How to Get a Crash Report in North Carolina

If you’ve been in a car accident anywhere in North Carolina, at some point you’ll probably need a copy of the official crash report. Insurance companies ask for it, attorneys ask for it, and sometimes you just want it for your own records. The good news is that getting one isn’t complicated once you know where to look—but the exact process depends on whether the state Highway Patrol or a local city police department investigated your crash.

One of the most crucial pieces of evidence you may gather following an automobile accident in North Carolina is the police report. This report details who was found to be at fault and how the police believe the accident occurred. A diagram of the collision, the estimated damage to each car, and other details are also shown. Additionally, if you feel that any of the assertions listed are inaccurate, you can petition to have them amended.

Usually, getting the report is not too difficult. However, it can be more challenging to read the codes and other information on it. It could therefore be advisable to have a lawyer guide you through it. Call (888) 919-8889 to speak with Tien Law Firm, PC, if you have been in a vehicle accident in North Carolina. Following your collision, we can assist you in obtaining a copy of the police record, explain the significance of everything, and, if required, assist you in bringing a personal injury claim against the other motorist.

Here’s a breakdown of how the process works statewide, plus specific instructions for Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, and Greensboro.

How to Request a Crash Report from the NCDMV

While most cities have comparable procedures for obtaining police reports, there are certain differences you should be aware of. For example, while some towns don’t charge a fee to acquire your report, some do. Additionally, in certain cities, you can only seek a copy of the police report through certain methods, including the mail or in person at the NCDMV.

In North Carolina, you can always get a police report from the Department of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV). Fill out Form TR-67A, and send a self-addressed and stamped envelope along with a $6 check made payable to NCDMV to:

NCDMV
Traffic Records Branch, Crash Reports Unit
3106 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27697-3106

Once you get your report, you will probably see a few distinct codes clearly displayed somewhere on the page, regardless of how you obtained it. Both insurance companies and police agencies employ these codes to ascertain what transpired, who is at fault, and what damages were sustained. To find out exactly what the police thought occurred, you can interpret these codes with the assistance of an experienced car accident lawyer.

By mail: Fill out the Crash Report Request (TR-67A) form (it must be printed—it isn’t fillable online) and mail it with payment to the address listed on the form.

In person: Bring the completed TR-67A form and payment to either

Raleigh Central Services/License Plate Agency—4121 New Bern Ave., Raleigh, NC 27616 (go to the Vehicle Registration door, not the Driver License)

If you’re requesting five or fewer reports in person, you can usually get them on the spot. Larger requests have to be mailed in.

For general questions, NCDMV customer service can be reached at (919) 715-7000.

That covers the state-level process. But if your crash was investigated by a local city police department rather than the Highway Patrol, it’s often faster to go straight to that department instead of waiting on the DMV. Here’s how that works in four of North Carolina’s biggest cities.

The Basics: North Carolina DMV Crash Reports

Every crash report filed by a North Carolina law enforcement agency—city police, county sheriff, or the State Highway Patrol—eventually gets forwarded to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV). Because of that, the DMV is the statewide fallback option no matter where your crash happened.

A few things worth knowing before you request one:

Crash reports aren’t fully public. Under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, personal details are restricted. If you’re an individual involved in the crash, you can only get a redacted copy. Businesses and organizations with a “permissible use” (insurance companies, attorneys, etc.) can request an unredacted version.
Individuals cannot order online through the DMV. Only licensed businesses or organizations based in North Carolina can order crash reports through the DMV’s online portal. If you were personally involved in the crash, you’ll need to request your copy by mail or in person.
Fee: Certified copies cost $5.50.
Processing time: Allow about 10 business days for mailed requests.

Requesting Raleigh Crash Reports

If your accident happened within Raleigh city limits and the Raleigh Police Department responded, you don’t need to go through the DMV at all—Raleigh has its own online crash report portal.

Online: Visit the Raleigh Police Department’s crash report database and search using at least one of the following:

Report number
Date of the accident
Last name of the driver
Street name where the accident occurred

Crash reports are free of charge when accessed online or picked up in person.

In person: The Police Records Division, located at Raleigh Police Headquarters (6716 Six Forks Road), handles public requests as well.

By phone: Call 919-996-3325 if you need help locating your report or have questions about the process.

Requesting Durham Crash Reports

Durham handles crash report requests a little differently—the department doesn’t have a self-serve online crash lookup the way Raleigh does, so your best options are email or an in-person visit.

By email: Send your request to the Durham Police Department Records Unit at DPDrecords@durhamnc.gov. Include as much identifying information as possible—the report number if you have it, names of those involved, the date, and location of the crash—to help staff locate the report quickly.

In person: Visit the Records Unit at Durham Police Headquarters, 602 E. Main Street, Durham, NC 27701, Monday through Friday.

By phone: Call the Durham Police Records Division at (919) 560-4423, or fax a request to (919) 560-4987.

Requesting Charlotte Crash Reports

Crashes investigated by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) can be requested either in person or through a third-party online system called LexisNexis.

Before you request it, you’ll need to complete a Request for Motor Vehicle Crash Report form and certify that you’re eligible to receive the report. You qualify if you were:

The vehicle operator involved in the crash
The registered owner of a vehicle involved
A passenger in a vehicle involved

Online: Crash reports can be purchased through LexisNexis’s crash report portal, linked from CMPD’s Crime/Crash Reports page.

In person: Bring a valid, government-issued photo ID and the completed request form to the records desk at CMPD Headquarters, 601 E. Trade St., Charlotte, or to any CMPD Division Office.

Requesting Greensboro Crash Reports

The Greensboro Police Department follows a similar model to Charlotte—you can request a crash report in person or order it online through LexisNexis, and the department’s Police to Citizen (P2C) portal is also useful for searching event and case information.

To qualify for an electronic copy, you generally need to be one of the following:

Someone involved in the crash (driver, registered owner, passenger, or pedestrian)
An attorney representing someone involved
An insurance company representing someone involved

Online: Order through LexisNexis, linked from the Greensboro Police Department’s “Request a Vehicle Crash Report” page. You can also search for reports and case details through the department’s Police to Citizen (P2C) site.

In person: Bring a valid photo ID to the Police Records desk at Greensboro Police Headquarters, 100 Police Plaza, Greensboro, NC.

A Few Tips No Matter Where You File

Give it time. Officers generally have 24 hours to file the initial report, and local agencies have up to 10 days to forward it to the DMV—so if you request a report the same day as the crash, it may not exist yet. Waiting a few business days before requesting usually saves you a wasted trip.
Have your details ready. Whichever method you use, having the report number, date of the crash, and the names of drivers involved will speed things up significantly.
If the Highway Patrol responded instead of a city department, you’ll need to go through the DMV process described above rather than a city portal.

Getting a copy of your crash report is usually pretty painless once you know which agency has it—the main trick is figuring out whether your local police department or the state DMV is the right place to start.