| Where to request | BuyCrash online, the Central Records Unit in person, or the Online Open Records Request Form |
|---|---|
| Fee | Open records: copies may cost $0.10 a page and discs or tapes $1.00 each, and a research fee may apply. BuyCrash and counter prices are not published on APD's pages |
| How long until it is available | Not published. The Open Records Unit replies within 3 business days with an estimated time of completion |
| What you need | Case numbers if you have them, the incident date or a date range, the time, the location and the type of call |
| Who may request | Not published on APD's pages |
| In person | Central Records Unit, Atlanta Public Safety Annex, 3493 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy NW, Atlanta, GA 30331. Monday through Friday from 8:30 am |
| Phone | Central Records (404) 546-7461. Open Records Unit (404) 546-7448 |
| How payment is taken | Open records: no payment up front. You receive an invoice |
| How the report arrives | Open records: by email to the address you give, unless you ask for another way |
Three ways to get the report
The Atlanta Police Department, APD, keeps its reports in one place. Its Central Records Unit is, in the department's words, "the main repository for all reports created by Atlanta Police Officers." From there, a crash report reaches you in one of three ways.
| Way | Where | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Online, BuyCrash | The website APD names for accident reports | Price not published on APD's pages |
| In person, Central Records | Atlanta Public Safety Annex, 3493 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy NW | Monday through Friday from 8:30 am. Call (404) 546-7461 about the closing time |
| Online, open records request | The Open Records Unit's online form | Reply within 3 business days with an estimate. An invoice, no payment up front |
BuyCrash suits a reader who only wants the report. The open records form also covers other records from the same crash, such as a 911 recording or video, in one request.
Central Records at the Public Safety Annex
| Address | Atlanta Public Safety Annex, 3493 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy NW, Atlanta, GA 30331 |
|---|---|
| Days | Monday through Friday |
| Hours | 8:30 am to 3:30 pm on the Central Records Unit page. 8:30am to 2:30pm on the department's FAQ page |
| Phone | (404) 546-7461 |
The FAQ page says that "all reports produced by the Atlanta Police Department can be picked up at Central Records," and the Central Records page adds that you "may also purchase accident reports online at www.buycrash.com."
The two closing times come from two pages of the same department, and we cannot tell which one is current. If you plan to arrive after 2:30, call Central Records first.
Two buildings, two offices
Central Records is at the Public Safety Annex on Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy. The Open Records Unit is at Public Safety Headquarters, 226 Peachtree St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, where the police information line is (404) 614-6544. To pick up a report in person, go to the Annex.
Asking the Open Records Unit online
APD's Online Open Records Request Form is part of the department's process under the Georgia Open Records Act. Accident Report(s) is one of the document types you can tick, so a crash report can be asked for in writing without going to the counter.
- Give your contact detailsFirst and last name, company if any, address, phone, fax and email address.
- Tick Accident Report(s)Add any other records you want from the same crash at the same time.
- Describe the crashCase numbers if you have them, the date or a date range, the time, the location and the type of call.
- Wait for the replyThe unit says it will respond within 3 business days with the estimated time of completion and the estimated cost.
- Pay the invoiceDo not send money with the request. The form says you will receive an invoice.
Documents are emailed to the contact address you give, unless you ask for them another way, and the unit contacts you when your information is ready. To get a copy of what you submitted, enter your email address at the bottom of the form.
If three business days pass with no answer, APD asks you to call the Open Records Unit at (404) 546-7448. Its fax number is (404) 653-7987.
