Columbus Police Records Search

Columbus police records are held by the Division of Police Public Records Unit at 120 Marconi Boulevard. The unit sits in Police Headquarters and takes requests by phone, mail, fax, email, and walk-in visits. Columbus is the state capital and the largest city in Ohio, so the volume of police records here is high. You can look up crash reports, offense reports, arrest files, and 911 call logs through the city or through state tools. Ohio law under ORC 149.43 gives you the right to ask for these records. No reason is needed. The process is straightforward once you know where to go.

Columbus Division of Police Records Unit

The Columbus Division of Police runs its Public Records Unit out of the Professional Standards Bureau. The office is at 120 Marconi Boulevard, Columbus, OH 43215. Call them at (614) 645-4925. You can also fax requests to (614) 645-0903 or email publicrecords@columbuspolice.org. The unit is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. On Saturdays, limited service runs from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The office is closed on Sundays and holidays.

Columbus police records cover a wide range of files. Accident reports, incident and offense reports, police policies, crime stats, 911 call audio, and body camera footage are all available. Body camera video gets redacted before release under Marsy's Law protections, which shield victim identities in certain cases. The records unit handles all of these requests from one location, which makes things simpler than dealing with multiple departments. If you have a report number, include it in your request. That speeds things up quite a bit.

Payment for Columbus police record copies works a few ways. The city takes business checks, money orders, and electronic payment. Cash is not accepted for most transactions. Video records cost $37 per hour to produce as of 2025, per state law guidelines. Standard copy fees depend on the type of document you need. For crash reports, there may be no charge if you pull them through the state system instead.

How to Get Columbus Police Records

Start by figuring out what kind of record you need. That determines where you go. Columbus crash reports are available at BuyCrash.com or in person at Desk Services in the Public Safety Building lobby. You can also use the Ohio Crash Retrieval System run by the Department of Public Safety. Wait at least seven business days after the crash before you search. Some reports take up to six weeks to land in the system.

For incident reports and offense reports, the Columbus Division of Police website has an online search portal where you can look up reports by number, victim name, or location. This tool is free. It does not give you the full report, but it tells you if a report exists and gives you the info you need to request a copy. You can then submit a Public Records Request Form through the site or go to the office in person.

Ohio law does not require you to put your request in writing. You can call the records unit and ask for what you need. But a written request helps the clerk find your file faster, especially for older records or cases with common names. Include the date, location, names of people involved, and any case or report numbers you have.

Franklin County and Columbus Records

Columbus sits in Franklin County. The city handles its own police records through the Division of Police. But Franklin County plays a role too. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office keeps records for unincorporated areas around Columbus. If an incident happened just outside city limits, the Sheriff's Office is the one to call. Court records for felony cases go through the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

There is overlap between city and county records in Columbus. An arrest by Columbus police may end up in Franklin County court records once charges are filed. If you need the police report, go to the Division of Police. If you need court filings, go to the Clerk of Courts. Knowing which agency handled the case saves you time. The Franklin County Municipal Court handles misdemeanor cases and traffic violations within Columbus city limits.

Columbus Police Records Online Access

The Ohio Department of Public Safety runs the statewide crash report system that covers Columbus and all other Ohio cities. The screenshot below shows the state records portal used by agencies across Ohio.

This tool lets you search for crash reports filed by Columbus police and other agencies. You can search by date, county, or report number. For non-crash records like incident reports and arrest files, use the Columbus Division of Police search portal or contact the Public Records Unit directly.

State Resources for Columbus Police Records

Several state databases help you find Columbus police records or related data. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation runs the state's central criminal history database. BCI background checks cost $22 for a state search, $35 for FBI, and $60 for both. Results come back in three to five business days through the WebCheck system. This is useful if you need a formal background check rather than a single police report.

The Ohio eSORN registry lets you search for sex offenders in the Columbus area by name, address, or zip code. Tier 2 and Tier 3 offenders show up in the public database. Tier 1 offenders only appear if the offense involved a minor. You can sign up for email alerts when an offender moves near your address.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction offender search shows who is in state prison, on parole, or under supervision. This tool does not cover the Franklin County Jail or the Columbus city jail. For local jail data, call the Franklin County Sheriff or the Columbus Division of Police.

Body Camera Footage in Columbus

Columbus police body camera and dash camera footage is available under Ohio public records law. But there are costs. Under Ohio House Bill 315, the city can charge up to $37 per hour for reviewing and redacting video. The cap is $750 per request. The agency must give you a written cost estimate before they start work on your request. If the cost is too high, you can narrow your request or withdraw it.

Crime victims can often get footage from their own cases at no cost. Marsy's Law protections mean that victim faces and identifying details get blurred or removed before release. The Ohio Sunshine Laws Manual explains the full rules around body camera footage and what counts as a mandatory versus discretionary exemption. The 2024 edition added a whole chapter on law enforcement records, covering video, audio, and the line between what must be released and what can be held back.

Columbus Crime Data and Stats

The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services publishes crime data for Columbus and every other jurisdiction in the state. You can find Uniform Crime Reports, incident data, and trend analysis through their online tools. The data covers violent crime, property crime, drug offenses, and domestic violence calls.

Columbus also publishes its own crime statistics through the Division of Police. 911 call data is available with redactions for sensitive information. These records are useful if you want a broader picture of police activity in Columbus beyond a single report or case file.

Nearby Cities

If you need police records from cities near Columbus, these may have what you need.