Many collision reports can be requested online, but there is no single nationwide database for every police report. The correct system depends on who investigated the crash, where it happened, whether the report is complete, and whether the requester is eligible. Begin with the official agency website and treat any report service reached through advertising or an unsolicited message with caution.
Identify the agency before searching
Look for the agency name and report number on the exchange-of-information card, citation, tow receipt, insurance paperwork, or officer’s business card. If you do not know who responded, contact the non-emergency line for the collision location and provide the date, approximate time, and cross streets. A state highway patrol, city police department, county sheriff, campus police, or another agency may hold the report.
Start from an official government page
Navigate to the agency’s official website and find its records or traffic-report page. If it uses a commercial vendor, follow the vendor link from the official page. Check the web address before entering names, birth dates, license information, payment details, or report numbers. Avoid sites that promise instant access to every report or ask for information unrelated to the request.
Information needed for an online search
Most systems ask for some combination of the report or incident number, collision date, location, involved-party surname, vehicle information, email address, and requester relationship. Exact matches can matter. Use the spelling shown on the information card and try the official help process if the report cannot be found rather than repeatedly entering different personal information on multiple websites.
California online report examples
California procedures are agency-specific. The LAPD traffic report page currently links eligible requesters to an online provider and recommends allowing at least 45 days for review and approval. LAPD says reports involving an arrest, fatality, or juvenile, along with reports issued before February 1, 2016, must be requested by mail.
The California Highway Patrol’s official CHP 190 instructions describe in-person and mail procedures rather than a general public download. If CHP investigated the crash, follow that process instead of assuming an online search will find the report.
Texas CR-3 online purchases
TxDOT is the custodian of qualifying Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Reports. Its official crash reports page links to the Crash Report Online Purchase System. TxDOT states that reports are confidential and not available for general public viewing. Eligible customers receive purchased reports by email.
As of this article’s update, TxDOT lists $6 for a regular copy and $8 for a certified copy, with possible card-processing fees. A certified report may be appropriate when an official document is required for a legal proceeding. Verify current pricing and eligibility before purchasing.
When the report is not online
The report may still be under review, the agency may not participate in the vendor system, the details may not match, or the record may require mail or in-person processing. Arrests, fatalities, juveniles, sealed information, and open investigations often receive additional handling. Follow the agency’s status instructions and avoid duplicate payment.
Download, review, and store the report
After purchase, save the report in a secure folder and back it up. Check that all pages and supplements are present. Review names, vehicles, insurance, passengers, witnesses, location, diagram, narrative, and citations. If you find a factual error, contact the issuing agency about its correction or supplemental-statement process; the vendor usually cannot change the report.
Collision reports can expose addresses, birth dates, license numbers, insurance data, medical information, and witness contacts. Do not forward an unredacted copy casually or post it publicly. Remove unrelated identifiers from working copies and use a secure channel when the complete report is required.
Continue with our guides to CHP reports, LAPD reports, sheriff’s reports, and local police reports.
General educational information only. Online systems, vendors, fees, and release rules change; verify all details on the investigating agency’s official website.