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After a collision, you may leave the scene with an exchange-of-information card but without the actual police report. Then, several days later, your insurance company may ask for the report number. You may also need the report to identify witnesses, understand what the officer documented, or evaluate an injury claim.
So, how do I get my accident report in California?
The Sterling Firm will assist you with obtaining your accident report at no charge for FREE once you submit our form. Otherwise, the answer depends on which law enforcement agency investigated the crash. If the California Highway Patrol investigated it, you can generally request the report through the CHP by using Form CHP 190, the agency’s Application for Release of Information. You may also request a CHP report through the agency’s online crash-report system when available.
How Do I Get My Accident Report From the California Highway Patrol?
If CHP investigated your California accident, a qualifying party can request the collision report using Form CHP 190, through a CHP office, by mail, or through the CHP’s available online crash-report system. You should provide the collision date, location, driver or owner information, your party-of-interest status, identification, and the required copying fee.
First, confirm that CHP actually investigated the collision.
CHP often handles crashes on California freeways and state highways. However, a city police department, county sheriff, or another agency may investigate collisions within its jurisdiction.
Importantly, CHP cannot provide a collision report created by another police department. Therefore, if LAPD, Riverside Police, Santa Monica Police, or another local agency investigated the crash, you must request the report from that agency instead.
If CHP investigated your collision, you have several options. For more information on government agencies you need to know, please see government agencies.
Request the Report From a CHP Office
A qualifying person can request a copy through a CHP Area office. According to CHP, any CHP office can help obtain a report, even if another CHP office investigated the collision.
For example, if a crash occurred in Northern California but you live in Southern California, your local CHP office may arrange to obtain or mail the report.
Request the Report by Mail
You can also download and complete CHP 190, Application for Release of Information.
Then, mail it to the CHP office responsible for the collision. CHP also states that a personal letter may sometimes be used instead, provided the request contains the necessary information and verifies that you qualify to receive the report.
Request the Report Online
CHP also operates an Online Crash Report System. The agency currently states that traffic crash reports are typically available within eight business days after the collision. Release remains limited to involved parties and authorized representatives under California law.
Therefore, if the crash happened only a day or two ago, the complete report may not yet be ready.
What Information Do I Need for CHP Form 190?
CHP Form 190 asks for information that helps the agency identify both the collision and the person requesting the report.
You should provide as much of the following as possible:
- Collision or incident date
- Report number, if known
- Collision location
- Driver or vehicle owner
- License plate or VIN when applicable
- Your name and address
- Your status as a party of interest
- Insurance policy or claim number when applicable
- Your signature
If you do not know the exact collision date or location, CHP instructs applicants to provide an approximate date and as much location information as possible.
Therefore, you should not abandon the request merely because you lost the report number.
Do I Need Identification to Request a CHP Accident Report?
Yes, identification normally matters when you request the report by mail.
CHP instructs applicants to attach a photocopy of a driver’s license or other picture identification card. If you do not have either form of identification, the agency states that the CHP 190 form or request letter must be notarized.
Consequently, an incomplete mailed request may delay the process.
Before sending it, check that you included:
- The completed CHP 190
- Proof that you qualify as a party of interest
- A copy of your photo identification
- The required payment
- A complete mailing address
Who Can Get a CHP Traffic Collision Report?
California law does not make full collision reports available to everyone. People with a proper interest may generally obtain them. That group can include involved drivers, injured passengers, vehicle or property owners, certain guardians, insurance representatives, attorneys representing qualifying parties, and others who may face civil liability from the accident
California Vehicle Code § 20012 controls the disclosure of accident reports.
The statute permits law enforcement to release the full report to people with a proper interest, including involved drivers, certain injured persons, property owners, authorized representatives, and attorneys representing qualifying individuals.
CHP procedures also recognize categories such as:
- Drivers
- Passengers
- Registered or legal vehicle owners
- Property owners
- Legal guardians
- Certain parents of minors
- Attorneys or authorized representatives
- Insurance carriers with appropriate policy or claim information
- Parties who may face civil liability
However, a person who has no connection to the collision may not automatically qualify to obtain the complete report.
Is a CHP Accident Report Free for Someone Involved in the Crash?
This point often causes confusion.
A copy is not generally free simply because you were involved in the collision.
California Vehicle Code § 20012 allows agencies to charge for a copy, although the fee cannot exceed the actual cost of providing it. CHP currently charges a reproduction fee based on the number of pages.
However, CHP policy says a person with a proper interest may review the report in its entirety without charge. That is different from receiving a physical or electronic copy.
Additionally, CHP suggests asking your insurance provider to obtain the report and provide you with a copy. In some circumstances, this can save you the direct report fee.
How Much Does a CHP Accident Report Cost?
CHP currently lists the following copying charges:
- 1–25 pages: $10
- 26–50 pages: $20
- 51–75 pages: $30
- 76–100 pages: $40
- More than 100 pages: another $10 for each additional 25 pages or portion
CHP states that it does not add a separate handling or mailing charge.
For mailed requests, CHP instructs applicants to use a personal check or money order payable to the California Highway Patrol. The agency also states that mailed requests should not include cash and currently notes that it does not accept credit or debit cards for that process.
Because payment procedures can change, verify the amount with the appropriate CHP office before mailing your request.
How Long Does It Take to Get a California Accident Report?
