How to request a Los Angeles accident report

1. Confirm which agency holds the report

Los Angeles can mean the city, the county, or the wider region. That distinction matters when finding records. A county-area or contract-city collision handled by Sheriff's deputies requires LASD's process. A freeway collision investigated by CHP requires CHP's process, even when the location is within Los Angeles.

Check the officer's card, incident receipt, or other paperwork for the full agency name and report number. If the name is missing, ask the responding station which agency documented the event. Do not pay unrelated portals simply because their search results mention Los Angeles.

2. Separate obtaining a copy from filing a report

A copy request asks for a record that already exists. If no report was made, a records purchase will not create one. Ask the appropriate agency how to report the incident instead.

LAPD's File a Police Report page provides a separate service for eligible incidents and explains the review process. A temporary submission number should not be confused with the final approved report number. Check eligibility and contact the department if the instructions do not fit your circumstances. For immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911.

For other post-collision steps, see our California accident checklist.

3. Use LAPD's official online or mail instructions

The LAPD report-request page links to its LexisNexis service and a mail option. LAPD asks requesters to allow at least 45 days before attempting an online purchase. This is a minimum review period, not a guaranteed delivery date.

Reports involving an arrest, fatality, or juvenile, and reports issued before February 1, 2016, use the mail process under those instructions. Follow the linked form and verify the current fee, payee, and mailing address before sending payment.

Official LAPD pages display conflicting fees, so this guide does not choose an amount. Its Obtain a Traffic Collision Report page also lists a recorded information line for report-status guidance.

4. Prepare one accurate request

Keep an incident summary beside you: when and where the collision happened, involved names, vehicle details, and any report number. Mark an approximate time as approximate. Mention if the event crossed midnight.

Vehicle Code section 20012 provides access for people with a proper interest, including involved drivers, named injured people, owners of damaged vehicles or property, and certain representatives. Knowing someone involved does not automatically establish your eligibility.

Use the selected agency's checklist for identification and authorization. Check the return address, attachments, signature, and payment, then keep a copy. Send sensitive identification through the agency's designated channel rather than an unfamiliar email address.

5. For an LASD report, confirm the right records unit

The Sheriff's Records and ID Bureau FAQ describes mail requests and appointment-based pickup. It lists (562) 345-4441 for starting a request and arranging an appointment. Confirm the current identification, payment, location, and service requirements before traveling or mailing documents.

The separate LASD Record Requests page helps route different records. It directs discovery requests connected with an upcoming non-criminal court case to the relevant station's Traffic Bureau. An ordinary report copy, court discovery, and a request for another kind of record may therefore require different handling.

Describe the record you need and ask which unit should receive it.

6. For a CHP investigation, use CHP’s request process

The current CHP request page offers an online Crash Portal and CHP 190 requests by mail or in person. See our CHP collision-report guide for the different routes and requirements. CHP cannot retrieve another police department’s report.

For a freeway incident, keep the route, direction, nearest exit or landmark, and investigating office together. Those details are more useful than a broad description such as near downtown. Verify payment instructions with the office handling the request.

7. Track the request and preserve other evidence

If a portal returns no match, check the agency selection and incident details. Ask whether the report is pending, restricted from online release, held elsewhere, or absent. Log the submission date, confirmation number, payment, and response.

When the copy arrives, save the complete original. List factual concerns separately and ask the investigating agency about corrections or supplements. Do not edit the report itself.

Organize request details with the accident document organizer. Continue preserving camera evidence while records are pending. A report request should not be assumed to include recordings, and do not assume waiting for a copy extends a claim deadline.