If you were involved in a car accident in Owensboro, Kentucky, you may need a copy of the official police collision report when dealing with an insurance claim, vehicle damage, or a personal injury case.
If the Owensboro Police Department (OPD) investigated the crash, you may be able to obtain the report directly from OPD or retrieve it online through BuyCrash. The information below is based on current Owensboro Police Department guidance and Kentucky law.
Quick Facts — Owensboro, KY Accident Reports
- Agency: Owensboro Police Department (OPD)
- In-person collision report fee for an involved party: $5
- Authorized business entity fee: $10 by mail or walk-in
- Online access: BuyCrash
- Police Department address: 222 East 9th Street, Owensboro, KY 42303
- Records Section phone: 270-687-8845
- OPD general phone: 270-687-8888
- Information requested by OPD: Case number, driver or owner name, collision location, and collision date
- Online report portal: https://www.buycrash.com/
OPD does not currently publish a specific local turnaround time for every collision report. Kentucky State Police advises allowing 10 days when an officer responded and indicated that the officer would complete the report.
Who Can Request an Owensboro Collision Report?
Kentucky collision reports are confidential records and are not generally available to any member of the public who requests one.
Under KRS 189.635, accident reports may be provided 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 documentation required by Kentucky law
- Other entities specifically authorized by the statute
Owensboro Police states that people involved in a collision, including a vehicle insurer, may follow its procedures for obtaining copies of the report.
Because collision reports contain confidential information, you should be prepared to establish that you are authorized to receive the report.
Step-by-Step: How to Get Your Owensboro Accident Report
Step 1 — Gather the Required Crash Information
Owensboro Police asks for the following information when locating a collision report:
- Case number
- Name of the driver or vehicle owner
- Location of the collision
- Date of the collision
If the responding officer gave you a card, exchange form, or other paperwork at the scene, check it for the case number.
Having all four pieces of information available can make it easier to identify the correct report.
Step 2 — Allow Time for the Report to Be Completed
Owensboro Police does not currently state on its Records and Reports page that collision reports will be ready within a specific number of business days.
Kentucky State Police provides broader statewide guidance. If an officer responded to your collision and told you that the officer would complete a report, KSP advises allowing 10 days for the report to be completed and made available in the system.
If you still cannot locate your report after that period, contact the Owensboro Police Records Section at 270-687-8845.
Step 3 — Choose How to Get the Report
Option A: Get the Accident Report Online
Owensboro Police directs people seeking an electronic accident report to BuyCrash.
Online portal:
https://www.buycrash.com/
BuyCrash is a third-party system used to provide electronic access to qualifying collision reports.
You should have the following information available:
- Case or report number
- Driver or vehicle owner name
- Date of the collision
- Location of the collision
The report must be completed and entered into the system before it can be retrieved online.
OPD’s current Records and Reports page does not list a specific online BuyCrash fee. Review the price displayed by the service before completing the purchase.
Option B: Get the Report in Person
An involved party may request a collision report directly from the Owensboro Police Department.
Owensboro Police Department
222 East 9th Street
Owensboro, KY 42303
Fee for an involved party: $5 for a walk-in collision report request
Bring the information needed to identify the report, including:
- Case number
- Driver or owner name
- Collision location
- Collision date
- Identification showing your connection to the report, if requested
For questions about availability or eligibility, call the Records Section at 270-687-8845 before visiting.
What About Requests by Mail?
OPD specifically states that an authorized business entity may obtain a collision report for $10 by mail or walk-in.
The department’s current page does not publish a separate mail procedure for an individual involved party.
If you are unable to visit in person and do not want to use BuyCrash, contact the Records Section at 270-687-8845 to determine whether another request option is available for your circumstances.
What if You Don’t Know Your Case Number?
OPD lists the case number as one of the pieces of information needed for a collision report request.
