HomeCrash reportsOhioColumbus Division of Police

How to get a crash report from the Columbus Division of Police

The Columbus Division of Police sells crash reports through ODPS state portal (no vendor) at publicsafety.ohio.gov. Free online through ODPS; Columbus Police hard copy $.05 per page, electronic copies free. Available on the ODPS site once the report has been submitted and accepted; reports submitted on paper are not available there for several weeks.

From the Columbus Division of Police's own pages, checked October 2, 2026

Requesting the report

Coverscrashes inside Columbus city limits worked by the Columbus Division of Police
Request onlinepublicsafety.ohio.gov
CostFree online through ODPS; Columbus Police hard copy $.05 per page, electronic copies free
Usually readyAvailable on the ODPS site once the report has been submitted and accepted; reports submitted on paper are not available there for several weeks
What you needColumbus asks you to include your contact information with a fax or online request; the page does not list the search fields ODPS uses.
In personPublic Records Unit, 120 Marconi Blvd., Columbus, OH 43215 (the Public Records Unit page lists the address but no hours and does not say crash reports are handed out at the counter).
Phone(614) 645-4925 (Public Records Unit); fax requests to (614) 645-4001

Columbus crash reports are searched through the Ohio Department of Public Safety at https://publicsafety.ohio.gov/what-we-do/crash-reports/ (the page calls these 'unofficial crash reports'; official Ohio State Highway Patrol reports are purchased separately).

Need a different police report (theft, incident)? Offense reports and other records: Report Request Submission Form or the Public Records Request Form via the Public Records Unit (https://www.columbus.gov/Services/Public-Safety/Police/About-the-Columbus-Division-of-Police/Highlighted-Areas/Police-PublicRecordsUnit)..

Fatal crashes in Columbus

435 people died in 405 crashes in Columbus from 2020 through 2024 (NHTSA FARS), more of them on I-71 than on any other road. In 2024, 66 were killed, 19% fewer than in 2020.

Map, roads and hours for Columbus

After you have the report

  1. Get the crash report

    Statewide copies come from Ohio Department of Public Safety (Crash Retrieval, unofficial copies from all agencies) and Ohio State Highway Patrol Central Records (official copies of OSHP-investigated crashes), cost $4.00 per Ohio State Highway Patrol crash report (plus a 1.95% card fee, $1.75 minimum); the ODPS search for unofficial copies lists no fee and are usually ready OSHP reports can be ordered after 7 business days.

    How to get an Ohio crash report

  2. Know your deadline

    Ohio gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10(A)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: Ohio sets no notice-of-claim period for political subdivisions; an action against a political subdivision must be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues.

    Work out your date

  3. Who pays

    Ohio is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.

    Ohio car accident laws

  4. If you were partly at fault

    You can recover if your fault is not greater than the combined fault of everyone else (50% or less), with your award reduced by your share; at 51% or more you recover nothing.

    The rule and its statute

  5. The other driver’s minimum coverage

    The legal minimum liability coverage in Ohio is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (25/50/25).

    Every state’s minimums

Check your deadline and a rough claim range

A filing date and a rough value range for Ohio. Both take under a minute.

Check my deadline Estimate my claim

Questions

How much is a crash report from the Columbus Division of Police?

Free online through ODPS; Columbus Police hard copy $.05 per page, electronic copies free.

How long does it take to get a Columbus crash report?

Available on the ODPS site once the report has been submitted and accepted; reports submitted on paper are not available there for several weeks.

Can I get my Columbus crash report online?

Yes, at publicsafety.ohio.gov. You need: Columbus asks you to include your contact information with a fax or online request; the page does not list the search fields ODPS uses.

Sources

  1. Columbus Division of Police crash reports: www.columbus.gov/Services/Public-Safety/Find-a-Police-Report/Find-an-Accident-Re
    Columbus 'Find an Accident Report': "Columbus Division of Police electronic accident (crash) reports are submitted to the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS). Accident reports are available on the ODPS website once they have been submitted and accepted. Crash reports submitted via hard copy won't be available by the ODPS for several weeks after submission. There is no cost associated with copies of accident reports obtained via the ODPS website. Note, copies of accident reports are not available through (this) Columbus Police website." "The Columbus Division of Police can process requests …
  2. Request portal: publicsafety.ohio.gov/what-we-do/crash-reports/ (Ohio Department of Public Safet
  3. Other police reports: www.columbus.gov/Services/Public-Safety/Find-a-Police-Report

Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.