The police report after a car accident: what it says and how to get a copy

What a crash report contains#

Every state has its own crash report form, but most cover the same ground. NHTSA publishes a voluntary national guideline, the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria, that states use to decide what their forms should collect. Florida's law is a good example of the minimum: a long-form report must include the date, time and place; the vehicles; the names and addresses of drivers, passengers and witnesses; the officer's name, badge number and agency; and each party's insurance company.

In practice, a report usually also shows:

• road, weather and light conditions, and any traffic signals or signs;
• where each vehicle was hit, and how badly it was damaged;
• injuries, often coded by how serious they looked, and whether anyone left by ambulance;
• a diagram of the crash and a short written account, called the narrative;
• factors the officer thought contributed, and any tickets written.

Most of this is factual. The narrative and the contributing factors are the officer's opinion, based on what drivers and witnesses said and what was visible at the scene. That difference matters if you ask for a correction.

When police come and when you file your own report#

Whether an officer comes, and who must file a report, depends on the state and on how serious the crash was.

Texas

Texas drivers must call the police right away when a crash injures or kills someone or leaves a car that cannot be safely driven. An officer who investigates must write a report when there is an injury, a death or damage of $1,000 or more. If no officer came, keep your own notes and photos, because TxDOT no longer keeps drivers' own crash reports (Form CR-2). Our Texas guide covers the other duties after a crash.

California

California makes drivers report to the DMV, not just the police. The SR-1 form is due within 10 days when anyone is hurt or killed or property damage is over $1,000, whoever was at fault. The form itself warns that a report filed with the police, the CHP or an insurance company does not count as the SR-1. If it is filed late, the DMV may suspend the driver's license.

Florida

A Florida officer must complete a long-form report for a death or injury (including complaints of pain), leaving the scene, impaired driving, a vehicle that had to be towed away, or a commercial vehicle, and submit it within 10 days after finishing the investigation. For other crashes, the officer completes a short form or gives drivers an exchange-of-information form. If property was damaged and no police report was required, each driver must send the state a written report within 10 days.

New York

New York drivers file a Report of Motor Vehicle Crash, form MV-104, with the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed or one person's property damage was over $1,000. The police must be told right away if someone is hurt or killed. A police report and the driver's MV-104 are separate duties.

How to get a copy of your police report#

The steps are similar almost everywhere, even though each agency runs its own system.

1. Find the agency and report number. The officer usually gives you a card or slip with both. City police, sheriffs and the highway patrol each keep their own reports.
2. Give it time to be filed. TxDOT explains the Texas timing this way: Officers must submit the report within 10 days of the crash; once TxDOT receives it, processing may take up to 4 business days before it can be bought online. In Florida, reports may take up to 10 days to become available.
3. Use the right portal or office. Texas sells officers' reports (form CR-3) through TxDOT's online system, Florida through the Florida Crash Portal, New York through the DMV's online service, and the California Highway Patrol through its crash portal or a CHP 190 request form. Local police departments may use their own systems.
4. Show you are entitled to it. Crash reports carry personal details, so access is limited at first. Florida keeps reports confidential for 60 days except for the people involved, their lawyers, their insurers and a few others, who must show ID and sign a sworn statement. Texas sells full copies to people directly concerned, such as drivers, owners and insurers; others get a redacted copy.
5. Decide whether you need a certified copy. A certified copy is meant for official uses such as court. In Texas it costs $8 instead of $6.
6. Read it at once and file it. Check every name, plate, insurer and policy number, and keep a copy in your claim file.

What it costs in four states#

Fees are set by each state or agency and can change, so check the price before you pay.

For a crash handled by a city police department or a sheriff, ask that agency.

Reading the report and fixing mistakes#

Reports are written quickly, often at the roadside, and mistakes happen. Check two things: is every fact right, and does the narrative match what you remember?

Factual errors are the easiest to fix: a misspelled name, a wrong plate or policy number, the wrong insurer, a street name or a missing witness. The officer's opinion about fault is much harder to change, and whether to change anything is up to the agency.

Only the agency that wrote the report can change it. Michigan's state police, for example, tell drivers that changes must be taken up with the reporting agency, and that it is up to that agency whether to make one. Maine's state police say the investigating officer is the only person who can change a report.

To ask for a correction, many people:

• contact the agency's records unit and give the report number;
• explain the error in writing, briefly and without arguing about fault;
• attach proof, such as a photo of the insurance card, the registration or a photo of the scene;
• ask whether the officer can file a supplemental report or attach a statement.

If the agency will not change the report, the claim can still go forward with your own written account, photos and witness details.

How adjusters and lawyers use the report#

An adjuster uses the report first as a contact sheet: names, addresses, vehicles, insurers and policy numbers. Then it becomes early evidence on fault. The diagram, the narrative, any tickets and the witness list all shape the adjuster's first view of who caused the crash and whether you share some of the blame under your state's fault ruleComparative negligence. A rule that splits blame between the people involved and cuts your recovery by your own share of fault. Glossary.

The report is not the last word. Maine's state police put it plainly: the insurance company determines fault, and the officer's job is to record the factors that contributed to the crash. Adjusters also weigh photos, vehicle damage, statements and medical records. Our guide to working with the insurance adjuster explains what happens next, and the claim process overview shows where the report fits among the other steps.

Lawyers use it to find witnesses, identify every insurer that may owe coverage, and spot a government or commercial vehicle, which can bring shorter notice deadlines. The report number also goes into the demand letter if the claim gets that far.