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After a collision, the crash report can help you make sense of what happened, identify the people and insurers involved, and begin organizing an insurance or injury claim. Finding the report, however, is not always as straightforward as it should be.
Quick answer: You can request a Florida crash report through the official Florida Crash Portal. Have the crash date, county, report number, or an involved driver’s information ready. Online reports cost $10 each, plus a $2 transaction fee, and must be downloaded within 48 hours of purchase.
This guide explains how to find your Florida accident report online, who can request it, what to do if it is not available, and how to respond if something in the report appears incorrect.
What Is a Crash Report and Why Does It Matter?
A Florida crash report is an official record containing information collected after a traffic collision. Depending on the circumstances, it may be completed by a law enforcement officer or submitted by a driver using an approved self-reporting form.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is the official statewide repository for Florida traffic crash reports.
A report may contain:
- The date, time, and location of the collision.
- The names and contact information of drivers and passengers.
- Vehicle descriptions and registration information.
- Insurance company information.
- Names and contact information for known witnesses.
- Road, traffic, lighting, and weather conditions.
- The investigating officer’s name, agency, and badge number.
- Citations or suspected contributing circumstances.
- A narrative or diagram explaining how the collision occurred.
The precise content depends on whether the responding officer prepared a long-form report, short-form report, or driver exchange-of-information form. The state’s Florida Uniform Traffic Crash Report Manual explains the event, vehicle, person, narrative, and diagram sections used in official reports.
Crash Report, Driver Exchange, or Self-Report?
These documents serve different purposes:
| Document | What It Means |
| Law-enforcement crash report | An officer investigated the collision and completed a long-form or short-form report. |
| Driver exchange-of-information form | The officer documented or facilitated the exchange of driver, vehicle, and insurance details without completing a full report. |
| Driver self-report | A driver reported a qualifying minor collision when a law-enforcement report was not required. |
Florida law allows an officer to provide a short-form report or driver exchange form when a long-form report is not required. Drivers involved in certain property-damage crashes that do not require a law-enforcement report must submit a written report within 10 days. Florida Statute §316.066.
Understanding which document was created can save considerable time. If you received only a driver exchange form, a more detailed officer-completed report may not exist.
Who Can Request a Florida Accident Report?
For 60 days after a Florida crash report is filed, the report remains confidential and is generally available only to people and organizations connected to the collision.
Authorized requesters may include:
- Drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and other parties involved.
- A party’s legal representative.
- Licensed insurance agents and insurance companies.
- Certain insurance claims or underwriting contractors.
- Law-enforcement and government agencies.
- Victim-services programs.
- Authorized third parties acting for an eligible requester.
- Qualifying news organizations receiving redacted information.
A requester may need to present photo identification, show proof of eligibility, and complete a sworn statement confirming that protected information will not be used to solicit accident victims.
The 60-day period begins when the report is filed, not necessarily on the date of the crash. After that period, access can still be subject to federal privacy requirements and legally permitted uses. The current statute does not simply provide unrestricted access to anyone who wants the personal information in a report. Florida Statute §316.066(2).
If you were involved in the collision, your relationship to the crash will usually qualify you to request the report before the 60-day period ends.
How to Get a Crash Report Online in Florida
The fastest way to obtain a Florida accident report online is through the state’s official purchasing system. Avoid websites that appear to be government portals but charge additional retrieval or service fees.
How to Request Your Report Step by Step
- Identify the investigating agency. Check the paperwork or driver exchange form the officer gave you. It should name the Florida Highway Patrol, police department, or sheriff’s office that handled the crash.
- Gather the identifying information. Have as many details as possible available before beginning your search.
- Visit the official portal. Open the Florida Crash Portal operated by FLHSMV.
- Search for the report. Enter the requested crash and driver information. A report number generally provides the most precise match.
- Confirm that you are eligible. If the report is still within the 60-day confidentiality period, complete the electronic eligibility certification.
- Pay the required fee. Each report costs $10. The portal adds a $2 convenience fee to the transaction.
- Download and save the report. Purchased reports are available for 48 hours. Save the file somewhere secure instead of relying on the emailed link remaining active.
Information to Gather Before You Search
Your Florida crash report request will be easier to complete if you have:
- The crash or case number provided by the officer.
- The date of the collision.
- The county where it occurred.
- The investigating agency’s name.
- The last name of an involved driver.
- An involved driver’s license number, if available.
- A valid email address.
- Identification or proof of your relationship to the crash.
Do not worry if you are missing the report number. The portal may allow you to search using a combination of the date, county, and an involved driver’s information.
How Much Does a Florida Crash Report Cost?