CHP currently says traffic crash reports are typically available within about eight business days after the crash. However, complicated collisions may take longer because officers may need additional statements, diagrams, evidence, or supplemental investigation. Therefore, check with the responsible CHP office if the report does not become available within the usual period.
Negligence usually requires proof that the driver owed a duty of care, breached that duty, caused the collision, and created measurable harm.
A minor collision may produce a relatively straightforward report. In contrast, a fatal, multi-vehicle, commercial-truck, or disputed collision may require more investigation.
Therefore, do not assume something went wrong if the report is not available immediately.
CHP recommends contacting the responsible Area office before traveling there to confirm that the traffic collision report is available.
What Is Included in a California Traffic Collision Report?
California law permits qualifying parties to receive the entire report, which may include information such as:
- Names and addresses of involved or injured people
- Witness information
- Vehicle registration information
- Vehicle descriptions
- Date and time of the crash
- Collision location
- Diagrams
- Driver statements
- Passenger statements
- Witness statements
California Vehicle Code § 20012 specifically identifies these categories as information contained within reports that may be disclosed to qualifying parties.
A report may therefore provide an important starting point for investigating liability.
However, an officer’s report does not necessarily contain every piece of evidence. Surveillance video, vehicle data, photographs, medical records, and later witness statements may also matter.
Is the Police Report the Same as the California DMV SR-1?
No. This distinction is important.
A police or CHP collision report documents the law enforcement investigation.
The SR-1, by contrast, is a report that certain drivers must submit to the California DMV.
California Vehicle Code § 16000 generally requires a driver to report a collision to DMV within 10 days if the accident caused an injury, death, or more than $1,000 in property damage.
Moreover, DMV states that the SR-1 requirement applies even if police or CHP already prepared a collision report. Your insurance agent, broker, or legal representative may file it for you.
Therefore:
Police/CHP report ≠ DMV SR-1.
Completing one does not automatically complete the other.
Why Should I Get My Accident Report?
A collision report may help you understand what information law enforcement collected immediately after the crash.
For example, it can help identify:
- Other drivers
- Vehicle owners
- Insurance information
- Witnesses
- Statements about how the collision occurred
- Crash location and conditions
- Diagrams or investigative observations
Consequently, obtaining the report early can help you compare the officer’s documentation with photographs, medical records, vehicle damage, and other evidence.
However, do not assume that every conclusion in a report permanently determines legal fault. California injury claims may require a broader investigation. For more information on how to handle car accident cases, please see what to do after a car accident.
Can a Car Accident Lawyer Obtain the Report for Me?
Yes.
California Vehicle Code § 20012 specifically recognizes attorneys representing qualifying parties among those who may obtain accident-report information. CHP procedures similarly allow legal representatives to request reports when they establish the required interest.
A car accident lawyer may also use the report as one part of a larger investigation.
For example, The Sterling Firm may review:
- Police and CHP reports
- Photographs
- Video
- Witness statements
- Insurance policies
- Medical records
- Vehicle damage
- Electronic data
Therefore, the report often serves as a starting point rather than the end of the investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get my CHP accident report from any CHP office?
Yes. CHP states that a qualifying party can obtain or arrange for a CHP-generated collision report through any CHP Area office, even if a different CHP office investigated the collision.
What if I do not know my accident report number?
You can still make a request. CHP directs applicants to provide the collision date, location, driver or owner information, and as much identifying information as possible. Therefore, an unknown report number does not necessarily prevent the agency from locating the file.
What if CHP did not investigate my accident?
Request the report from the agency that investigated the crash. CHP cannot provide reports created by another law enforcement department. If you do not know which agency responded, CHP or a local police department may help identify the correct. For more information on what to do if you have your rights infringed by law enforcement, please see law enforcement violation.
Can my insurance company get the report?
Yes. CHP recognizes qualifying insurance representatives as parties that may obtain reports when they provide appropriate policy or claim information. CHP also suggests asking your insurer to obtain the report and give you a copy
Is the CHP report free if I was the driver?
Generally, no. CHP currently charges for copies. However, its policy allows a person with proper interest to review the complete report without charge. Your insurer may also obtain a copy and provide it to you.
Can I request the report if I live outside California?
Yes. CHP allows out-of-state parties of interest to request reports by mail. You generally need the completed CHP 190 or appropriate request letter, identification, proof of your interest, and payment.
Summary: How To Get My Accident Report in California
If you are wondering how to get my accident report after a California collision, first identify the agency that investigated the crash. For CHP collisions, qualifying parties may request the report using CHP 190, through a CHP office, by mail, or through the available online system.
Copies generally require a nominal fee, while CHP policy allows qualifying parties to review reports without charge. Additionally, remember that the CHP report and DMV SR-1 serve different purposes.
Need Help After a California Car Accident?
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may provide critical compensation when a Riverside driver has no insurance or insufficient limits. However, you must still prove fault, coverage, causation, and damages. Prompt reporting, strong medical documentation, complete policy analysis, and careful claim sequencing can help protect your right to recover.
Speak With a California Personal Injury Lawyer
An uninsured or underinsured driver should not leave you without a meaningful path to compensation.
The Sterling Firm can review your policy, investigate the collision, identify available insurance, and prepare a properly documented claim. Furthermore, when an insurer disputes responsibility or compensation, we can prepare the matter for negotiation, arbitration, or litigation.
Free case evaluations are available for personal injury matters. To submit your case for review, please see Free Evaluation.
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