How do I get a crash report from city police?

Los Angeles, how to ask. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) says a Traffic Collision Report can be requested online or by United States mail. For online requests the LAPD’s page links to a service it says is powered by LexisNexis. The LAPD says reports that involve an arrest, a fatality or a juvenile cannot be released online and must be requested by mail. The LAPD says the same about reports issued before February 1, 2016.

Los Angeles, the fee and the wait. By mail, the LAPD says to send its Traffic Collision Report Request form with a $19 check or money order payable to the LAPD, and no cash. This page has no verified fee for an online request in Los Angeles. The LAPD says to allow a minimum of 45 days from the date of the collision before trying to get the report online, so the report can be reviewed and approved for release.

Los Angeles, what to have. For a letter sent in place of the form, the LAPD asks for the type of report and your name, address, telephone number and date of birth. The LAPD also asks for the names of the people listed in the report, the date, time and place, the license plate numbers, and your interest in the report. The LAPD asks for its report number, called a DR number, if you know it.

Los Angeles, who may ask. The LAPD says these reports may be released to authorized persons such as victims, a victim’s representatives, or the people provided for in section 20012 of the Vehicle Code. The LAPD asks authorized parties and insurance companies for release forms, and parents or guardians for proof of relationship.

San Diego, how to ask. The San Diego Police Department lists four ways to get a traffic collision report: online, by phone, by mail and in person. For online requests the San Diego page links to a service it calls LexisNexis eCrash. In person, the San Diego department sends people to its Records Division at 1401 Broadway.

San Diego, the fee and the wait. The San Diego Police Department says a small fee may be charged to retrieve a report online, and its page gives no amount. By mail, the San Diego department asks for a stamped envelope addressed to yourself and a check or money order for $12 per report, payable to the City Treasurer. In person, the San Diego department says there is a $12 processing fee per report. The San Diego department says to allow three to 10 business days from the date of the accident before trying to get a copy, so the report can be submitted, processed and approved for release.

San Diego, who may ask. The San Diego Police Department says that under Vehicle Code section 20012 anyone subject to civil liability gets a copy of the accident report. The San Diego list names drivers, injured passengers, insurance companies, and employers if the driver is an employee. The San Diego department says police reports are not released to arrested individuals or suspects. This page has no verified list of what San Diego asks you to include with a request for a traffic collision report.

San Diego, when there is a report. The San Diego Police Department says it responds only to injury accidents, and to hit and run collisions where there are injuries or information that could point to who did it.

San Jose, how to ask. The San Jose Police Department says a Vehicle Accident Report can be requested online, in person or by United States mail. The San Jose Records Unit is at 201 West Mission Street. For online requests the San Jose page links to a report service at buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com. The San Jose department says reports that involve emergency vehicles, a fatality, a felony hit and run, or a juvenile who is the subject of a criminal citation cannot be released online. The San Jose department says the same about reports issued before December 31, 2017.

San Jose, the fee and the wait. By mail, the San Jose Police Department says to send its request form with a $16 check or money order payable to the City of San Jose. The San Jose department says to allow a minimum of 45 days from the date of the collision before asking online. The San Jose department says you can ask sooner, but because of the large volume of incidents your report may not be located.

San Jose, the posted fee schedule. The San Jose Police Department’s fee schedule for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 lists Vehicle Accident Reports at $16 per report.

San Jose, what to have and who may ask. For a written request the San Jose Police Department asks for your name, address, telephone number and date of birth. The San Jose department also asks for the names of the people listed in the report, the date, time and place, the license plate numbers, and your interest in the report. The San Jose department says these reports may be released to persons with a proper interest under Vehicle Code section 20012. The San Jose list names the drivers involved, the parent of a minor driver, a driver’s authorized representative, and any named person injured. The San Jose list also names the owners of damaged vehicles or property, their insurers, and an attorney who declares under penalty of perjury that he or she represents one of them.

San Francisco, how to ask. The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) says all types of its incident reports, including traffic collisions, can be requested through its online Incident Report Request Portal. The SFPD also takes requests in person at Police Headquarters, 1245 Third Street, and says reports are not available through the district stations. For an online request the SFPD says to upload a copy of a valid identification.

