Vehicle Accident Report — Get the Crash Report or Check by VIN.

The term has two common meanings. First, it can mean the police crash report (also called a collision or accident report) that the responding law-enforcement agency files after a specific collision. That document records the date, location, parties, vehicles, insurance details, road conditions, an officer's narrative, any citations, and often a diagram of the crash. Second, in the used-car context, a vehicle accident report means a car's reported accident history compiled from its 17-character VIN — the pattern of reported collisions, structural repairs, airbag deployments, and total-loss records across the vehicle's life. If you were just in a crash you want the police report; if you're buying a used car you want the VIN-based history.

Request it from the agency that responded to your crash. City streets are usually covered by city police, unincorporated county roads by the sheriff, and interstates and state highways by the state police or highway patrol — only the responding agency holds the report. Use the report number the officer gave you at the scene and request the report through the department's records unit in person, by mail, or via its online portal. Many states also centralize crash records through a state DOT or DMV portal. Reports are typically ready a few business days after the crash, and there may be a small copy fee. Involved parties and their insurers are entitled to obtain the report.

Find the 17-character VIN on the lower driver-side windshield, the driver-side door jamb, the title, or the insurance card, and enter it in the form on this page. The tool validates the VIN and checks it against reported-accident records, insurance total-loss declarations, and the NMVTIS title file. On the free tier it flags whether accident records exist for the vehicle; the full report lists each reported event with dates and severity, along with airbag-deployment and structural-damage flags and any salvage or total-loss records. This is the report you want when vetting a used car, because it covers the whole vehicle rather than a single incident.

Partly. Your own police crash report is usually low-cost but rarely truly free — most agencies and state portals charge a small copy fee. For a used-car accident history, the check on this page is free to run: enter the VIN and we flag whether reported-accident records exist at no cost and with no sign-up. The full detail — every reported event with dates and severity, airbag and structural-damage flags, and total-loss records — is part of the $14.99 full report. Be wary of any site promising a completely 'free accident report on a vehicle' that demands a credit card before it shows you a single result.

In Florida, crash reports are handled through the state's crash-records system as well as the individual responding agency. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles operates an online crash-report portal where involved parties, their attorneys, and insurers can purchase a report, and the Florida Highway Patrol and local police departments also provide reports directly. Note that under Florida law, crash reports are confidential for an initial period after the crash and released only to those with a statutory right to them. Search 'Florida crash report request' for the official state portal. If instead you're checking a used car in Florida, run its VIN in the form on this page for the accident history.

In California, the officer's Report of Traffic Collision is obtained from the agency that investigated the crash — typically the California Highway Patrol on state highways and freeways, or the local police or sheriff's department elsewhere. You request it from that agency's records unit, usually by submitting a form and paying a fee, and involved parties and their insurers are entitled to a copy. There is a waiting period while the report is completed and reviewed. If your goal is instead to check a used California car's accident history before buying, that comes from the VIN, not a single agency — enter the VIN on this page to see whether reported accidents exist.

Yes. Crashes involving commercial motor vehicles — semis, buses, and other large trucks — generate the same police crash report plus additional federal records. Serious commercial-vehicle crashes are recorded in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) systems and factor into a carrier's safety score, and the vehicle and driver may be subject to inspection reports. For buying a used commercial truck, the VIN-based history still applies and will surface reported accidents, total-loss records, and title brands; for a carrier's overall safety and crash record, the FMCSA's public tools are the authoritative source alongside the individual crash reports.