The fee for a Florida crash report is $10 per report under Florida Statute §321.23. Online orders also include a $2 convenience fee per transaction.
| Charge | Amount |
| Crash report | $10 per report |
| Online convenience fee | $2 per transaction |
| Typical total for one online report | $12 |
The portal permits up to 10 reports in one transaction. Fees and procedures used by local law-enforcement agencies or third-party services may differ.
Can You Request a Report Without Using the Portal?
Yes. Depending on which agency investigated the collision, you may have other options.
| Request Method | Best For | What to Expect |
| Florida Crash Portal | Most individual requests | Fast online access once the report is available |
| Investigating agency | Recent reports or portal problems | Procedures and fees vary by police or sheriff’s office |
| FHP troop station | Qualifying Florida Highway Patrol reports | Identification and request documents may be required |
| Mail request | People unable to use the online system | Slower processing and additional paperwork |
For a mail or in-person request made during the confidential period, you may need to complete Form HSMV 94010, the Sworn Statement to Obtain a Crash Report.
What if the Report Is Not in the Portal?
A “no results” message does not necessarily mean that no report exists. Try the following:
| Possible Problem | What to Do |
| The report was not submitted yet | Wait several days and search again |
| The investigation remains open | Contact the investigating agency’s records division |
| The report number is incorrect | Check the officer’s card or exchange form |
| The wrong county was entered | Use the county where the collision occurred |
| A local agency uses another system | Check the police or sheriff’s official records page |
| Only an exchange form was created | Ask whether a full crash report exists |
| The crash was self-reported | Check your records for the form you submitted |
| The download link expired | Contact the portal or purchase the report again if required |
If you cannot identify the responding agency, start with the paperwork provided at the scene. You can also contact the police department, sheriff’s office, or Florida Highway Patrol responsible for the area where the collision occurred.
How Long Does It Take for a Crash Report to Be Available?
A Florida crash report often becomes available within several days to approximately two weeks, but there is no single guaranteed portal date.
Florida law requires an officer to submit a required long-form crash report within 10 days after completing the investigation. That does not always mean 10 days after the collision. A serious or complicated crash investigation may remain open longer. Florida Statute §316.066.
FDOT generally expects FLHSMV to receive a crash record within approximately two weeks of the event. Once FLHSMV receives and processes it, the report can appear in the portal.
If you still cannot find the report after two weeks, contact the records division of the investigating agency. Ask whether:
- The officer completed the report.
- The report has been submitted to FLHSMV.
- The investigation is still open.
- The agency uses a separate request system.
- A full report or only a driver exchange form was prepared.
Do not postpone necessary medical care, insurance notification, or other time-sensitive steps while waiting for the report.
What to Do if There Is a Mistake on the Report
If you find a mistake, document it and contact the law-enforcement agency that prepared the report. FLHSMV stores reports from agencies across the state, but the investigating agency is generally the appropriate place to ask about a correction or supplemental report.
Start by identifying what type of problem you found.
| Type of Issue | Examples |
| Clerical error | Misspelled name, incorrect address, vehicle description, or insurance company |
| Missing information | Passenger, witness, insurance policy, or vehicle information was omitted |
| Disputed observation | You disagree with the diagram, narrative, vehicle movement, or contributing circumstances |
| Later-developed information | An injury or additional evidence became apparent after the report was completed |
Steps to Address a Crash Report Error
- Review the complete report. Make sure the information is actually incorrect and not located elsewhere in the document.
- Write down the exact issue. Identify the page, section, or field containing the alleged mistake.
- Collect supporting materials. Useful documents may include your driver’s license, registration, insurance card, photographs, videos, medical records, or witness information.
- Contact the investigating agency. Ask for its procedure for requesting a correction, amendment, or supplemental report.
- Keep copies of everything. Preserve the original report, your request, supporting evidence, agency correspondence, and any corrected version.
An agency may readily correct a verifiable clerical mistake. Disagreements about an officer’s observations, diagram, or initial assessment can be more difficult. You may submit supporting information, but you cannot require an officer to adopt your interpretation of the collision.
Even if the report is not changed, additional evidence can still be used when an insurer, attorney, or court evaluates what happened.
Does the Crash Report Decide Fault?
No. A Florida crash report does not independently determine who is legally responsible for a collision.
The report is an early record of the crash scene. It can influence an insurance company’s initial evaluation, particularly when it identifies a citation, a possible contributing action, a witness, or a diagram. However, the responding officer often did not witness the collision and may not have had access to all relevant evidence.
A complete liability investigation may also consider:
- Photographs and video from the scene.
- Dashcam, traffic-camera, or surveillance footage.
- Independent witness accounts.
- Vehicle damage and debris patterns.
- Electronic vehicle or event data.
- Road and weather conditions.
