How to Get a Car Accident Report: BuyCrash, State Portals and Deadlines
Reference Guide
Your police crash report sits with the agency that responded — city police, sheriff or state patrol. Many agencies sell it online through LexisNexis BuyCrash; Texas sells every officer report through TxDOT for $6; the California Highway Patrol still works by form and check. Separately, some states make you report the crash yourself: California gives you 10 days.
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Where the Report Actually Lives
Start with one question: which agency wrote it? The officer's card or the exchange slip usually names the agency and a report number. That decides where you look.
A buycrash accident report is simply that agency's report, sold through a LexisNexis portal. A lexisnexis buycrash accident report search works like this, per the Village of Gurnee, Illinois: go to BuyCrash, select the state, select the law enforcement agency that took the report, enter your search information and complete the robot check. LexisNexis says authorized parties can get a report within 24 to 48 hours of the officer completing it. The agency sets the price; LexisNexis notes agencies can charge a fee, and Gurnee says BuyCrash adds a small convenience fee on top.
If your agency is not on BuyCrash, it may use a state portal or its own records desk. Gurnee, for example, also lets you pick a report up at the police station, or request it by mail: mail requests take 3 to 5 business days, minimum $5.
Case details
Texas. TxDOT is the custodian of all officer crash reports (form CR-3). Under Transportation Code §550.062 the officer must file a report for any crash with injury, death or apparent property damage of $1,000 or more to one person by the tenth day after the crash. You buy it through TxDOT's Crash Report Online Purchase System (CRIS): $6 regular, $8 certified, plus a small card surcharge, delivered by email. Reports are not open to the public online; §550.065 limits them to people directly concerned — those involved, vehicle owners, their insurers and representatives. TxDOT stopped keeping the driver's own CR-2 form in 2017, so keep your copy.
Florida. Under §316.066 the officer files the Long Form within 10 days after finishing the investigation. For 60 days after filing, reports with personal details are confidential, but the parties, their lawyers and their insurers can get them immediately — after showing ID and swearing the report will not be used to solicit accident victims.
California (CHP). For a crash the California Highway Patrol handled, a party of interest can go to any CHP office, or mail form CHP 190 with a copy of a photo ID to the Area office that wrote the report. CHP charges $10 for up to 25 pages, $20 for 26–50, $30 for 51–75 and $40 for 76–100, by check or money order — no cards. City police and sheriff reports in California come from that department, not CHP.
How Long Do You Have to Report a Car Accident?
California: the driver must file form SR 1 with the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed or property damage exceeded $1,000. It is required regardless of fault, a police or insurance report does not count, and the DMV form warns that late reporting can lead to a license suspension. An insurance agent or attorney may file it for you.
Florida: the driver must notify police, the sheriff or the Florida Highway Patrol immediately if anyone was hurt or killed or apparent damage is at least $2,000 (§316.065, as amended in 2026). If police did not have to write a report, the driver files a written report with the state within 10 days (§316.066).
Texas: the 10-day rule in §550.062 binds the officer, not you. If no officer came, TxDOT tells drivers to keep their own records.
Other states have their own thresholds; check your DMV before the window closes. Filing deadlines for a lawsuit are separate — see statute of limitations by state.
Who Can Get the Report
In the states covered here, crash reports are not open to just anyone. Texas releases them to people directly concerned: drivers and others involved, vehicle and property owners, a driver's parent or employer, insurers and their claims contractors, authorized representatives, and anyone who may sue over a death. California's CHP releases to a party of interest — driver, passenger, property owner, vehicle owner, parent of a minor or legal guardian — plus insurers and attorneys. Florida limits the first 60 days to the parties, their lawyers, insurers and agencies.
Have ready: the crash date, the location, the agency and report number if you have them, and a driver's last name. CHP accepts an approximate date and location if you do not know them exactly.
Why the Report Matters for Your Claim
Get it before you negotiate. Use it with our car accident settlement calculator, and read why the “average” settlement misleads. For the steps around it — photos, medical care, notice to insurers — see what to do after a car accident. State pages: Texas, Florida, California.
