If you were involved in a car accident in Paducah, 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.
If the Paducah Police Department (PPD) investigated the crash, you can obtain the collision report directly from the department or online through BuyCrash. The information below is based on current Paducah Police Department guidance and Kentucky law.
Quick Facts — Paducah, KY Accident Reports
- Agency: Paducah Police Department
- Typical availability: Car accident reports can take up to five business days from the date of the accident
- In-person fee: $5 per traffic collision report
- Online fee: $10 through BuyCrash
- Police Department address: 1400 Broadway, Paducah, KY 42001
- Records Division hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Records Office phone: 270-444-8554
- Records Office fax: 270-444-8663
- Online access: BuyCrash
- Online portal: https://www.buycrash.com/
Paducah Police officers are on duty 24 hours a day, but the Records Division maintains separate weekday business hours.
Who Can Request a Paducah Collision Report?
Paducah Police’s current public instructions state that only persons involved in an incident may obtain a copy of the collision report through its collision-report process.
Kentucky law under KRS 189.635, however, requires accident reports to be made available to several categories of authorized recipients, 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 recipients specifically authorized by the statute
Kentucky collision reports are generally confidential and exempt from ordinary public disclosure except as authorized by KRS 189.635.
If you are an insurer, attorney, guardian, or other person authorized under Kentucky law but are not personally listed as an involved driver or passenger, contact the Paducah Police Records Office at 270-444-8554 for instructions.
Step-by-Step: How to Get Your Paducah Accident Report
Step 1 — Gather the Required Information
Paducah Police lists specific information needed to search for a collision report online.
You will need:
- State
- Jurisdiction: Paducah Police Department
- Last name
- Date of the incident
You will also need one of the following:
- Report number given to you by the officer
- Badge number of the reporting officer
- Driver’s license number
If the responding officer gave you an information card or other paperwork at the scene, keep it available when searching for your report.
Step 2 — Allow Time for the Report to Be Completed
Paducah Police states that car accident reports can take up to five business days from the date of the accident.
You should not expect the collision report to be available immediately after the crash.
If five business days have passed and you still cannot locate it:
- Confirm the accident date
- Verify the spelling of the last name
- Check your report number or officer badge number
- Search BuyCrash again
- Contact the Paducah Police Records Office at 270-444-8554
Kentucky State Police separately provides broader statewide guidance advising motorists to allow up to 10 days when an officer responded and said the officer would complete a collision report.
Step 3 — Choose How to Get the Report
Paducah Police currently provides two primary options.
Option A: Get the Report Online
Paducah Police uses BuyCrash for online traffic collision reports.
Online portal:
https://www.buycrash.com/
Fee: $10 per report
When searching, enter:
- State
- Paducah Police Department as the jurisdiction
- Last name
- Date of incident
Then enter one of the following:
- Report number
- Reporting officer’s badge number
- Driver’s license number
The report must be completed and entered into the electronic system before it can be retrieved.
Option B: Get the Report in Person
You may also obtain a collision report directly from:
Paducah Police Department
1400 Broadway
Paducah, KY 42001
Records Division hours:
Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Fee: $5 per collision report
Because access to collision reports is restricted, be prepared to establish that you are entitled to receive the report.
Bring any information you have about the collision, especially:
- Report number
- Accident date
- Driver name
- Officer name or badge number
- Photo identification
The department’s current site states that completed reports may be picked up at Police Headquarters during Records Division hours.
What if You Can’t Find the Report?
A collision report that does not appear in BuyCrash immediately may simply still be under review or processing.
If you cannot access your report:
- Allow up to five business days from the accident date.
- Confirm that you selected Paducah Police Department as the jurisdiction.
- Verify the last name and incident date.
- Double-check the report number, badge number, or driver’s license number.
- Contact the Paducah Police Records Office at 270-444-8554.
Do not use 270-444-8663 as the current Records Office telephone number. Paducah’s current Police Contacts page identifies that number as the Records Office fax.
What if Another Agency Investigated the Crash?
Paducah Police maintains reports prepared by its own officers.
Depending on where the crash occurred, another law enforcement agency may have handled the investigation, such as:
- McCracken County Sheriff’s Office
- Kentucky State Police
- Another law enforcement agency with jurisdiction
Check any paperwork given to you at the scene to identify the investigating agency before searching for the report.
If Kentucky State Police Handled the Crash in McCracken County
Kentucky State Police Post 1 serves McCracken County along with Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, and Trigg counties.
KSP Post 1 is located at:
Kentucky State Police Post 1
8366 U.S. Highway 45 North
Hickory, KY 42051
Phone: 270-856-3721
If a Kentucky State Police trooper investigated your accident, obtain the report through KSP rather than Paducah Police.
KSP states that eligible accident reports can be obtained online through BuyCrash:
An eligible requester may also submit a written request for the report to the Kentucky State Police Official Custodian of Records according to KSP’s current records-request procedures.
Kentucky’s access restrictions under KRS 189.635 apply to KSP collision reports as well.
What if Police Did Not Investigate the Accident?
Getting a copy of a police collision report is different from filing a Civilian Collision Report yourself.
Under Kentucky law, if a vehicle accident results in more than $500 in property damage and the collision is not investigated by a law enforcement officer, an involved driver generally must submit a written report to 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
Paducah Police also links drivers to the KSP civilian reporting system for minor collisions without an officer investigation.
Do You Need a Civilian Report if an 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.
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 copy of a police report. It is the reporting process used for qualifying accidents that were not investigated and reported by a law enforcement officer.
Police Collision Report vs. Civilian Collision Report
Knowing which type of report you need can save time.
Police Collision Report
A police collision report is prepared when a law enforcement officer investigates the crash.
If Paducah Police investigated the accident, obtain the report:
- In person from PPD, or
- Online through BuyCrash
If KSP investigated the accident, obtain the report through KSP or BuyCrash.
Civilian Collision Report
A civilian collision report is submitted by an involved driver when a qualifying crash was not investigated by law enforcement.
Kentucky State Police maintains the civilian reporting system.
Why Your Paducah Accident Report Matters
A police collision report can contain useful 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 documented 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 crash occurred
- Pursuing a personal injury claim
- Handling a truck, commercial vehicle, rideshare, or multi-vehicle accident
A police collision report can be an important piece of evidence, 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 Paducah Car Accident?
Obtaining the police report is one part of documenting what happened after a serious collision.
If you were injured in a Kentucky crash, a Kentucky car accident lawyer from Morrin Law Office can review the circumstances of the accident, 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
- Attorney for Accidents Involving Injuries in Kentucky
- Kentucky Rideshare Vehicle Accidents
- Kentucky Public Transportation Accident Lawyer
Sources
- City of Paducah — Records and Evidence:
https://www.paducahky.gov/departments/police/records-and-evidence - City of Paducah — About the Police Department / Report Availability:
https://www.paducahky.gov/departments/police/about-police-department - City of Paducah — Police Contacts and Links:
https://www.paducahky.gov/departments/police/police-contacts-and-links - 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 1:
https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/post1 - Kentucky State Police — Open Records Requests:
https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/open-records-requests - BuyCrash:
https://www.buycrash.com/
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