Official report request guide

How to request the police report for your crash

CrashStory can help you identify an accident and its responding agency. The official report itself comes from that agency’s records unit.

Find the accident and responding agency Open crash search

Request process

What to do

Identify the responding agency

Use the card or incident number given at the scene, the crash location, or a matching public crash record to determine which police, sheriff, or highway-patrol agency investigated.

Gather identifying details

Prepare the crash date, approximate time, location, involved names, and case or incident number if you have one.

Use the agency’s official records channel

Open the agency’s official website or contact its records unit. Confirm the current request form, access rules, fee, delivery options, and processing estimate there.

Check the report when it arrives

Confirm that the report matches the date, location, people, and vehicles involved. Ask the records unit about its correction process if a factual detail is wrong.

Avoid stale instructions

Confirm the request on the agency’s official site

Report portals, fees, access rules, mailing addresses, and turnaround estimates can change. Use third-party pages to understand the process, then verify the current details with the public agency before paying or sending documents.

Official Colorado starting points

Official links last checked August 14, 2026. Use the investigating agency's current instructions.

Police report questions

Where do I request the official crash report?

Request it from the law-enforcement agency that investigated the collision. Depending on the location, that may be a city police department, county sheriff, state patrol, or another public agency.

What information should I have ready?

Gather the crash date, approximate time, location, names of involved people, and the case or incident number if one was provided. The responding agency may ask for additional proof or identification.

How do I know the current fee and processing time?

Check the responding agency’s official records page or contact its records unit. Fees, delivery methods, eligibility, and timelines can change, so the agency is the authoritative source.

Is a public crash-data page the same as the police report?

No. A public crash-data page can help identify the event and responding agency, but the official report is the record released by the investigating agency.

What if I do not know which agency responded?

Start with the crash location and any incident number or paperwork you received. A matching crash record may name the agency. If the crash was near a jurisdiction boundary, ask the nearby police, sheriff, or highway-patrol records units.