First, which kind of report is it?
People say police report for two different documents, and departments file them apart. A crash report, also called an accident or collision report, records a traffic collision. An incident or offense report records a theft, an assault, a break in or any other event an officer wrote up. Before you search for anything, decide which one you need, because the same department often releases them through different doors.
| Department | Crash reports | Other police reports |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus Division of Police, Ohio | Sent to the Ohio Department of Public Safety. The city's own site says copies are not available through it | Offense reports come from the division's Public Records Unit |
| Metropolitan Police, District of Columbia | Form PD-10, usually no charge to the people involved | Form PD-251, the incident or offense report, with fees waived for now |
| San Antonio Police, Texas | A request form named Police Crash Reports, or the state's TxDOT system | A second form named Other Police Records |
| Dallas Police, Texas | Listed as Accident (CR-3) reports | Offense and incident reports. Some kinds are kept off the online system |
| Vermont State Police | Supplied by the Vermont DMV, 30 days after the collision | A police report from the State Police costs $20.00 |
The rest of this guide follows the crash report, because that is the one with a set place in every state. For an incident or offense report the method is the same up to the second step. After that you are dealing with the department's own records unit and your state's public records law.
The three places a report can be online
A report can be online in one of three places. Knowing which one applies saves most of the wasted searching.
The agency's own website
Some agencies sell their own reports. The Illinois State Police take orders on their own site for crashes their troopers worked, and the Pennsylvania State Police run their own Crash Reports Unit. City departments often work through a public records portal. San Antonio uses the city's Open Government Portal and Dallas uses the City of Dallas Open Records Portal.
A state office
In some states one office holds every agency's crash reports. Texas has TxDOT. New York and Virginia have the DMV. Idaho has its Transportation Department. Ohio's Department of Public Safety runs a statewide crash search. Where a state office exists, one search covers a city officer, a deputy and a trooper alike.
An outside portal
Some agencies post their reports on a private website and link to it. The Indiana State Police name BuyCrash. The Nevada Highway Patrol names Crashdocs. Austin police name LexisNexis Police Reports. Mississippi's Department of Public Safety names reportbeam.com. The portal is not the police, but it is where the agency has put the report.
You do not have to guess which of the three you are dealing with. The agency's own page says so. The state finder on the home page lists the official starting point for each state we have checked.
The method, step by step
- Name the agency that wrote the reportIt is the agency whose officer came to the scene. If you were given a slip, a card or an exchange form, the agency's name is on it. If not, think about where it happened and who arrived: city police, a sheriff's deputy or a state trooper.
- Open that agency's official page about reportsSearch for the agency's name with the words crash report or records. Use the agency's own site, not an advert above it. The page will send you to one of the three places above.
- Gather what its search asks forThe table in the next section shows how much this differs. Have the date, a last name and any number the officer gave you in front of you before you start.
- Run the search and check the matchLook at the date, the place and the agency before you pay. A common name can match several crashes on the same day.
- Choose the copySome sites offer a certified copy for more money, and some offer a version with personal details removed. Pick the one the person asking for it will accept.
- Pay, download and save the fileDownload windows are short. Texas keeps a purchased report available for 10 days, New York for 7 calendar days, and Ohio's Highway Patrol for up to 72 hours. Save the file to your own device the moment it opens.
What the online searches ask for
This is where most people get stuck. One site wants a number you were never given, and another needs only a name. These are the fields each official search lists.
| System | You must enter | Works without a report number? |
|---|---|---|
| Texas, TxDOT | The first and last name of a person involved | Yes |
| New York DMV | A plate number of one of the vehicles, or a driver license number, or a name and date of birth of a person involved | Yes |
| Ohio Department of Public Safety | A crash number or a document number. Or, under Advanced Options, a start date, an end date and a county | Yes, through Advanced Options |
| Washington State Patrol | The name of an involved party and the date of the collision | Yes |
| Nevada Highway Patrol, on Crashdocs | The crash number, the last name of an involved party and the date. The number must be NHP followed by digits | No |
| San Antonio Police | The SAPD case number if known. Otherwise two or more of: date, location, names of the people involved, a short description | Yes |
Ohio's search has one more useful feature. If several reports belong to the same event, you can enter up to 10 document numbers at once, separated by semicolons.
