If you were involved in a car accident in Florence, Kentucky, you may need a copy of the official police collision report when dealing with an insurance claim, vehicle repairs, or a personal injury case.
For traffic crash reports prepared by the Florence Police Department, the City of Florence directs requesters to the Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC) at the Florence Government Center or to BuyCrash for online access.
The information below is based on current City of Florence guidance and Kentucky law.
Quick Facts — Florence, KY Accident Reports
- Investigating agency: Florence Police Department, when a Florence officer worked the crash
- Records pickup: Public Safety Communications Center at the Florence Government Center
- Address: 8100 Ewing Boulevard, Florence, KY 41042
- Crash report pickup hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Online access: BuyCrash
- Florence Police administrative phone: 859-647-5420
- Paper collision report fee under Kentucky’s current fee schedule: $5
- KSP website collision report fee under the state fee schedule: $10
- Online portal: https://www.buycrash.com/
The City of Florence does not currently publish a Florence-specific number of days after the crash when every report will be available.
Kentucky State Police advises allowing 10 days when an officer responded and indicated that the officer would prepare the collision report.
Who Can Request a Florence Collision Report?
Kentucky collision reports are confidential and are not ordinary public records available to anyone who requests them.
Under KRS 189.635, accident reports must be made available to certain authorized people and entities, including:
- Parties to the accident
- Parents or guardians of a minor who was a party to the accident
- Insurers or their written designees handling insurance business involving a party named in the report
- Attorneys representing parties to the accident
- Certain parties to litigation who provide the required court documentation
- Other entities specifically authorized by Kentucky law
Kentucky law states that accident reports and the information contained in them are generally confidential and exempt from ordinary public disclosure except as authorized by KRS 189.635.
If you are requesting your own accident report, be prepared to provide identifying information showing your connection to the collision.
Step-by-Step: How to Get Your Florence Accident Report
Step 1 — Confirm Which Agency Investigated the Crash
Before trying to retrieve a report, check which law enforcement agency responded.
A crash in or around Florence could potentially be investigated by:
- Florence Police Department
- Boone County Sheriff’s Office
- Kentucky State Police
- Another law enforcement agency with jurisdiction
If a Florence Police officer prepared the report, the City directs you to the Public Safety Communications Center at the Florence Government Center or to BuyCrash.
If another agency investigated the accident, request the report from that agency instead.
Check any paperwork or information card given to you at the scene for the agency name and report number.
Step 2 — Gather Your Crash Information
Before requesting the collision report, gather as much identifying information as possible.
Useful information includes:
- Report or case number
- Date of the collision
- Crash location or nearby intersection
- Name of a driver or other involved party
- Driver’s license number
- Name or badge number of the responding officer, if known
- Valid photo identification
Having the report number is especially helpful when trying to locate a specific crash.
Step 3 — Allow Time for the Report to Be Completed
The City of Florence’s current FAQ does not give a specific local turnaround time for traffic crash reports.
Kentucky State Police provides statewide guidance stating that if an officer responded and told you that the officer would complete the collision report, you should allow 10 days for the report to be completed and made available in the system.
If the report does not appear online immediately after the crash, that does not necessarily mean it is missing.
The investigating officer may still be completing the report, or it may not yet have been entered into the electronic reporting system.
Step 4 — Choose How to Get the Report
Florence currently provides both in-person and online options for traffic crash reports.
Option A: Get the Report in Person
The City of Florence directs people seeking a traffic crash report to the:
Public Safety Communications Center
Florence Government Center
8100 Ewing Boulevard
Florence, KY 41042
Hours:
Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kentucky’s current collision-report fee regulation lists $5 for a paper copy.
Bring identifying information about the accident and photo identification showing that you are authorized to receive the report.
The City of Florence’s current FAQ identifies the Florence Government Center as the pickup location but does not specify a suite number, so using the main 8100 Ewing Boulevard address is the safest current instruction.
Option B: Get the Report Online
Florence also directs drivers and other eligible requesters to BuyCrash for electronic traffic crash reports.
Online portal:
https://www.buycrash.com/
BuyCrash is a third-party service used by law enforcement agencies to provide electronic access to collision reports.
Before searching, have as much information as possible available, including:
- Accident date
- Driver or involved-party name
- Report number, if known
- Driver’s license number
- Investigating agency
The report must be completed and available electronically before you can retrieve it.
Review the price displayed by the online service before completing the purchase.
What if You Can’t Find the Report?
If your Florence collision report does not appear online:
- Confirm that Florence Police Department was the agency that investigated the crash.
- Check the accident date and spelling of the driver’s name.
- Confirm the report or case number.
- Allow time for the investigating officer to complete the report.
- Search BuyCrash again.
- Visit the Public Safety Communications Center during its weekday business hours.
- Contact Florence Police at 859-647-5420 if you need help determining where the report should be obtained.
Kentucky State Police’s statewide guidance recommends allowing up to 10 days for an officer-prepared report to become available.
Why Does the Public Safety Communications Center Have Florence Police Reports?
The City of Florence specifically directs people seeking traffic crash and criminal offense reports to the Public Safety Communications Center at the Florence Government Center.
The PSCC provides centralized public-safety communications and records functions for agencies in Boone County.
For a Florence Police crash, you therefore should not assume that you need to visit a separate police records building. The City’s current instructions direct you to the PSCC at the Florence Government Center.
