options.¹

If you are a parent or guardian using form OHP 0413, fill out a separate form for each person. The form asks for a Social Security, driver license or ID number, and you must give at least one. You sign it under oath that the information is true and accurate. A legal guardian must attach a certified copy of the court entry appointing them. ODPS will not provide the information if the form is incomplete.^8,10

An OSHP crash report costs $4.00 through the Crash Ordering System. The fee is nonrefundable.^4,8

For OSHP crash photos, a crash report with photos by download costs $4.00 in total. Photos alone by download cost $4.00 for the photos from one crash. Photos alone on DVD cost $12.00 per report, however many DVDs are needed. A crash report plus photos on DVD costs $12.00 in total. Certified crash photos on DVD also cost $12.00 in total.⁸

A third-party vendor charges a service fee on each transaction. Credit or debit card, Google Pay and PayPal payments carry a 1.95% fee, with a $1.75 minimum. Commercial cards carry a 3.95% fee, with a $1.75 minimum. The State of Ohio keeps no part of this fee.⁸

For a payment dispute, OSHP says cardholders must contact OSHP directly. The contact details are on the Crash Ordering System site.⁴

If you are a parent or guardian using form OHP 0413, OSHP sends the copy with your child's information at no additional cost.⁸

A named victim, the victim's legal counsel, or the insurer of a party involved in an incident can ask OSHP to waive video fees. To do this, complete the OHP 1371 Video Fee Exemption Affidavit.⁵

OSHP asks you to wait at least seven business days after the crash before you order reports or photos, so the completed initial report is available.⁵

Some crashes need investigation beyond the initial report. That added information may not be available until the investigation is complete.⁵

Crash reports may take up to 6 weeks to appear on the ODPS Crash Retrieval site. If a report is not on the ODPS website, ODPS says it has not yet received the report from the investigating agency, or the crash was on private property.^1,2

An OSHP report you buy online is available once your purchase is confirmed. You can print or download it for up to 72 hours.⁸

For photos sent electronically, allow 24 to 48 hours to receive the photo link. The link expires 14 days after it is sent. Photos sent on DVD can take 4 to 6 weeks.⁸

OSHP keeps its crash reports and photos for five years.⁸

Your OSHP ordering session expires after 20 minutes, and any items in your cart are removed.⁸

OSHP's crash ordering site says that under R.C. 5502.12, OSHP must provide a copy of a crash report its officers completed to any person claiming an interest arising out of the accident, or to that person's attorney.⁴

When you buy an OSHP crash report, you receive a redacted copy after the purchase is processed. Certain private information is routinely removed from Ohio crash reports because it is not considered a public record. This includes driver's license numbers and the phone numbers of the people involved.^5,8

Parents and guardians of someone under 18 who was in a traffic crash involving a school vehicle, such as a school bus occupant, use a separate process. The child's personal information is redacted from the report. To request it, you must complete form OHP 0413, Request for Records. You can send the completed form by email, by fax, or by mail to P.O. Box 182074, Columbus, OH 43218-2074. The email address and fax number are on OSHP's Public Records page. Once OSHP receives and verifies the form, it sends you another copy of the crash report with only your child's information, at no additional cost.^5,8

If a county or local agency investigated your crash, OSHP says to contact that agency to find out the proper procedure.³

ODPS says the copies on its website are not official. To get the official report and any supplemental information, you need to contact the agency that investigated the crash.^1,2

If your report is not on the ODPS website, ODPS recommends asking the investigating agency directly for a copy.²