Get Yourself And Your Vehicle Out Of Danger
If youre not injured and the accident was minor, carefully drive your car to the side of the road so it doesnt impede traffic. Keep your hazard lights on and set up flares or reflective emergency triangles to alert other drivers to slow down. However, if the crash is more severe or if anyone is hurt, leave the vehicles where they are.
Even if you dont think youve been injured, be extra careful when getting out of your car, especially if the accident took place on a highway or busy street. You may not be thinking logically, which could put you in danger.
How To Submit An Online Report
The online civilian incident system allows you to submit a report to the police immediately and print a draft copy of the police report for free. You will be required to create an online account to file your first report. Keep your login and password for future use. Please note: It is a crime to make a false police report.
NOTICE:If your incident involves a firearm of any kind, call and an officer will be sent to investigate.
Please confirm the following to find out if the Online Citizen Police Report is right for you:
- This is not an emergency
- This incident occurred in Lexington/Fayette County, Kentucky
- You do not have any suspect information
- You are at least 18 years old
- You have a valid email address
- The crime did not involve a firearm
- The reported crime is one of the following:
a. Harassing Communications b. Fraudulent Use of a Debit/Credit Card c. Theft by Unlawful Taking d. Criminal Mischief e. Lost Property f. Larceny from Auto
If you meet the above criteria, you are ready to file your report online. Please make sure to turn off your pop-up blocking software before filing the report. If you do not meet the above criteria, call to speak with an officer.
VICTIMS RIGHTS
Get A Copy Of A Public Safety Report
You can get copies of public safety records from the Department of Records. This includes:
- Traffic accident reports .
- Police incident or offense reports.
- Emergency medical services reports.
- Police record checks.
- Letters of good conduct.
Some reports may contain confidential information and are not available to everyone. See the applications to learn about who can apply.
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Why Can’t I Report All Crimes Online
- Only crimes that have no suspects, are not in progress and do not involve injury can be reported online.
- Some crimes and incidents may require evidence collection or other investigative procedures requiring an officer’s involvement.
- Among others, online reporting is NOT appropriate for the following crimes or incidents:
- Incidents occurring within past 30 minutes
- Violent crimes, completed or attempted
- Theft or loss of a firearm
- Theft or loss of prescription drugs or other controlled substances.
- Stolen vehicles, completed or attempted
- Stolen license plate
- Burglary of your home or business
- Crimes committed due to race, religion, ethnic or national origin, disability and/or sexual orientation
- Aggressive driving
What To Do After You Get Your Police Report
Once you have a copy of the police report, it is important that you review it to ensure that all of the information is correct and that there are no errors or omissions of information on this report. Many times, the responding officer that created the report may leave off vital information that is stored elsewhere simply as an oversight or because they have too many things going on at once. This does not mean that this information is unavailable. You should be able to reach out to the responding officer and get the information you need to fill in the blanks on your police report.
When you are reviewing your police report looking through the list of citations given to the driver at fault for your collision can help provide you with additional perspective. This type of information cannot be used when seeking recompense, especially in a court of law, but it can help you understand what happened and what the other driver may have done wrong that resulted in your accident and injuries.
If your vehicle was taken from the scene of the accident by tow truck, you may need to have a copy of your police report handy to retrieve your vehicle. This is even more critical in cases where family members are collecting vehicles on behalf of a seriously injured victim. In this case, you will also need power of attorney over your loved one in order to make decisions on their behalf or talk about their accident or case with any involved parties.
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Review Your Police Report
Unless the police officer makes note of any applicable statutory violations, the officer probably wont give an opinion on fault during their investigation. You will need to get a copy of your car accident report. Its normally available within 10 days.
Because its considered hearsay , the police report is not admissible in court. However, its frequently used by insurance companies in deciding liability. You should carefully review the report and if you discover mistakes, you can request the report be revised.
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What If I Need To Change My Report After I File It
You will have the ability to file online supplemental reports. If you have already filed a report through the online system, we strongly encourage you to continue to update and add information through this system. This decreases the risk of filing the same report twice, and also makes it easier to keep your information tied to the correct report number.