What if Another Boone County Agency Investigated the Crash?
Not every accident in Boone County is investigated by Florence Police.
For example, a collision outside Florence city limits might be investigated by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office or another agency.
The current Kentucky traffic collision reporting regulation provides that the law enforcement agency whose officer creates the report is the originating agency, and responsibility for providing the report to authorized parties remains with that originating agency.
That makes identifying the investigating agency an important first step.
If Florence Police did not investigate the crash, check your paperwork and contact the agency that did.
If Kentucky State Police Handled the Crash in Boone County
Kentucky State Police Post 6 serves Boone County along with Bourbon, Bracken, Campbell, Grant, Harrison, Kenton, Nicholas, Pendleton, and Robertson counties.
KSP Post 6 is located at:
Kentucky State Police Post 6
4265 US Highway 25
Dry Ridge, KY 41035
Phone: 859-428-1212
If a Kentucky State Police trooper investigated your accident, obtain the collision report through KSP rather than relying on the Florence Police report process.
KSP states that eligible accident reports can be obtained through BuyCrash:
Eligible requesters may also submit a written request to the Kentucky State Police Official Custodian of Records according to KSP’s current records-request procedures.
Kentucky’s restrictions under KRS 189.635 apply to KSP reports as well.
What if Police Did Not Investigate the Accident?
Getting a copy of a police-written collision report is different from filing a Civilian Collision Report yourself.
Under KRS 189.635, if an accident causes more than $500 in property damage and the crash is not investigated by a law enforcement officer, an involved driver generally must file a written collision report with the Kentucky State Police within 10 days of the accident.
Kentucky State Police provides an online Civilian Collision Report system:
https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/civilian-collision-reports
Do You Need a Civilian Report if a Police Officer Already Made One?
Generally, no.
Kentucky State Police states that if an officer responded and indicated that the officer would complete the collision report, you are not required to complete a second report.
Instead, KSP advises allowing 10 days for the officer-prepared report to be completed and made available in the system.
A Civilian Collision Report is therefore not simply another way to obtain a police report. It is used for qualifying accidents that were not investigated and reported by law enforcement.
What Does Kentucky Law Require After a Serious Crash?
Kentucky law requires drivers to immediately notify law enforcement after certain collisions.
Under KRS 189.635, immediate notification is required when an accident results in:
- Fatal or nonfatal personal injury, or
- Damage that renders a vehicle inoperable
The law enforcement officer with jurisdiction must investigate the collision and prepare a written report.
The investigating law enforcement agency must then submit the required report to Kentucky State Police within 10 days after its investigation.
Police Collision Report vs. Civilian Collision Report
Knowing which type of report you need can help prevent delays.
Police Collision Report
A police collision report is prepared when a law enforcement officer investigates the crash.
For a Florence Police collision report, the City directs you to:
- The Public Safety Communications Center at the Florence Government Center, or
- BuyCrash
If another agency investigated the collision, obtain the report from that agency.
Civilian Collision Report
A civilian collision report is submitted by an involved driver when a qualifying collision was not investigated by law enforcement.
Kentucky State Police maintains the online civilian reporting system.
Why Your Florence Accident Report Matters
A police collision report can contain important information about the crash and the responding officer’s investigation, including:
- Names of drivers and other involved parties
- Vehicle information
- Date, time, and location of the collision
- Insurance information recorded at the scene
- Reported injuries
- Vehicle and property damage
- Witness information, when available
- Officer observations
- Citations issued, when applicable
- Other circumstances documented during the investigation
The report may be useful when:
- Reporting the accident to an insurance company
- Handling a vehicle damage claim
- Identifying drivers, owners, and insurers
- Investigating how the collision occurred
- Pursuing a personal injury claim
- Handling a truck, rideshare, commercial vehicle, or multi-vehicle accident
A police collision report can be an important part of investigating an accident, but it does not necessarily make the final legal determination about who was at fault.
If you were injured, keep a copy of the report with your other accident-related records, including photographs, medical records, repair estimates, insurance correspondence, and receipts.
Injured in a Florence Car Accident?
Obtaining the police report is one part of documenting what happened after a serious collision.
If you were injured in a Florence or Boone County crash, a Kentucky car accident lawyer from Morrin Law Office can review the circumstances of the collision, available insurance coverage, your injuries, and other evidence involved in your claim during a free case evaluation.
Related Morrin Law Resources
- Kentucky Car Accident Lawyer
- Kentucky Car Accident Guide
- Attorney for Accidents Involving Injuries in Kentucky
- Kentucky Rideshare Vehicle Accidents
- Kentucky Passenger Injury Attorney
- Kentucky Public Transportation Accident Lawyer
Sources
- City of Florence — Police Department FAQs:
https://florence-ky.gov/faqs/ - City of Florence — Police Department:
https://florence-ky.gov/our-services/police/ - Kentucky Revised Statutes — KRS 189.635, Vehicle Accident Reports:
https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=54793 - Kentucky Administrative Regulations — 502 KAR 15:010, Traffic Collision Reports:
https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/502/015/010/ - Kentucky State Police — Civilian Collision Reports:
https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/civilian-collision-reports - Kentucky State Police — Post 6:
https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/post6 - Kentucky State Police — Open Records Requests:
https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/open-records-requests - BuyCrash:
https://www.buycrash.com/
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