What Type Of Information And Data Is Contained In A Police Report
The following are types of data and information that may be included in a police report. Please note that there is no universal police report. Information will vary from department to department.
- Identifying information for all parties involved in the incident, including full name, address, phone number, date of birth, social security numbers, driver license numbers
- Date of the occurrence or incident
- Location of the occurrence or incident
- The officers name and ID number
- The names of other officers who were present
- Diagrams or drawings of the scene
- The names of witnesses and their statements
- Reference number
The law enforcement case file may also contain motor vehicle information, as well as specific details of the incident and any evidence associated with the case.
Examples of police reports may include but are not limited to domestic disputes, traffic accidents, thefts, fraud, assault, burglaries, and stalking incidents. Other information that may be available includes crime surveys, crime statistics, calls for service, weather information, and traffic accident surveys.
How Can I Get A Copy Of My Police Report
**DUE TO COVID-19, REQUESTS CAN ONLY BE MADE VIA MAIL**
Requests for reports can be made through the mail only during the COVID-19 pandemic. Requests must be accompanied by a check or money order for $12 per report, payable to the City of San Diego.
The following information is necessary to identify requested report:
- parties involved
- date and location of occurrence
- report number if available
- incident number if available
Note: Arrest reports – only pages 1 & 2 can be released. The cost is 50 cents .
A third party may pick-up a Report if they have written authorization from the Reporting Party along with photo ID and the required $12 fee.
Request by mail:Send request to SDPD Records, MS#726, P.O. Box 121431, San Diego, CA, 92112-1431.Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
For questions relating to the following report types and case numbers for:
- Accident Reports
- Arrest Reports
- Auto Theft Reports
Or to confirm if a report is ready for pick-up, send e-mail questions to
*please note reports will not be faxed or emailed
For questions relating to the following report types and case numbers for:
Accident Reports
Arrest ReportsAuto Theft Reports
Or to confirm if a report is ready for pick-up, send e-mail questions to
*please note reports will not be faxed or emailed
– See more at: https://www.sandiego.gov/police/services/faqs/traffic#sthash.3FWgFC1X.dpuf
Contact us at 531-2846. Monday – Friday, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
How Do I Request A Copy Of A Police Report
Requests for copies of Police Reports must be made in writing. For your convenience, a Report Request Form is available here:
Please complete the report request form and provide a copy of a valid form of identification. Your payment must also be submitted at the time of your request. Please refer to the Report Request Form or below for pricing. You may contact the Records Unit telephonically for price confirmation. Please allow three to five working days for UCPD to process your request. Requests may be made in person or mailed to:
UCLA Police Department
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To Request A Copy Of A Vehicle Accident Report
Copies of vehicle accident reports can be obtained from the police department for a fee of $5 each . Requests can be made by mail or in person. Before you come in to pick up a report for a very recent accident, please call first to make sure the report is available.
These reports can also be obtained for a fee via the site: docview.us.com. This offers you the convenience of printing the document on your own. Please visit the site for the most current instructions and fees.
Typically, all drivers in an accident receive a copy of the report from the officer on the scene or soon after by mail. You must mail this copy to the Illinois Department of Transportation within 10 days if there was $500 or more worth of damage and the vehicle was occupied at the time of the accident. The copy available at the police department contains more information, including the officer’s version of the accident and if any tickets were issued.
Get A Copy Of Your Police Records
You have the right to ask for a copy of records the police have about you. This is called a subject access request.
You might need a subject access request if you move to another country.
A subject access request has records from:
- police forces in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Jersey and the Isle of Man
- the British Transport Police
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Are Police Reports Admissible In Court
While police reports are commonly used in car insurance settlement negotiations, admitting a police report as evidence when you file a car accident lawsuit is not quite as clear cut.
In small claims courts, litigants are usually permitted to use police reports as evidence in their car accident case. You will not be expected to know all the rules of evidence, so judges typically will allow plaintiffs and defendants to use the police report in explaining what happened.
If your car accident case goes to trial in your state’s court of general jurisdiction , you should know that parties in these cases are held to the rules of evidence and must contend with whether the police report falls within the rule against “hearsay” evidence, which keeps out many out-of-court statementsby definition, any assertion made in a police report is a statement that was made out of court. In some jurisdictions, the police report may fall within the “public records” or “business records” exception for admissibility. In other jurisdictions, different exceptions to the hearsay rule may apply and allow you to admit some or all of the police report as evidence.