You will need either:
- Your temporary transaction
- Your police report number
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Car Accident Police Reports
Car accident police reports are mandated in every state. This is because they happen so often and it is vital to keep drivers responsible through legal consequences.
Many states have laws in place to keep residents accountable and safe. These laws mandate getting a police report after an accident. Some states like Colorado require drivers to file a report even for minor fender benders.
On the other hand, states like Vermont mandate that drivers only need to make a car accident police report if the total damage, property or personal injury, is over $3,000. Most states require that you file within 10 days of the accident. Drivers who fail to make a report can get their license suspended or incur violation fines.
A complete and comprehensive accident police report includes the following information:
- Date, time and location of the accident
- Names, address, phone numbers car information and insurance information of all parties involved in accident
- Information that identifies witnesses
- Description of damage on vehicles and injuries
- Weather and road conditions at the site of the accident
- Statements from all parties involved in accident
- Citations given
- Opinion of cause of collision from all parties involved
Requesting A Police Report By Mail
The process of requesting a copy of a police report by mail is a bit more involved. In many jurisdictions, you are required to make your Public Access Request via mail. Typically, the agency will provide a form online for you to fill out, but some places are fine with you writing a letter to ask for the police report.
1. Figure out where to send the Public Access Request form or letter.
Your local police department may have a specific address and addressee for police report requests listed on their website. If they dont, simply address it to the Records and Identification Division, and use the general address listed online for the department.
2. Fill out the form or write the letter.
After you have found the location to send your request, you should be able to easily find out if they want you to send a request form or a letter. If the information is not readily available on the site, just call and ask which method they prefer. If it is available, filling out a request form is typically the easiest method because you wont have to worry about leaving out information.
If you write a letter instead of filling out the form, be sure to include the following information:
- Your Name, Birthdate, and Address
- The date and location of the incident
- Your role in the case
- The officers name who filed the report
- What exactly you are requesting
3. Gather additional materials and send the form/letter.
4. Pay for the police report.
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Why Police Reports Matter
Police reports are public records and in some states they may be viewable by just about anybody. Usually there are restrictions on how those records can be used, particularly by employers, landlords, and financial institutions. As already mentioned, police reports are particularly usefuland they may even be necessarywhen filing a claim with your insurer. The contents of a police report are important, so you need to make sure that any police report pertaining to you is accurate and does not cast you in an unnecessarily bad light.
Do I Need A Police Report Even If No One Was Hurt
Yes. Even if no one was hurt in a car accident, a police report can help make determinations about who was at fault and what accident-related losses and compensation you might recover. Additionally, a police report is a key piece of evidence insurance companies will use to form their own opinions about the involved parties claims, and may even be admissible in court if the other party files a lawsuit.
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What Crimes Can I Report Online
If the crime you need to report is not listed, you cannot file it online. This includes or anything that requires immediate action. The online reporting system is not monitored live, if you need an immediate response, dial 9-1-1.
*Using the online reporting system for anything not listed below will potentially delay our response to your request.
| Property Crimes |
Crimes that can be filed online usually do not require an in-person police response.
To file online, the following criteria must be met:
- This is not an emergency situation.
- The incident occurred within Seattle city limits.*
- There are no known suspects or information about the crime that can be followed up on.
Seattle residentsIdentity Theft
How To Find Police Reports And Arrest Records Across Multiple Jurisdictions
Conducting your investigation can become complicated if you need to do a background search on someone who has lived in multiple jurisdictions. To simplify things, an internet-based specialized investigation company can provide a comprehensive, multi-state search in one easy step. This allows you to search for multiple records from all over the country quickly and easily. And you can avoid the hassle of searching for individual records from government entities.
BeenVerified has an online search form for public records. BeenVerifieds automated search aggregates from hundreds of databases and repositories. To search, go to the online search form and enter the persons first name, last name, and city. The form will search multiple public records databases and list potential matching names. Scroll through the list and select the person youre searching for, then click Build Report.
Questions and More Information
If you have any questions about how to get a copy of your police report, please leave a comment below. Also, view more Law Enforcement Resources.
