Getting a Car Accident Report in San Diego

California law requires you to report a car accident if it causes an injury or death. The easiest way to report an accident is by calling 911 immediately after you are involved in a wreck. When you talk to the dispatcher, you can provide information about the time and location of the accident and have an officer sent to the scene. 

When the officer arrives, they’ll conduct a preliminary investigation, interview drivers and witnesses, and document important details, including:

• The date of the crash
• Where the car accident happened
• Initial assessments of fault and liability
• The names and contact information of parties involved in the wreck
• Citations issued, if applicable
• Diagrams and drawings of the incident
• Information about weather and traffic conditions

Even though police reports aren’t always admissible as evidence at trial in the state of California, they can be critically important when you file an insurance claim or your San Diego auto accident lawyer files a car accident lawsuit. So, you’ll want to make it a point to obtain a copy of your accident report as soon as you can after a San Diego car accident.

How Can I Get a Copy of My Car Accident Report After an Accident in San Diego?

It can take between 3 and 10 days - or longer - for your car accident report to be ready after a collision in San Diego.

You’ll have to go through the agency that made the report. Typically, this will be the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office or the San Diego Police Department.

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

If the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department responded to your collision, you can request a copy of the accident report online, in person, or by mail.

• Online: Submit a request through the Public Records Department
• In Person: Complete and submit a Service Request Form to your local Sheriff’s station or the San Diego County Sheriff’s Records & ID Division at 9621 Ridgehaven Ct, San Diego, CA 92123, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM, excluding lunchtime.
• Mail: Mail a completed Service Request Form to P.O. Box 939062, San Diego, CA 92193-9062, ATTN: Records & ID Division, Cases Section

Expect to pay $20 for a copy of your car accident report. Limited exceptions apply, including situations where a person is injured by a drunk driver.

San Diego Police Department

You’ll also have the option of getting a crash report if an officer with the San Diego Police Department responded to your car accident. You can also request a report by phone.

• Online: Visit LexisNexis eCrash and submit a request 
• In Person: Visit the Records Division at 1401 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101 between the hours of 8 AM and 4 PM Monday through Thursday and pay $12 to get a copy of your report
• Mail: Mail a formal request, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order for $12 to SDPD Records MS#726, P.O. Box 121431, San Diego, CA, 92112

If you want to request your accident report on the phone, call 866-215-2771 between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM any time during the work week.

Call Singleton Schreiber to help you evaluate your car accident report after you get hurt. Our San Diego car accident lawyers have helped clients win billions in monetary awards. We’ll use your car accident report to build a compelling claim to help you get the compensation you deserve after a San Diego crash, too.