San Francisco, the fee and the wait. In the part of its page on asking in person, the SFPD says the cost of the report is free. The SFPD says to allow a minimum of five business days from the date of the collision before trying to get a copy, so the report can be reviewed and approved for release.

San Francisco, the request form. The SFPD’s request form says it can be mailed or sent by email. The SFPD form asks for your name and contact details, the police report number, the name of a party listed in the report, your interest in the incident, the date, time and place, and the vehicle involved. The SFPD form says to allow 10 business days from the date of your request for processing. The SFPD form also says traffic collision reports are only prepared for hit and run, drunk driving and personal injury cases. This page has no verified list from the SFPD of who may get a traffic collision report.

Sacramento, how to ask. The Sacramento Police Department says motor vehicle accident reports written by the department are available for purchase online or by mail. For online requests the Sacramento page links to a report service at buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com. The Sacramento department says some reports may not be available online. The Sacramento page lists these cases: no Sacramento officer came to the scene, the accident was on private property, there were serious injuries or a fatality, or the accident was a hit and run.

Sacramento, the fee and the wait. The Sacramento Police Department says the cost of an online report is $5. This page has no verified fee for a request by mail in Sacramento. The Sacramento department says reports are typically available five to ten days from the date of the accident, and to contact its Records Division if a report is not available after ten days.

Sacramento, what to have and who may ask. For a request by mail the Sacramento Police Department asks for the type of report, the date and location, the people involved and their addresses if known, and the vehicle license number when it applies. The Sacramento department asks for the report number if you know it, and asks an attorney for a release from an involved party. The Sacramento department says traffic reports can be released to authorized persons such as the victim, the victim’s representative, or the people provided for in section 20012 of the Vehicle Code. The Sacramento department says a report marked hit and run or fatal is released only after its Traffic Section approves or after 90 days.

Houston, how to ask. The Houston Police Department (HPD) lists three ways to get an accident report, which the HPD also calls a crash report: online, by mail, and in person at 1200 Travis Street, on the first floor. For online purchases the HPD’s page links to a report service at buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com. The HPD says the report is filled out by a Houston police officer and filed with the Texas Department of Transportation. The HPD’s page does not link to TxDOT’s own purchase system.

Houston, the fee and the wait. By mail, the HPD asks for a check or money order for $6 payable to the City of Houston, a stamped envelope addressed to yourself, and its crash report request form. The HPD says accident reports require 5 to 8 days of processing time before they are available to the public.

Houston, what to have. The HPD says you must give at least two of these to get an accident report: the date of the accident, the location of the accident, and the names of the drivers or parties involved. The HPD asks for the incident number if it is available.

Houston, the request form. The HPD’s form lists $6 for a crash report that is not certified and $8 for a certified one. The HPD form says requests should not be sent until at least 10 days after the crash date. On the HPD form the requester marks which group in Texas Transportation Code section 550.065(c)(4) he or she belongs to, such as a person involved in the crash or the owner of a damaged vehicle. The HPD form has a separate box for a person who meets none of those and asks for a redacted crash report. The HPD form carries a perjury warning above the signature.

Dallas, how to ask. The Dallas Police Department says a copy of an accident report can be requested through the mail or in person at its customer service window at 1400 Botham Jean Boulevard. The Dallas department says it cannot release information about the accident over the telephone.

Dallas, the fee and the wait. The Dallas Police Department says there is a $6 fee for the accident report, whether it is requested through the mail or picked up in person. The Dallas department says reports are usually available 5 to 7 working days after the accident.

Dallas, a certified copy. The Dallas Police Department’s Records Section says certifying an accident report costs $2.

Dallas, what to have. The Dallas Police Department says you must provide the name of a person involved in the accident, the location of the accident or the date of the accident. The Dallas department says having the Police Service Number is very helpful.

Dallas, by mail and through the state. For requests by mail, a Dallas Police Department page asks for the name of the complainant or driver, the date of the incident and date of birth, the location, the case number and the license plate number. That Dallas page asks for a check or money order payable to the City of Dallas, and no cash. The same Dallas page says you can also request a copy of your accident report at www.txdot.gov. This page has no verified statement from the Dallas Police Department on who may get the report.

