How to Find an Accident Report

After an accident, the report doesn't come to you — it stays in the records system of the agency that responded to the scene. That single fact explains most of the confusion people run into: they search where they live, or online in general, when the report is sitting with a specific police department, sheriff's office, or highway patrol post.

Start with where the crash happened

Jurisdiction usually follows the road. Crashes on city streets are typically handled by the city police department, county roads by the sheriff's office, and highways by the state patrol. The crash location is therefore the single most useful detail you have — more useful, in most cases, than a report number.

Gather what you remember

• The date of the accident, or your closest estimate
• The city, county, or state where it happened
• The responding agency, if you know it
• A report or case number, if one was handed to you
• Names of the involved parties

Notice that only the first two are essential. Records offices can usually locate a report from the date, location, and party names alone — the rest just speeds things up.

You don't need a complete file to begin. Start with what you have, and mark the rest as unknown.

If you'd rather not work out the jurisdiction yourself, that's exactly what our team helps with. Share the details you remember through our short form, and we'll help you identify where your report is most likely held and how a copy may be requested.

AccidentRecords.net is an independent accident report assistance service and is not a government agency.