If you cannot find it:
- Check any paperwork given to you by the responding officer
- Check documents or emails you received from your insurance company
- Gather the accident date, location, and driver or owner name
- Contact the OPD Records Section at 270-687-8845
Those additional details may help Records staff locate the correct collision.
What if You Were Told to File a Civilian Collision Report?
A Civilian Collision Report is different from an accident report prepared by a police officer.
Under Kentucky law, a driver involved in an accident resulting in more than $500 in property damage generally must file a written report with the Kentucky State Police within 10 days if the accident was not investigated by a law enforcement officer.
Kentucky State Police now provides the civilian reporting system online:
https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/civilian-collision-reports
OPD also directs drivers who were instructed to complete a Civilian Traffic Collision Report to Kentucky’s online civilian reporting system.
Do You Need to File One if an Officer Already Made a Report?
Generally, no.
Kentucky State Police states that if a police officer responded and indicated that the officer would complete the collision report, you are not required to submit a second civilian report.
A civilian report is therefore not simply another copy of a police report. It is the reporting process used when a qualifying collision was not investigated and reported by a law enforcement officer.
After completing the civilian report online, the system generates a collision report number and gives you the opportunity to download the report for your records.
If Kentucky State Police Handled the Crash in Daviess County
Not every collision in Daviess County is investigated by the Owensboro Police Department.
Kentucky State Police Post 16 serves Daviess County along with Hancock, Henderson, McLean, Ohio, and Union counties.
KSP Post 16 is located at:
Kentucky State Police Post 16
8298 Keach Drive
Henderson, KY 42420
Phone: 270-826-3312
If a Kentucky State Police trooper investigated your accident, obtain the report through KSP rather than Owensboro Police.
KSP states that eligible accident reports can be obtained online through BuyCrash:
You may also send a written request to the Kentucky State Police Official Custodian of Records according to the agency’s current Open Records Request procedures.
Kentucky’s eligibility restrictions under KRS 189.635 apply to KSP accident reports as well.
Police Report vs. Civilian Collision Report
It is useful to understand the distinction:
Police Collision Report
A police collision report is prepared when a law enforcement officer investigates the accident.
Depending on which agency investigated the crash, you would request it from:
- Owensboro Police Department
- Kentucky State Police
- Another law enforcement agency that investigated the collision
Civilian Collision Report
A civilian collision report is submitted by an involved driver when the accident qualifies for reporting under Kentucky law but was not investigated by a law enforcement officer.
Kentucky State Police maintains the online system for these reports.
Knowing which type of report you have can prevent you from searching the wrong system.
Why Your Owensboro Accident Report Matters
A 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 and location of the collision
- Insurance information recorded at the scene
- Reported injuries
- Vehicle or 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 collision to an insurance company
- Handling a vehicle damage claim
- Identifying drivers, owners, and insurers
- Investigating how the accident occurred
- Pursuing a personal injury claim
- Handling a truck, commercial vehicle, rideshare, or multi-vehicle accident
A police collision report can be important evidence, but the report itself does not necessarily make the final legal determination about who was at fault for the crash.
If you were injured, keep a copy with your other accident-related records, including photographs, medical documentation, repair estimates, insurance correspondence, and receipts.
Injured in an Owensboro Car Accident?
Obtaining the collision report is one part of documenting what happened after a serious accident.
If you were injured in a crash, an Owensboro car accident attorney 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
- Owensboro Car Accident Attorney
- Owensboro Truck Accident Attorney
- Owensboro Commercial Vehicle Accident Attorney
- Kentucky Car Accident Attorney
- Kentucky Rideshare Vehicle Accidents
Sources
- Owensboro Police Department — Records and Reports:
https://owensboro.org/departments/police/records_and_reports/ - Owensboro Police Department:
https://owensboro.org/departments/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 16:
https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/post16 - Kentucky State Police — Open Records Requests:
https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/open-records-requests - BuyCrash:
https://www.buycrash.com/
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