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Hit And Run Police Report
Accidents involving a hit and run by one or more parties can result in serious penalties so it especially necessary to make a hit and run police report. Hit and runs are illegal and can result in license revocation and even criminal charges.
Filing a police report for a hit and run is imperative even if you do not have much information about the other party or their vehicle.
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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Getting A Accident Or Incident Report From The Service Counter
For the foreseeable future, to obtain an accident or incident report from our Records Management, please follow the below steps:
- To have a copy of an accident report or incident report emailed to you or sent via United States Postal Service
- Email or depending on which report you need
- Include in your email, the report number, if you have it your name name of involved, if not yourself, and your relationship to them date occurred and location occurred.
- A copy of the report will be sent to you if located. If not located, you will be notified of additional information needed or reason report cannot be released.
How To Get A Police Report
By law, certain police records and violation reports prepared and maintained by the Police Department are accessible to the general public.
If you need to get a copy of a police report, do this. First, begin by researching the requirements of the police department responsible for the incidents jurisdiction. Then, follow the departments exact protocol for requesting and receiving those records. Start by checking the police departments website. Expand your search to the city website if you dont find anything on the police departments website.
Obtain and Fill Out Request Forms
Some departments may require that you complete a request form, sometimes called a request for public records. This may also be known as a request for open records. When you check the department website, see if you can download the request form from their site. If so, fill out the request form and submit it according to the directions.
Most request forms will require you to provide the first and last names of at least one of the involved parties. In addition, youll need the location, date, and time of the incident, and in some cases, the incident or case number.
Submitting the Request Form
Important Notes Regarding Submitting Requests for Police Reports
- It may take a few days or more to obtain the official documents
- Charges for obtaining copies of the documents may vary by city or jurisdiction
- Very few departments allow access to records online
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How Is A Police Report Used During A Car Accident Settlement Or Lawsuit
In civil cases, police reports are not admissible. Typically, most courts consider police reports as inadmissible hearsay. The police officer who responded to the accident and filled out the police report can testify in court, but the record itself cannot be used as evidence.
In terms of insurance claims, accident reports are commonly used as evidence. In fact, claims adjusters will often rely on the information and evidence in a report to determine which party was negligent and whether to deny your claim or offer a settlement.
While you can still file an insurance claim without a police collision report, submitting the crash report can significantly help your claim if you were involved in an accident with a negligent driver.
Free Public Police Records
The current statistics in the US is known to have one of the most number of crimes and arrested offenders and it is seriously increasing in numbers. It is also alarming that there are ex-convicts who already served their punishments and were freed but many are returning to jail for another committed offence. It pays to be aware of the current situation as we are engaging to a lot of people these days.
While police officers are doing their best in implementing peace and order in the entire state, it is also our responsibility to protect ourselves as the first line of defense from harmful people. By doing so, performing a Free Public Police Records check on someone is helpful in getting to know more of the person you are engaging to. The people can always make use of the governments public records retrieval because these are freely accessible to whoever wants to have a copy of arrest warrants, criminal history and arrest records of someone.
The state government such as the sheriffs office is a good place to begin your search if you want to conduct a criminal background check personally. They keep all outstanding warrants, county jail records, arrest and criminal records. They will require you to fill out and submit a request form for such record retrieval. Personal identification cards such as your drivers license and social security IDs must be presented for identity verification.
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Obtain A Copy Of Your Car Accident Report
The next step is requesting a copy of your police collision report. Even if you decide not to hire an attorney, obtaining a copy of your crash report is something you can do to help prove your claim for compensation. Getting a copy of your police report can be tricky, considering most law enforcement agencies have different waiting periods and methods of how to request a copy of a police report. If you were injured in the accident and/or your vehicle was totaled, you may not have a way to pick up your report in person.
If youve decided to request your incident report by mail, you may find that youll have to wait several weeks or months for your crash report to arrive, depending on how many other requests the department is handling at that time. All police accident report requests are answered in the order theyre received.
There can be other complications that can make it difficult to obtain your police collision report through the mail. Some police departments may request a copy of your valid drivers license or government-issued ID. They often want these copies notarized. If youre injured and dont have a working vehicle, its just one more problem youll have to figure out.