What you will pay online
The copy has a price and the website often has its own. In the states we have checked the copy runs from nothing to $25. On top of that:
- Illinois adds a service fee of 2.35% with a $1.00 minimum for a credit card.
- Ohio's Highway Patrol adds 1.95% with a $1.75 minimum for a card, Google Pay or PayPal.
- Texas adds a Texas.gov processing fee to card payments on its $6 and $8 copies.
- New York charges a $7.00 search fee and a $15.00 report fee for each report.
- Connecticut warns that convenience fees collected by its outside vendor do not go to the state.
Columbus police show the other side of this. A paper copy from them costs $.05 a page, and an electronic copy is free of charge. The guide How much does a police report cost has the full list.
What online does not always mean
You usually cannot read before you buy
TxDOT states that crash reports are not available for online viewing by the general public, because of their confidential nature. You see enough to pick the right crash, and the report itself opens only after payment.
A free copy may not be the official one
Connecticut gives the people in a crash a free Accident Information Summary online, and says in the same breath that it is for information only and is not the official accident report. Ohio draws the same line. Its state search is described as unofficial crash reports as reported to the department, while the Highway Patrol sells what it calls official reports. If an insurer or a court asked for the report, ask them which version they accept.
Some reports are not online at all
Dallas police say plainly that not all reports are available online. They keep several kinds of incident off the online system, among them cases involving juveniles and cases with sensitive victim information, and a formal public information request may be needed for those. North Carolina does not let individuals order a crash report online. A person involved in a crash there orders a redacted copy in person or by mail.
Online is not always instant
The Illinois State Police note that a report cannot be emailed or mailed until it has been approved, so an online order may take 10 or more business days.
How soon a report is online
Do not search the next morning. Most agencies that publish a wait put it between 7 and 15 days. Texas says a report can take up to 14 days from the crash to appear. New York says at least 14 days for a report the police filed electronically and at least 30 days for one filed on paper. Washington State Patrol explains why: its officers have 2 to 4 weeks to complete the investigation and have the report approved by a supervisor.
If the stated time has passed and the search still finds nothing, the agency that investigated is the one to ask. The guide How long does a police report take sets out the waits state by state.
The bottom line
- Work out which agency investigated before anything else.
- Crash reports and other police reports are released through different doors.
- Follow the link on the agency's own page to reach the right site.
- Most official searches work without the report number.
- Save the file the moment it opens. Download windows run from 72 hours in Ohio to 10 days in Texas.
Questions about getting a police report online
Can I look up a police report online for free?
Sometimes. Ohio's state crash search has no cost for the copy, and the District of Columbia usually charges the people involved nothing for a crash report. Columbus police say electronic copies of their offense and accident reports are free of charge. Most other agencies charge a fee.
How do I find a police report without the report number?
Use the details the agency's search accepts instead. Texas searches on a first and last name. New York accepts a plate number, a driver license number, or a name and date of birth. Ohio accepts a date range and a county. If the search insists on a number, the agency's records unit can look it up from the date and place.
How long after an incident is a police report available online?
For crash reports, most agencies that publish a wait say between 7 and 15 days. Texas says up to 14 days and Pennsylvania 15. Paper reports are slower. New York says at least 30 days for a paper report against 14 for one filed electronically.
Is a police report the same as an accident report?
An accident report, also called a crash report, is one kind of police report. Departments usually file it separately from incident and offense reports and often release it through a different website. Check which kind you need before you search.
Can anyone get a police report online?
It depends on the state and the kind of report. Idaho says crash reports are available to the general public. Texas and Washington sell people outside the crash a copy with personal details removed. North Carolina does not let individuals order a crash report online at all.
Why does the police website send me to another site?
Because the department has chosen a state office or an outside portal to hold its reports. The Indiana State Police send people to BuyCrash, the Nevada Highway Patrol to Crashdocs, and Columbus police to Ohio's state site. Following the link on the agency's own page is the way to reach the right one.
What if the online search says no record found?
Wait for the period the agency states, then ask the agency that investigated. Washington State Patrol explains that officers have 2 to 4 weeks to finish a report and have it approved. In Texas, a search that finds nothing offers a Certified Letter of No Crash Record at no charge.
How long do I have to download a report after I pay?
Not long, so save the file at once. Texas keeps the download open for 10 days. New York gives 7 calendar days. Ohio's Highway Patrol gives up to 72 hours.