Most US states have moved traffic collision reports to online ordering. You enter a few details, pay a small fee, and the PDF arrives in minutes by email — instead of waiting 2–4 weeks for a mailed copy.
The three major portals
- BuyCrash.com — used by ~30 states including Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Indiana, Wisconsin
- LexisNexis Police Reports — used by Texas, Pennsylvania, Maryland, many large municipal departments
- CARFAX Police Report — supplemental option for many of the above
What you'll need to order
- Date of the crash
- Location (city / county / highway)
- At least one of: report number, driver license number, VIN, or driver name
- A credit card ($5–$20 is typical)
State examples
- California: CHP reports — request directly from the CHP office that responded; LAPD and most city PDs accept online requests via their records portal.
- Texas: TxDOT Crash Records Information System (CRIS) at cris.dot.state.tx.us
- Florida: Florida Crash Portal at services.flhsmv.gov
- New York: DMV MV-198C request, by mail
- Illinois: Illinois State Police Crash Report Portal
Report not showing up?
Reports typically appear online 5–10 business days after the crash. Fatalities, DUIs, and hit-and-runs take longer. If yours still isn't there after two weeks, call the responding agency's records division.
Don't want to figure out which portal? Our free police report lookup service does it for you — give us the basics, we find the right agency, the right portal, and walk you through ordering.