How to Get a Police Report After a Car Accident in North Carolina

If you are injured or suffer vehicle damage in a car accident, you will need a copy of the police accident report to file with an insurance claim. If your accident claim is disputed or you have a disability claim due to injuries sustained in the accident, the police report will be the first piece of evidence needed to document the accident and support your claim.

It is important that you summon police to any car accident you are involved in and that you ask the investigating officer how to obtain a copy of the accident report and when it will be available. When the car accident attorneys at The Law Offices of John Drew Warlick, P.A. assist a car accident victim, we will inquire about the accident report and whether the client has a copy.

We can help you obtain the police accident report. But you can expedite the process by taking the steps necessary to get a police report after a car accident in North Carolina as soon as you are able.

Call the Police to Report a Car Accident in North Carolina

Under North Carolina law, drivers are required to summon local police or the Highway Patrol to the scene of any reportable crash. A reportable crash is a car accident that results in an injury, death, or $1,000 or more in property damage or any amount of damage to a vehicle that had been seized by law enforcement authorities.

After responding, police or Highway Patrol troopers must file a car accident report, which is to be forwarded to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 10 days.

When reporting car accidents, all law enforcement officers in North Carolina use Crash Report Form DMV-349. When completed, it contains information about:

• Drivers involved in the crash (names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, injury status)
• Passengers, pedestrians, cyclists involved in the crash (names, addresses, injury status)
• Whether alcohol or drug use was suspected and testing conducted
• Whether a ticket was issued or charges were filed
• Vehicles in the accident
• Location
• Road conditions
• Weather and visibility conditions
• Vehicles and their damage
• Whether emergency vehicles responded to the accident
• Estimates of vehicle speed at the time of the accident
• The sequence of events involved in the crash
• Sketched diagram of the accident and accident scene
• Narrative description of the car accident and the officer’s opinion as to its cause.

What Information Is In a North Carolina Police Report and Who Can Use It?

The Federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (FDPPA) and N.C. General Statute 20-43.1 require that personal information in the Division of Motor Vehicles records be closed to the public. This refers to photos, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, names, addresses, telephone numbers, and medical information. However, there are numerous exceptions to the law that make traffic crash reports and the personal information on them available to insurance companies, lawyers, judges, private investigators, researchers, and others.

Insurance companies will use the police report from your accident to investigate your claim. They may periodically search accident report records to determine whether policyholders have been involved in accidents and to adjust auto insurance premiums.

If our attorneys handle your car accident case, we will use the police report as well as what we learn from speaking with you to initiate our investigation.

Police reports are strong evidence if a claim goes to court. The accident report offers an independent assessment of what occurred. The police officer or trooper who completed the report may be called to testify about the details of the report.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Police Report After an Accident?

How long it takes to get a police report after a motor vehicle accident will depend on the law enforcement agency that investigated the crash and whether you obtain the report online, in person, or by mail.

According to North Carolina law, State Highway Patrol officers, police officers, and other law enforcement agents have 24 hours to make a written report following a car accident. The officer must then forward the report to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) within 10 days. That means the earliest a crash report may be available is 10 days after a collision. It will then take more time to get copies.

What Is the Step-by-Step Process to Get a North Carolina State Highway Patrol Crash Report?

Your crash report is an essential piece of evidence in a car accident claim. However, getting a copy isn’t as simple as you might think. You can follow these steps to get your police report, or your car accident lawyer can handle the process for you.

1.  Identify the Correct Agency

If you need to get a police report, you must first identify the law enforcement agency that investigated the car accident. Finding who was responsible for your accident report may determine who you should contact and their protocol.

2. Gather the Necessary Information

There are several pieces of information you may need to locate and obtain your crash report, such as:

• A report number
• The driver’s name, driver’s license number, and license plate number
• The date of the accident
• Where the accident occurred

You must be a person involved in the crash or a representative of the affected party to receive a copy of a police report. If you were not involved in the collision, you will need a written, signed, and notarized statement from the person involved giving you permission to request the report.

3. Make the Request

Your next steps will depend on how you would like to receive your copy of the accident report:

Online

You can search the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NC DPS) collision reports database to get a police report online. You must have the report number or a driver’s name, driver’s license number, or vehicle plate number to run a search. The database should deliver immediate results, but reports can take five to seven business days to enter the system after receipt. Crash reports obtained online are free, but they are not certified. If you need a certified report, you will have to get a copy in person or by mail.

In Person

According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), you must complete the Crash Report Request (TR-67A) form to get a certified police report in person. To complete the form, you will need the driver’s name, their driver’s license number, the county the crash occurred in, and the date of the crash. Customers who need five or fewer copies can get them immediately. You will need to deliver the form personally, along with a $6.50 fee, to one of the following:

• Raleigh Central Services/License Plate Agency, 4121 New Bern Ave., Raleigh, NC 27616
• Huntersville License Plate Agency, 12101 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road, Huntersville, NC 28078

By Mail

To get a certified police report by mail, you will need to complete the Crash Report Request (TR-67A) form and mail it in along with a $6.50 fee (payable by check or money order). Once the form is received, processing the request can take 10 business days. You can send forms to:

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

Talk to a Jacksonville, NC, Car Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident in Onslow County, contact The Law Offices of John Drew Warlick, P.A., today. We can review your case for free and answer any questions you might have about your legal options. Our attorneys work on car accident claims every day. We know what types of evidence it takes to seek the full compensation you need for the injuries and other losses you have sustained. We are ready to help you move forward after a serious accident caused by someone else’s negligence. Call us now at 910-586-3655.

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