How to Obtain a Copy of a Texas Traffic Crash Report

You can request a copy of your Texas crash report through the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Crash Report Online Purchase System, by mail using Form CR-91, or in person through the law enforcement agency that investigated the wreck. Officers have up to 10 days after the crash to file the report with TxDOT, so most reports become available for purchase within two to three weeks. 

What Information Does a Texas Crash Report Include?

The officer who responds to the scene completes a Texas crash report, officially called the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report or CR-3. Whether you handle your claim directly or work with a car accident lawyer in Houston, this document usually becomes the reference point for everything that follows.

Under Texas Transportation Code § 550.062, an officer must file the report whenever a wreck causes injury, death, or property damage of $1,000 or more. The officer then forwards the completed form to TxDOT for processing. A completed report generally documents:

• the date, time, and exact location of the collision;
• names and contact details for each driver and passenger;
• insurance information listed for every vehicle involved;
• a diagram and written narrative describing how the accident happened; and
• citations or contributing factors noted by the investigating officer.

Insurance adjusters and car accident lawyers rely heavily on these details when sorting out who caused a wreck and what damages resulted. Without this paperwork, proving fault after a collision with a passenger vehicle or a commercial truck often comes down to memory and photos alone, and neither captures everything an officer records on scene.

How Do You Request a Copy Online?

Texas keeps crash records in the Crash Records Information System, and the fastest way to get a copy is through TxDOT’s online purchase portal. You’ll search using identifying details tied to the collision itself rather than a general name or address search, since the state restricts public access to protect personal information.

To locate your report through the online system, you’ll need one of the following:

• your full legal name as it appears on your driver’s license;
• the driver’s license number of someone involved in the accident;
• the vehicle identification number of a vehicle in the collision; or
• the eight-digit TxDOT crash ID number assigned to the incident.

A standard copy currently costs $6, while a certified copy costs $8, and you can pay either one online with a debit or credit card. 

How Do You Request a Copy by Mail?

If you would rather request by mail, complete Form CR-91 and send it with a check or money order to the Texas Department of Transportation in Austin, Texas, though mailed requests generally take longer to process than online orders.

TxDOT retains crash reports for ten years plus the current year, so agencies can no longer provide older records through any of these methods.

How Do You Request a Copy in Person?

If you would rather skip the online system entirely, you can request a copy directly from the police or sheriff’s department that investigated the crash. Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and surrounding local agencies each handle in-person requests through their own records division, so the exact office depends on where the crash occurred.

Bring a valid photo ID and as much identifying information about the crash as possible, including the date, location, and names of the drivers involved. Turnaround time varies by agency: some departments can hand over a copy the same day, while others take longer if the report hasn’t been filed with the Texas Department of Transportation yet.

Who Is Allowed to Request a Copy of the Report?

Crash reports are not open for public viewing, and Texas Transportation Code § 550.065 limits release to people directly connected to the wreck or with a documented interest in it. That restriction keeps sensitive information, including Social Security numbers and driver’s license details, out of the wrong hands while still giving involved parties a path to the paperwork they need.

Texas law authorizes several categories of requesters, including:

• any driver or passenger involved in the crash;
• the registered owner of a damaged vehicle or their insurer;
• a parent or legal guardian of a driver involved;
• a person who can show financial responsibility for a vehicle in the collision, such as proof of insurance or ownership; and
• a legal representative acting on a party’s behalf.

If the crash involved a commercial truck, the trucking company’s insurer and any injured party typically qualify as well. Additional records, such as driver logs or onboard data, can strengthen a truck accident claim built on the report.

Why Might You Need a Copy of Your Crash Report?

Beyond satisfying curiosity about what an officer wrote down, a crash report serves practical purposes long after the wreck itself. It documents facts before they fade from memory and gives every party a shared, official account to work from once a dispute arises over what happened.

That becomes especially useful once multiple insurance companies or repair shops start asking for their own copy of the same paperwork. A certified copy commonly supports:

• filing a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier;
• building a personal injury claim tied to the officer’s findings;
• providing documentation requested by an employer or fleet safety office; and
• serving as evidence if the dispute proceeds to litigation.

Before you file a claim, do not give a recorded statement to an insurance company prior to hiring an attorney. Insurance representatives sometimes ask for a full Social Security number during these calls, and that number is not something you need to hand over to open a claim.

Getting a Crash Report Following the Loss of a Loved One

When a collision results in a death, surviving family members generally qualify as interested parties, and the report often becomes central evidence in a wrongful death claim built around the officer’s findings. Requesters who fall outside the standard list of eligible parties, such as friends or extended family without a direct legal interest in the crash, may still receive a redacted copy with certain personal details removed.

How Our Team Can Help After Your Crash

A crash report captures what the officer saw, but turning that document into fair compensation after a wreck with a car or an 18-wheeler takes more than paperwork. With billions recovered for injured Texans, our team at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner reviews crash reports every week and knows how insurance carriers use small gaps in the paperwork to shrink a payout.

Our firm offers free consultations by phone at (713) 222-7211, so there is no cost to find out where your claim stands. When you are ready, contact us to go over your crash report and the next steps in your claim before an insurance deadline arrives.