Please Note: The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only. It is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by The Fair Credit Reporting Act and should not be used to determine an individual's eligibility for personal credit or employment, or to assess risk associated with any business transactions such as tenant screening.

While the information obtained during an investigation is not public, the reports of accidents and incidents including offenses are. You can access these police records as a member of the public whenever needed. You will not need any special permission from the police or any other government agency. Find out how you can get copies of the reports which are of interest to you.
Obtaining General Information
Whether you are doing research based on police records or need get more details on an accident involving a family member, you will have to make a request to receive a copy of the police report in question. You can do this either by visiting the local police department or one of their command units or by sending your request over the mail. Usually, you cannot make a request by fax or email or by filling out and submitting an online form. This means that you will need to devote some time to getting the job done.
You should note that obtaining a copy of a report within the police records is not free. You will have to pay a small fee, which is higher in case the copy has to be certified. In most cases, the charge is per page. One of the key thing when it comes to the payment is that you must not send cash via mail. You will be given clear instructions on how to pay cash, if you prefer this payment option.
When you want a copy of a specific report, you need to provide as much detail as possible to ensure the highest degree of accuracy and to minimize the time necessary for the search. The two most important details are the date and location of the accident or incident. If you have the name of at least one person involved, this will speed up the search process even further. The same also applies if you have the case number.
Running a Background Check
You can check what information about you or another person is present in the police records. For this, you will need to submit a request in the same way as you would if you were searching for general information. When the check is on another person, however, you must have their permission in writing. The records unit of the police department will compile all the details which they have available and send them over to you.
If you are an employer, a landlord or another private or legal person allowed to perform background checks, you may be able to hire a specialized service to check the police records on your behalf.