If the police report isn’t helpful to your position, or if there are early signs that the other side is digging in for a fight, having an attorney on your side can be critical. Learn more about how a car accident attorney can help, and get tips on finding the right injury lawyer for you and your case.
Submit Your Request Online
The easiest way to submit a request is by using the Access to Information and Privacy Online Request service. It’s fast and convenient. This service allows you to make online requests for information instead of having to print, scan, mail or email a paper form.
The Government of Canada’s online portal lists the information you should have on hand before submitting your request.
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Third Parties Obtaining Reports
Sometimes third parties who were not involved in the actions mentioned in police reports might want copies of them. In these instances, most states will only allow third parties to obtain copies of police reports if the matters enclosed within the reports have already been closed. However, some states may allow third parties to obtain copies of police reports even when the cases are pending. Generally, third parties must know the case number of the reports that they want and must go to the county clerks office where the police report was filed to obtain a copy of the reports. There is usually a fee for the reports to be printed as well.
The process of obtaining copies of police reports is slightly different for different groups of people. However, they typically are not difficult to obtain, no matter who wants them.
Make A Request By Email Or Mail
If you can’t make a request online, you can complete the RCMP’s Access to Information Request Form and email it to or mail it to the address below. If you can’t download or print the form, you may also submit a letter clearly indicating that your request is being made under the Access to Information Act and describe the following:
- The records you are seeking. Be as specific as possible.
- Your preferred method of receiving the records .
- Your email address or telephone number in case we need clarification.
- Your name, street address, city or town, province or territory and postal code.
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Request A Police Incident Report Copy
Effective Tuesday, July 6, 2021, SFPD Police Headquarters at 1245 Third Street will reopen to the public after a temporary closure due to the COVID pandemic.
You may request a police incident report in person at SFPD Police Headquarters during our normal business hours of 8 am-5 pm, Monday – Friday .
The SFPD Crime Information Services Unit is responsible for processing incident report requests from the public, law enforcement agencies and other authorized organizations. The unit also processes local criminal background checks for agencies entitled to that information under the law. For all other requests that are not incident reports or local background checks, please contact the appropriate department within SFPD.
Request An Accident Report Online
**UNDER CONSTRUCTION** You can try searching for your case number, but if it is not available through Lexis Nexis then you will need to request it via the steps in the section above. Sorry for any inconvenience.
To request a copy of an accident report have your case number available go to Lexis Nexis Accident Report search
Most accident reports written by the Walnut Creek Police Department can be obtained online. However some may not. Reasons an accident report may not be available online are:
- The accident did not occur in the jurisdiction of the Walnut Creek Police Department.
- There were serious injuries and/or a fatality as a result of the accident.
- There was a crime associated with the accident report.
- The report is not complete.
- The report cannot be released by applicable laws.
Reports are typically available within 5 to 10 days. If the report is not available online after 10 days, please contact the Walnut Creek Police Records Division at 925-943-5890.
Cost of an online accident report is $5.00, which is paid directly to Lexis Nexis.
The Walnut Creek Police Department reserves the right to restrict the availability of online accident reports.
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How Can I Get A Copy Of My Criminal Record
Criminal History : Local criminal history for the City of San Diego only, can be obtained in person on Tuesday and Thursdays only, between the hours of 8:00am to 11:00am. You must have a valid government identification and $12.00 cash, check or money order only. No Credit of Debit cards accepted.
* If a local criminal history longer than seven years is required, you must go to: www.oag.ca.gov/fingerprints
Criminal History for Immigration purposes requires a “Clearance” or “Good Conduct” letter and must be obtain through the San Diego Sheriffs Department.
The San Diego Sheriffs Department is located at 9621 Ridgehaven CourtCall 974-2020 for fees and hours.orSheriffs Records Division: 974-2110
You may also request this information from your attorney by providing him/her with a letter of authorization. The information provided will be San Diego Police Department arrests only. For a full criminal history record, contact the California Department of Justice.