Your own insurer can often pull the report too; CHP says that may save you the fee.
From Crash to Report in Hand
At the Scene — Get the Agency and Number
Ask which agency is taking the report and for the report number. In Florida, each driver must show the officer proof of insurance.
Immediately — Florida Notice to Police
Florida drivers must notify police at once if anyone is hurt or apparent damage is at least $2,000.
Within 10 Days — Officer Files, You May Too
Texas and Florida officers file within 10 days. California drivers file SR 1 with the DMV within 10 days if the injury or $1,000 damage threshold is met.
24 to 48 Hours After Completion — Online
On BuyCrash, LexisNexis says reports reach authorized parties within 24 to 48 hours of the officer completing them.
Buy It — Online, by Mail or in Person
BuyCrash for participating agencies, TxDOT CRIS in Texas ($6 or $8), CHP 190 or any CHP office in California, or the agency's records desk.
Before Negotiating — Check Every Line
Compare names, insurers, witnesses and the diagram with what happened. Raise errors with the agency that wrote it before an adjuster relies on it.
Three Things to Watch For
Crash reports carry names, addresses and insurers, which makes them valuable to the wrong people:
Lookalike “crash report” sites
Sites that rank for BuyCrash searches may resell or simply never deliver. Start from buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com, TxDOT's CRIS, chp.ca.gov or the agency's own website, and compare the price to the agency's posted fee.
Calls from people who already know your crash
Florida makes requesters swear they will not use reports to solicit accident victims, because it happens. A caller who knows your crash date and insurer is not proof they are your insurer. Hang up and call the number on your policy.
“Free report” forms asking for too much
Official searches ask for crash details and a driver's name or license number. No crash report portal needs your Social Security number, bank login or a gift card.
Car Accident Reports — Questions People Actually Ask
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this case.
What is a BuyCrash report?
It is the police crash report written by a participating agency, sold online through LexisNexis BuyCrash instead of at the records window. LexisNexis says authorized parties can access it within 24 to 48 hours of the report being completed. The fee is set by the agency, plus a convenience fee.
How do I check crash reports?
Identify the agency that responded, then use its channel: BuyCrash (select state, then agency, then enter search details), a state portal such as TxDOT's CRIS in Texas, form CHP 190 for California Highway Patrol crashes, or the agency's records desk in person or by mail.
Is a crash report public record?
Not fully, in the states covered here. Texas says crash reports are confidential and not available for online viewing by the general public; only people directly concerned can buy them. Florida keeps personal details confidential for 60 days after filing, except for the parties, their lawyers and insurers.
How to get a car accident report in Texas?
Buy the officer's CR-3 report through TxDOT's Crash Report Online Purchase System: $6 for a regular copy, $8 certified (for legal proceedings), delivered by email. You must be a person directly concerned, such as a driver, owner or insurer.
How do I get a CHP accident report in California?
Go to any CHP office, or mail form CHP 190 with a copy of your photo ID (or have the form notarized) to the Area office that wrote it. Fees start at $10 for up to 25 pages; pay by check or money order. Reviewing the report in person is free for a person with proper interest.
How long do you have to report a car accident?
In California, file SR 1 with the DMV within 10 days if there was injury, death or over $1,000 in damage. In Florida, notify police immediately for injury or apparent damage of at least $2,000. Rules differ elsewhere; check your state DMV.
Does a police report count as my DMV report?
Not in California. The DMV's SR 1 form says it must be filed in addition to any report to police, CHP or your insurer, because their reports do not satisfy the requirement.
Can my insurance company get the report for me?
Usually, yes. Insurers are eligible requesters in Texas, Florida and with CHP, and CHP says having your insurer obtain it may save you the fee. Ask for a copy for your own records.
About This Information
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated - $236 billion in real payouts analyzed · See what we found
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Lawsuit status, eligibility, and compensation can change. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and does not represent any party. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
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