San Antonio, how to ask. The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) says crash reports are also available through TxDOT’s Crash Report Online Purchase System, and the SAPD’s page links to it. The SAPD says certified and uncertified copies are available there, and that reports can take up to 14 days to appear in the system. The SAPD also takes requests itself: online through the City’s Open Government Portal, by mail, or in person at the SAPD Records Office, 315 S. Santa Rosa.

San Antonio, the fee and what to have. The SAPD’s fee table lists accident reports at $6. The SAPD asks for its case number if you know it. If you do not, the SAPD asks for two or more of these: the date of the incident, the location, the names of the people involved, and a basic description of the incident. This page has no verified wait for a request made to the SAPD itself.

San Antonio, the request form. The SAPD’s crash report request form asks how you are connected to the crash, so the SAPD can decide whether you are entitled to a full report under Texas Transportation Code section 550.065(c)(4). The SAPD form says people not listed there may only receive a crash report with redactions. The SAPD form says to be prepared to show a valid government identification card, a driver’s license or other documentation. The SAPD form is signed under penalty of perjury.

Austin, how to ask. The City of Austin says crash reports for the Austin Police Department’s jurisdiction can be purchased online with LexisNexis Police Reports, and the Austin page links to that service. This page has no verified fee, wait, or list of who may ask or what to have ready for Austin. This page also has no verified way to ask the Austin Police Department by mail or in person.

Fort Worth, how to ask. The Fort Worth Police Department says that, effective December 15, 2024, people should use TxDOT’s online purchase system to request an accident report. The Fort Worth page links to that system. The Fort Worth department says it can take up to 14 days from the date of the crash for the crash to appear in the search results. If the report cannot be found there after 14 days, the Fort Worth department says to call its Police Records unit.

Fort Worth, the fee. The Fort Worth Police Department’s questions page says accident reports can be bought through that state system for $6, and that a certified copy costs $2 more. The same Fort Worth page, which shows no date, says the department’s Records section at 1000 Calvert Street provides accident reports in person at $6 per report. This page has no verified statement from Fort Worth on who may get the report.

Seattle, where to ask. The Seattle Police Department says the Washington State Patrol is the custodian of all collision reports within the State of Washington. The Seattle department says you can request a copy of any collision report through the State Patrol’s website.

Seattle, asking the city. The Seattle Police Department’s Public Request Unit also takes requests for collision reports by mail and in person at the front counter of Seattle Police Headquarters, 610 5th Avenue. The Seattle department says collision reports can be requested at any time, are not available online, and are not redacted. The Seattle page lists email and fax too, but another part of the same Seattle page says report requests sent by email are not processed after April 4, 2022.

Seattle, the wait and what to have. The Seattle Police Department says reports take approximately 5 to 7 business days from the date of the incident to become available for release. The Seattle department says all report requests require a state issued ID, a passport, student ID verification, company letterhead, or a letter of representation if you are a third party. This page has no verified fee for a collision report from the Seattle Police Department.

Spokane, where to ask. The Spokane Police Department says that to request a collision report you should visit the Washington State Patrol’s system, called WRECR. The Spokane department says the system lets you search for a collision report from a computer with internet access and an email account.

Spokane, asking the city. The Spokane Police Department’s own Police Reports page takes requests for police reports for incidents within Spokane city limits, online or in person at Spokane Police Records, 1100 West Mallon Avenue. That Spokane page says some reports may require photo ID and that public records fees apply. That Spokane page does not say whether a collision report can be requested that way, and this page has no verified fee or wait from Spokane for one.

Tacoma, where to ask. The City of Tacoma lists collision reports among commonly requested records that the City does not hold, and says to visit the Washington State Patrol. The City of Tacoma calls the State Patrol the central repository for all Police Traffic Collision Reports. The City of Tacoma says those reports may be requested from the State Patrol’s site regardless of where the collision occurred.

Tacoma, the police department’s page. The Tacoma Police Department’s services page links to the State Patrol for a vehicle collision report. For a Tacoma police report, the same Tacoma page links to South Sound 911. This page has no verified fee or wait from the City of Tacoma itself for a collision report.