Are Police Reports Public Records
Many types of police records are exempt from public disclosure. There are two main reasons why they arent publicly available. First, disclosing the information could undermine an ongoing investigation. Second, it could jeopardize someones privacy and safety. In some cases, departments will release certain information related to the report, such as to a reporter doing a story. However, they rarely release a full copy.
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Request Crime And Accident Reports
The Baltimore County Police Department provides copies of crime and accident reports by mail. There is a $15 fee for each report, unless you are a victim of a crime. A copy of your incident report is free of charge if you are a crime victim.
To request a report, download a copy of the Police Report Request Form and send to:
Baltimore County Police DepartmentInformation and Records Management Unit, Records Requests700 East Joppa Road
Please include the following with your request:
- Report number, if known
- Date and time of the incident
- Location of the incident
- Names of the individuals involved
- Your name
Please enclose:
- A check or money order payable to Baltimore County, Maryland in the amount of $15 for each report. Do not send cash. This fee is nonrefundable. Please note that incident reports are only free if you are a victim of a crime.
- A business-sized, stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Please allow about two weeks for us to process your report. To hear a recorded message detailing these procedures, call 410-887-2390.
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Request Copy Of A Police Report
Police Reports and Traffic Accident Reports may be requested by completing a
Traffic accident reports may also be purchased online, if available, through Lexis Nexis.
FEES:
- $5 for each accident report requested
- No fee for police reports for up to 50 pages of standard paper copies. After 50 pages, there is a $0.15/page charge.
- $1 for CD or DVD copies
- Payments may be made via cash or check only
Questions? Call CPD at 217-351-4545 or email .
Note: Dispatch tickets must be requested through METCAD 9-1-1.
How To Get A Copy Of A Police Report
A police report is generated by the investigating officer who responds to a request for assistance at the scene of a car accident. The police report is a summary of information regarding the crashusually containing facts related to the accident and opinions of the investigating officer.
There are two ways to obtain a police report. One way will cost you money, the other probably will not. To obtain a paid copy of the police report, you need to request a copy from the local law enforcement office that drafted the report. Before leaving the scene of the crash, the investigating officer typically will hand you a receipt with the identification number for the police report. Call the traffic division of the local law enforcement agency that responded to the scene of the car accident, pay the administrative fee , and you should have no problem obtaining a copy.
If you do not have or do not know the identification number for the police report, you can provide the date, time, and location of the car accident, along with your name, to assist in locating the report.
To obtain a free copy of the police report, you can ask the insurance adjuster who is handling your claim if they requested the report, and ask for a copy.
Regardless of how you obtain the police report, it may take a few weeks for the investigating officer to complete the report, and for it to become available.
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How Much Will It Cost How Can I Pay For It
The cost of a report is listed below with the exception of a Domestic Violence report which is released at no cost to the victim pursuant to Family Code section 6228. If your request is approved, you will be contacted to arrange pick-up and payment of the report. If your request is denied, you will receive a written denial in accordance with Government Code section 6255.
The cost to obtain a police or EMS incident report is $17.00.
The cost to obtain a police arrest report is $25.00.
Traffic accident reports have a separate fee structure:
Property Damage Only: $44.00Major Injury Report: $160.00Fatality: $300.00
Checks should be made payable to U.C. Regents. Cash and major credit cards are accepted in person at the UCLA Police Department.
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Who May Request A Copy Of A Police Report
Crime and Incident Reports
- Insurance carrier against which a claim has been made and/or might be made
- Person suffering bodily injury, property damage or loss
Not released:
- If the disclosure would endanger the safety of a witness or other involved party
- If disclosure could endanger the successful completion of an investigation and/or related investigation
- Name and address of a victim of certain specified crimes will not be disclosed
- If the Department is prohibited by law from releasing the report
Traffic Collision Reports
- Drivers involved in the collision
- Registered owners of vehicles involved
- Parents of a minor driver involved
- Passengers involved listed in the report
- Insurance companies
- Those incurring property damage as a result of the accident
- Those who may incur civil liability as a result of the accident
- Any attorney who declares under penalty of perjury that he or she represents any of the above persons
Juvenile Reports
Released to:
- Parents of a juvenile may receive a copy of certain types of reports if their child is the only juvenile identified in the report.