How to get a car accident police report, state by state
Where to request a police crash report in each state, what it costs, how long it takes, and when you must report a crash yourself. Sourced from state statutes and official portals.
51 states verified so far. More are added only after an independent fact-check.
| State | Must you report? | Cost | Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Injury or death: call police now | $15 from ALEA; local fees vary | Up to 15 business days online |
| Alaska | Injury/death/$2,000+: notify police now | DMV $10; DPS usually free; local varies | No set release time; ask the agency |
| Arizona | Injury or death: notify police at once | DPS $9.00; local agencies vary | Varies; DPS auto-release often 48 hours |
| Arkansas | Injury, death or $3,000+: call police | ASP $10 if involved, $25 others | ASP portal: most in 10 business days |
| California | Injury or over $1,000: SR-1 in 10 days | $10 per 25 pages at CHP; local varies | Varies by agency; LAPD 45 days |
| Colorado | Call police now: injury or any damage | CSP $5 up to 10 pages; local varies | CSP: up to 10 working days |
| Connecticut | Stop, give ID; police if you cannot | CSP $16 ($17 certified); local varies | CSP: may be online in 30 business days |
| Delaware | Injury/impaired/$2,000+ highway: police | DSP $25 ($60 fatal); local fees vary | No statewide time set; ask the agency |
| District of Columbia | Injury: 911, stay; damage: give your ID | Free to parties; $3 for others | No law sets a time; mail: allow 6 weeks |
| Florida | Injury or $2,000+ damage: call police | $10 per report from FLHSMV | Up to 10 days to reach the portal |
| Georgia | Injury or $500 damage: call police | $5 at GDOT and GSP; local varies | Sent to GDOT within 14 days |
| Hawaii | Injury, death, $3,000+: call police now | Set by each county; Oahu from $0.50 | Varies by county; often 10 business days |
| Idaho | Injury, death or one owner over $1,500 | ITD: $7.00 plus fee; others vary | Online at ITD in a few weeks, or longer |
| Illinois | Injury or over $1,500: notify police | $5, or $20 reconstruction | Filed in 10 days; ISP 10+ business days |
| Indiana | Injury or death: call police right away | Set by agency; at least $5 by law | 24 hrs after investigation ends |
| Iowa | Injury or death: notify police at once | $4 at DOT or State Patrol; local varies | Officer files within 24h of finishing |
| Kansas | No officer? Injury, death, $1,000+: call | Set by each agency; KHP lists $5.00 | KHP: allow 30 business days |
| Kentucky | Injury, death or disabled car: call 911 | KSP $5 paper, $10 online; locals vary | Agency files with KSP within 10 days |
| Louisiana | Injury, death or over $500: call police | Max $5 up to 2 pages, $20 longer | LSP: 10 to 15 or more business days |
| Maine | Injury/death/$2,000+: tell police now | $10 online; local fees vary | Officer files within 5 days |
| Maryland | Stop, aid, exchange info; no $ threshold | State Police $4; local varies | State Police: wait 10 days or more |
| Massachusetts | Stop, ID yourself, clear the lane | RMV $20; local varies | Wait 4 weeks, then 4 weeks at RMV |
| Michigan | Injury or $1,000+: report to police now | $15.00 on TCPS; FOIA copies vary | Usually 3 to 30 days, set by the agency |
| Minnesota | Injury or death: call police at once | $5 from DVS; local agencies vary | About 3 weeks after the crash |
| Mississippi | Injury, death or $500+: call police now | Varies by agency; no fee set by statute | Officer report due within 6 days |
| Missouri | Stop and give your details at the scene | Patrol $6.00; local agencies vary | Patrol: wait 10 days; expect a backlog |
| Montana | Injury, death or $1,000+: call police | MHP $2.00; local fees vary by agency | Officer: 10 days after investigation |
| Nebraska | Stop, give your info, help the injured | NDOT $13 + tax; local fees vary | Officer files with NDOT within 10 days |
| Nevada | No officer, injury/highway: tell police | NHP $10; local agencies set own fee | NHP: 7 to 14 days after the crash |
| New Hampshire | Stop and give your info at the scene | DMV $1/page, $5 min; local fees vary | Police file within 5 days of finishing |
| New Jersey | Injury or over $500: call police now | NJSP $13; local $0.05 a page plus $5 | Officer files in 5 days; then varies |
| New Mexico | Injury, death or $500+: call police now | DPS: free via GovQA; others vary | Officer files 24h after investigation |
| New York | Injury or over $1,000: DMV in 10 days | $15 a report plus $7 to $10 search | 14 to 30 days for police reports at DMV |
| North Carolina | Injury or $1,000+: notify police now | $6.50 certified (NCDMV); local varies | SHP online 5 to 7 days; DMV mail 10 |
| North Dakota | Injury/death/$4,000+: tell police now | NDDOT $7; local records fees vary | Officer files within 10 days |
| Ohio | Stop and exchange info; no 911 rule | Free online; $4 official (OSHP) | OSHP 7 business days; ODPS up to 6 wks |
| Oklahoma | Injury or death: notify police at once | $7 Service Oklahoma; $10 certified | Filed with DPS within 30 days |
| Oregon | Injury/over $2,500: police now, DMV 72h | $8.50 from DMV; local fees vary | Police file with DMV within 10 days |
| Pennsylvania | Injury or tow: call police immediately | $22 PSP; local up to $15 ($25 Phila.) | PSP: 15 days; Philadelphia: 2 to 3 weeks |
| Rhode Island | Police at once: injury, car or fixture | RISP $15 by mail; local fees vary | RISP: most in 72 hours; local varies |
| South Carolina | Injury or death: call police at once | SCDMV $10; local agencies vary | After SCDMV processes it; no set date |
| South Dakota | Hurt/killed, $1,000/owner, $2,000 total | State $4 search fee; $10 total online | Officer: 3 days after investigation |
| Tennessee | Call police at once; $1,500+: 20 days | $10 online; $4 THP; local fees vary | About 7 days after the crash |
| Texas | Injury or undrivable car: call police | $6, or $8 certified, set by statute | Filed within 10 days; online in up to 14 |
| Utah | Injury, death or $2,500+: call police | Set by agency; DPS posts no price | Written request: 10 business days |
| Vermont | Injury/others’ damage: stop, aid, ID | DMV $22 police, $15 driver; local varies | Filed within 30 days of investigation |
| Virginia | Injury: call police now; always stop | $8 at DMV; local reports vary | Officer files in 24 hours; DMV mails |
| Washington | Injury or $1,000+: report within 4 days | $10.50 from WSP; local copies vary | Up to 2 to 4 weeks; kept 10 years |
| West Virginia | Injury/death/$1,000+: notify police now | WVSP $20; local fees vary | Officer files 24h after investigation |
| Wisconsin | Injury, or $1,000+: call police now | $6 from WisDOT; local fees vary | 10 business days or more; kept 4 yrs |
| Wyoming | Injury, death or disabled car: police | WYDOT $3.00 (+$2.50 card); local vary | Officer: 10 days after investigating |
Need video of your crash?
Post a free footage request. We publish it without your contact details and put it in front of drivers who were there.
Post a footage request