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Start with the Pasadena Police collision-report link
On the Pasadena Police website, select the traffic collision report link, which opens CrashDocs. Begin on the city website so you reach the service the department identifies.
Have the report number, collision date, involved person's name, and location ready. Follow the current portal requirements and check the agency selection carefully. Save any confirmation or receipt. If your search finds no match, recheck the details and contact Records before assuming no report exists.
Contact Records before making a trip
The department's Support Services page lists the Records front counter at (626) 744-4565. Published counter hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Ask whether the report has been approved for release, what identification or authorization is needed, and whether the counter or another method is appropriate. Confirm current hours and fees before traveling. Records can also clarify whether you are requesting a collision report, a supplement, or a different kind of record.
Ask about mail requests and separate attachments
Pasadena's Records information sheet describes in-person and mail options for eligible police reports. For a written request, it calls for your relationship to the case, contact details, and the incident's type, date, and location. Check with Records for current submission and payment instructions before mailing personal documents or money.
The same sheet treats photographs and audio or video recordings as separate written requests. A report copy therefore should not be assumed to include every image or recording associated with an investigation. Identify the additional material you want and ask about availability, release restrictions, and charges.
Explain your eligibility without oversharing
Collision reports contain personal information. California Vehicle Code section 20012 describes access for people with a proper interest, including involved drivers, named injured people, owners of damaged property, and certain representatives.
State your connection accurately and use the agency's designated channel for any requested identification. A public-records request does not eliminate the rules governing disclosure of a particular record. Do not post a complete collision report in a public forum to get help locating it.
If Pasadena City College Police investigated
Check the agency name on your paperwork. The PCC Police report page provides its own Application for Release of Information, available online or at the campus police counter. It is a request for a copy of an existing report.
PCC says it will contact applicants about release eligibility and that eligible copies are typically available within ten business days. It requires specified photo identification and payment when receiving the copy. Follow the college's current instructions rather than Pasadena Police's municipal process. The college's estimate should not be applied to city police reports.
Keep a short request log
Record the agency, submission date, reference number, payment, and any follow-up instructions in one place. That makes it easier to explain what has already been requested if you later speak with an insurer or lawyer.
Preserve the downloaded report and attachments together. List apparent errors in a separate note with the relevant page number, then ask the investigating agency how it accepts corrections or supplemental information.
Common questions
Does a public-records request guarantee delivery within ten days?
No. Pasadena's public-records guidance explains that the initial ten-day period concerns the agency's determination about disclosure, not a guaranteed production deadline. Ask Records about the status and process for your specific request.
Should I use the city police portal for a PCC Police report?
Use the process of the agency that created the report. PCC Police publishes a separate application and release procedure for its own records. Check your incident paperwork if you are unsure which department investigated.
Sources and further reading
Published by Aghabegian Law Group, P.C. This information is general education, not legal advice for your circumstances. Laws, agency procedures, and insurance terms can change. Contacting the firm does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.