- Cellphone or driving records when legally available.
- Medical documentation.
- Accident reconstruction findings.
Florida law also limits the use at trial of reports made by people involved in crashes and statements provided for the purpose of completing a report. Whether a specific part of a document may be used as evidence depends on the circumstances and applicable evidentiary rules.
That means an inaccurate diagram, missing injury notation, or an officer’s initial impression does not automatically decide an injury claim. The report should be evaluated alongside the rest of the evidence.
What to Do After You Get Your Accident Report
Once you download the report, take a few minutes to preserve it and review the information carefully.
Save and Back Up the File
Keep the original PDF in more than one secure location. The portal download expires after 48 hours, so do not depend on the emailed link as your only copy.
Confirm the Basic Information
Check:
- Driver and passenger names.
- Vehicle and insurance information.
- Crash date, time, and location.
- Witness details.
- The investigating agency and report number.
- Citations or contributing circumstances.
- The narrative and diagram.
- Any injury or emergency-transport notation.
Compare It With Your Own Records
Review the report alongside photographs, video, medical paperwork, repair estimates, insurance correspondence, and notes you made after the collision. Flag inconsistencies while the events are still relatively fresh.
Provide Accurate Information to the Insurer
An insurer may request the crash report while investigating the loss. Provide known facts, but avoid guessing about details you do not remember or the extent of injuries that are still being evaluated.
The report may affect how an adjuster approaches a claim, but it does not establish the value of the case. Before accepting a settlement offer, consider whether it accounts for the available evidence, documented losses, and future effects of the injury.
Consider Whether the Claim Needs Further Investigation
Additional investigation may be especially important when:
- The report contains a serious mistake.
- The drivers gave conflicting accounts.
- The officer did not identify or interview a witness.
- Video or electronic vehicle data may exist.
- Multiple vehicles were involved.
- The other driver or insurer disputes responsibility.
- Injuries became apparent after the scene cleared.
- The insurer is pressuring you to resolve the claim quickly.
A car accident lawyer can review the report, identify evidence that may be missing, communicate with insurers, and explain potential next legal steps.
Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Crash Reports
Can I Get My Florida Crash Report Online?
Yes. You can purchase an available report through the official Florida Crash Portal. Search using the report number or other identifying details, confirm your eligibility if the report is still confidential, pay the required fee, and download the file within 48 hours.
What Information Do I Need to Find an Accident Report in Florida?
The report number is usually the easiest way to locate the record. You may also need the crash date, county, investigating agency, involved driver’s last name, or driver’s license number. The officer’s card or driver exchange form often contains several of these details.
How Much Is a Florida Crash Report Online?
The statutory report fee is $10. An online purchase also includes a $2 convenience fee per transaction, making the typical total $12 for one report. A transaction can contain up to 10 reports.
How Long Should I Wait Before Searching for the Report?
Many reports appear within several days to approximately two weeks. The precise timing depends on when the officer completes the investigation, submits the document, and FLHSMV processes it. Complex or ongoing investigations may take longer.
Can I Get the Report During the First 60 Days?
You may request the report during the 60-day confidential period if you are an involved party or another authorized requester. Be prepared to verify your identity and relationship to the crash. The confidentiality period begins when the report is filed.
What if I Do Not Know the Crash Report Number?
Try searching with the collision date, county, and an involved driver’s information. You can also contact the investigating agency’s records division. The agency may be able to locate the report using the date, location, driver name, or case information.
Why Does the Portal Say No Report Was Found?
The report may not have been submitted, the investigation may still be open, or one of the search fields may be incorrect. It is also possible that the local agency uses another system or that only a driver exchange form was created.
Is a Driver Exchange Form the Same as a Crash Report?
Not necessarily. A driver exchange form primarily records the identities, vehicles, and insurance information of the people involved. A full crash report may contain additional observations, codes, a narrative, and a diagram. Ask the investigating agency which document was prepared.
Can I Change an Officer’s Description of the Crash?
You can contact the investigating agency and provide information supporting a correction or supplemental report. Verifiable clerical errors may be easier to correct than disputed observations or opinions. The agency decides whether and how it will update its record.
Do I Need the Crash Report Before Filing an Insurance Claim?
You generally do not need to wait for the report before notifying your insurer. The insurer may request it later as part of its investigation. Waiting for the report should not delay medical attention or other time-sensitive actions after a collision.
Get Help With Your Florida Accident Claim
Obtaining the report is only one part of understanding what happened and protecting your interests after a serious collision. If the report contains an error, leaves important questions unanswered, or does not reflect the complete evidence, Kanner & Pintaluga can help you evaluate what comes next.
Call (800) 586-5555 or request a free consultation with our team today.