How to Get a Police Report for a Car Accident in Florida
If you were hurt in an auto accident in Florida and police officers documented it in a crash report, it is important that you obtain that report as soon as possible.
In Florida, victims can obtain a police report for a car crash in person, online, or by mail. You can either contact the police department that completed your report or the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), which is the centralized location for all cash reports in the state. Crash reports typically cost about $10. If you get your report in person or by mail, you must pay using a check or money order. These reports typically become available within a week or so of an accident. In order to ultimately get your report, you must call the police immediately after an auto accident in Florida. If you do not, you can self-report in the following days, although this isn’t ideal.
For a free and confidential discussion of your case from our Ft. Lauderdale car accident lawyers, call The Law Offices of David I. Fuchs, Injury & Accident Lawyer, P.A. today at (954) 751-4258.
How Can I Get a Police Report for a Car Accident in Florida?
Victims in Florida have several options when accessing the police report for a recent auto accident. You can download a digital copy of your report online, visit a police department in person, or request your report be mailed to your home address in Florida.
Online
Many victims prefer to go online to get a crash report. When doing this, you have a couple options. The first is to visit the website of Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. There, you will find a digital portal that houses accident reports from throughout the state. To get your report online from the FLHSMV, you must answer several questions about your involvement in an accident and submit photos of your ID to confirm your identity. Each digital report from the FLHSMV costs $10 plus a $2 convenience fee.
While the FLHSMV offers online reports, so do many local law enforcement agencies in Florida. You can go to the website of the police department that completed your report to see if that’s the case. If so, the police department might send reports to a verified third-party website for victims to download. Fees might vary, so consider your options before downloading your accident report.
In Person
While many victims choose not to go in person to obtain a crash report for a collision because of their injuries, it is often an option. You must complete a Sworn Statement for Crash Report form to get your report in person. Our Florida car accident lawyers can complete this form for you, especially if you are having difficulty doing so. This statement is used to confirm the requester’s identity, as only an involved party or their legal counsel can get an accident report within 60 days of a crash in Florida. To get your report in person from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, you can visit the highway patrol troop station closest to where your accident occurred.
You might have better luck simply going to the police department that completed your report. Officers there will have immediate access to your report once it is finalized. To make sure the report is ready before you go to the police department, you can call ahead.
By Mail
The final way to get the police report for your car accident in Florida is to request it by mail. Most police departments offer this option to victims. If the police department that completed the report does not provide a mailed option, you can get your report mailed from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. When sending a mailed request to the FLHSMV, include your completed sworn statement and the proper payment in a check or money order. If you opt to get your report mailed to you from the FLHSMV, expect to wait four to six weeks to get it. This is the least ideal option, as waiting so long to get your car accident report might cause your claim to be delayed.
How to Report a Car Accident to the Police in Florida
It is important to call the police so that they complete an accident report for a car crash. If you do not inform law enforcement of an accident, you can self-report at a later date.
According to Fla. Stat. § 316.065(1), any accident that results in death, injury, or $500 in property damage must be reported to the police in Florida. It is important that you get a negligent driver’s personal information and insurance information as well. Even if a negligent driver leaves the accident site, you should stay where you are and call law enforcement. If you don’t, police officers cannot include crucial information about your accident in a report. Failing to call the police also means your accident might not be properly documented.
That said, the police are not always called. Victims might not be aware of their injuries until sometime after an accident, especially one that appeared relatively minor. If you did not call the police and want to self-report in the following days, you can do so. We can help you file a self-reporting car accident form online or in person so that law enforcement becomes aware of your accident. It is important to do this as soon as possible so that the details surrounding your crash are fresh in your mind when you report it to the police in Florida.
File Your Florida Car Accident Claim Today
For a free case review from The Law Offices of David I. Fuchs, Injury & Accident Lawyer, P.A., call our Boca Raton car accident lawyers today at (954) 751-4258.
