Who can get a California collision report

A California collision report is not a public record in the way that dispatch data is. Access is restricted by statute.

Parties of interest

Vehicle Code § 20012 limits release to parties of interest, which includes:

1. Drivers involved in the collision.
2. Passengers in any involved vehicle.
3. Owners of any vehicle or property damaged.
4. Parents or guardians of an involved minor.
5. The legal representative of any of the above.
6. In a fatal collision, the next of kin and the representative of the estate.

Insurance carriers for an involved party can also obtain a copy, which is why an adjuster frequently has the report before their own policyholder does.

Why this matters

Journalists, researchers and members of the public generally cannot obtain a specific collision report. This is also why no official report appears on this site — we publish dispatch data, which is public, and we could not lawfully publish the reports even if we had them.

What you will need

Agencies typically ask for the incident number, the date and location, the names of involved parties, and proof that you are a party of interest. Fees are modest and set by the agency.

Timing

Reports are generally not available for 7 to 14 days, and longer where the investigation is more involved. Requesting earlier does not speed it up.

If you were involved in a crash published on this site, the incident page for it names the investigating office, and we can help you locate and request the report.