How to Get a Greensboro, NC Crash Report

If you’ve been in a car accident in Greensboro, North Carolina, getting a copy of the official crash report is one of the first things you’ll want to take care of. Insurance adjusters ask for it, attorneys need it to evaluate a claim, and it’s simply good to have on hand for your own records. The good news is that the Greensboro Police Department (GPD) makes this process fairly accessible, whether you’d rather handle it online or head to headquarters in person.

Here’s a full breakdown of how to get your Greensboro crash report.

Who Handles Crash Reports in Greensboro

Any crash investigated by a Greensboro Police Department officer results in a report that’s kept by GPD’s Records Division. Like all crash reports in North Carolina, it’s also eventually forwarded to the state DMV—but if GPD investigated your accident, you can typically get your copy directly from GPD rather than waiting on the state system.

Keep in mind that under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, crash reports aren’t fully open to the general public. Personal details are protected, so who can request a copy—and what version they receive—depends on their relationship to the crash.

Who Can Request a Copy

To receive an electronic copy of a Greensboro Police Department crash report, you generally need to be one of the following:

  • Involved in the crash—the vehicle operator, registered owner, property owner, a passenger, or a pedestrian involved
  • An attorney legally representing someone involved in the crash
  • An insurance company representing someone involved in the crash

Vehicle crashes where the total damages were under $1,000 and only an exchange-of-information slip was issued at the scene won’t have a full crash report generated, since one isn’t required in those cases.

Option 1: Get Your Crash Report Online (LexisNexis)

The most convenient way to get a copy is through LexisNexis, which GPD uses for online crash report requests. The link is available from the Greensboro Police Department’s “Request a Vehicle Crash Report” page on the city’s website.

To use it, you’ll need to certify that you’re eligible to receive the report under the permissible-use rules described above, then search and purchase your report through the LexisNexis platform.

Option 2: Get Your Crash Report In Person

If you’d rather pick up a physical copy, or you’re having trouble locating the report online, you can request it in person.

Greensboro Police Department Headquarters 100 E. Police Plaza, Greensboro, NC 27401

Bring a valid, government-issued photo ID to the Police Records desk. Reports can also often be picked up at GPD’s District 1 Station, which shares the same headquarters building and provides police report services around the clock.

Option 3: Call If You Can’t Find Your Report

If you’ve searched online and can’t locate your report, or you have general questions about the process, call the Greensboro Police Department at (336) 373-2287 (a number commonly used for report inquiries) or the department’s general information line at 336-373-2222 for non-emergencies. Having some basic details ready when you call will help the records staff find your report faster:

  • Report/accident number
  • Date of the crash
  • Driver’s first and last name
  • Street name where the crash occurred

Requesting Greensboro Crash Reports from NCDMV

Crash reports take some time to process after an accident—officers need to complete the paperwork and route it through GPD’s records system before it’s available for pickup or purchase. If it’s been just a day or two since your crash, it may simply be too soon.

If enough time has passed and GPD still can’t locate the report, remember that it will eventually be forwarded to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV). You can request a certified copy directly from the DMV by mail or in person using the Crash Report Request (TR-67A) form for a $5.50 fee—though this route typically takes longer (allow about 10 business days) than going through GPD directly.

A Few Tips About Requesting Greensboro, NC Crash Reports

A few tips for requesting your Greensboro crash report:

  • Don’t request it too early. Give it a few business days after the crash before searching, especially for accidents that just occurred.
  • Have your details ready. The more identifying information you can provide—report number, date, names, street—the faster your report can be located, whether online or over the phone.
  • Know your eligibility. If you weren’t personally involved in the crash and aren’t an attorney or insurance representative for someone who was, you may only be able to obtain a redacted, public version of the report rather than the full copy.
  • In-person works well if the online search comes up empty. Sometimes a report hasn’t been indexed correctly online yet even though it exists; a quick visit or call to Records can clear that up.

Getting your Greensboro crash report is usually a smooth process once you know which route to take—for most people, the online LexisNexis option will be the quickest path to a copy.