What the form asks about the crash
The third part of the form, Detailed Information, is how the unit finds your report. Fill in what you can.
| Field | For a crash report |
|---|---|
| Case Number(s) | The number on the paper the officer gave you, if you have one |
| Incident Date/Date Range | The day of the crash, or a range if you are unsure |
| Type of Call | A traffic crash |
| Time (AM/PM) | The approximate time |
| Location of Incident | The street, intersection or highway |
| Phone number call was made from | Useful when you also ask for the 911 recording |
| Court case pending? | Answer as it applies to you |
| Additional Information | Names of the drivers and anything else that identifies the crash |
What it costs
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Copies | $0.10 per page |
| Disc or tape | $1.00 each |
| Research | A fee may apply, no higher than the hourly rate of the lowest paid full time employee able to do the research |
| Report on BuyCrash | Not published on APD's pages |
| Report at the Central Records counter | Not published on APD's pages |
APD cites O.C.G.A. 50-18-71 for the research fee. Because the unit sends an estimated cost within 3 business days and bills you by invoice, you see the expected charge before you pay.
Other records from the same crash
A crash report is often only part of the story. On the same form you can tick other records APD keeps, and the ones that matter most after a crash are these:
- 911 Recording, with the phone number the call was made from to help find it
- CAD Report and the Calls for Service List
- Photographs
- Bodycam video
- Traffic Camera Video
The $1.00 charge is per disc or tape used, so it may apply when recordings or video come on a disc rather than by email.
Buying online through BuyCrash
APD sends people who want to buy an accident report online to BuyCrash, and the Georgia Department of Transportation says the same for police crash reports in Georgia. BuyCrash is run by LexisNexis Risk Solutions. A report bought there can be opened again within 30 days with the email address and the order number.
If you cannot find your report, GDOT's page gives BuyCrash customer support at 1-866-215-2771. The Georgia page has more on BuyCrash and GDOT's mailed request form.
If an Atlanta officer did not work the crash
A crash inside Atlanta may have been worked by the Georgia State Patrol instead. That report is the State Patrol's, released by the Department of Public Safety through its EPORTS portal for $5.00. See the State Patrol page.
Atlanta's FAQ also answers drivers who left the scene before a report was made. For reporting an accident after you have left, it links to an accident report form on the Georgia Department of Driver Services website, dds.ga.gov.
When it goes wrong
No reply after three business days
Call the Open Records Unit at (404) 546-7448, as APD asks.
Central Records was closed when you arrived
The department's pages give 3:30 pm and 2:30pm as closing times. Call (404) 546-7461 before you go.
You went to headquarters
Headquarters at 226 Peachtree St SW houses the Open Records Unit, not the pickup counter. Reports are picked up at the Public Safety Annex.
You have no case number
The form takes a date range, the time, the location and the type of call instead. Give all of them.
Questions about Atlanta police crash reports
How do I get an Atlanta police accident report?
Three ways. Buy it online through BuyCrash, which Atlanta police name on their own pages; pick it up at the Central Records Unit in the Atlanta Public Safety Annex; or request it on the Open Records Unit's online form, where Accident Report(s) is one of the choices.
How much is an Atlanta police accident report?
Through the Open Records Unit, copies may cost $0.10 a page and discs or tapes $1.00 each, and a research fee may be added under O.C.G.A. 50-18-71. Atlanta police do not publish the counter price or the BuyCrash price on their pages.
Where is Atlanta police Central Records?
In the Atlanta Public Safety Annex, 3493 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy NW, Atlanta, GA 30331. Reports are picked up Monday through Friday from 8:30 am, and the phone number is (404) 546-7461.
What time does Atlanta police Central Records close?
Atlanta police give two answers. The Central Records Unit page says 3:30 pm and the department's FAQ page says 2:30pm. Call (404) 546-7461 before a late visit.
How long does an Atlanta open records request take?
The Open Records Unit says it will respond within 3 business days with the estimated time of completion and the estimated cost. If you hear nothing in that time, call (404) 546-7448.
Do I pay before Atlanta police send the report?
No. The open records form says in capitals not to submit payment up front, because you will receive an invoice.
Can I get Atlanta police bodycam or 911 recordings of a crash?
Yes, by open records request. The online open records form lists 911 recordings, bodycam video, traffic camera video, photographs and CAD reports among the records you can request, next to accident reports.
What if a Georgia State Patrol trooper worked the crash in Atlanta?
Then the report is the State Patrol's. The Georgia Department of Public Safety releases it through its EPORTS portal for $5.00 a report.