ODPS Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles Traffic Crashes - Frequently Asked Questions

Show all answers  |  Hide all answers

Note: To print all questions and answers in their entirety, please click "Show all answers" before printing.

I was involved in a traffic crash. Can the BMV provide me with a copy of the report?

To obtain a copy of the actual traffic crash report, you will need to contact the investigating police agency.

I was involved in a traffic crash that was not my fault, and it is now listed on my drivers license as an "at fault accident" — why is that?

Ohio Revised Code states that all traffic accidents must be listed on a driving record. However, it does not state "at fault" on the driving record. About the only way to determine if a person is at fault is to also view the convictions, i.e., failure to yield, assured clear distance, etc. If there is a conviction with the same offense date as the traffic crash, generally that person was at fault as they were cited.

I was involved in a one-car accident with only damage to my vehicle. Although a police report was filed I didn't turn in a claim to my insurance company. Why is the accident showing up on my driving record?

Ohio Revised Code states that all traffic crashes must be listed on your driving record. Filing or not filing a claim with your insurance company makes no difference.

My insurance company is telling me that I have "points" on my driver license because of an accident I was involved in.

Ohio does not assess points on driving records simply because you were involved in a traffic crash. The only way the state will place points on your driver license is when you receive a traffic citation and are convicted of that violation.

An error was made on an accident report, incorrectly listing me as the driver in the accident. Due to the error, the accident is showing up on my driving record and is affecting my insurance rates. How do I get this corrected?

If the error was made by the investigating police agency, you will need to contact them. The investigating agency will need to file a crash report supplement (correction or modification to the original crash report). Once the BMV receives the supplement, the correction can be made on your driving record.

I rear-ended a vehicle that was stopped at a traffic signal. A few moments later, a third vehicle struck my vehicle in the rear. Why is the state listing it on my driving record as two separate traffic crashes?

When the investigating officer determines that time had elapsed between the time you struck the stopped vehicle and the third vehicle struck you, the crash scene had stabilized so it must be classified as two separate crashes.

I was driving down the road when the engine compartment of my vehicle caught fire. Why is this incident now listed on my driving record as an accident?

A fire involving a vehicle in transport (vehicle in motion on the roadway) by definition is classified as a motor vehicle accident.