How Long Does It Take to Get a Police Report After a Car Accident?

After a car crash, everything moves quickly. Except paperwork, which always seems to take a little longer. A police report is a critical part of both an insurance claim and a personal injury case, so if you’re in a rush to get one, you’re not alone. Each jurisdiction has a slightly different process and timeline, but knowing what to expect in general from Pennsylvania police departments can help you navigate your car accident claim more easily.

At KBG Injury Law, we are committed to helping accident victims fight for fair and full compensation. Call us today to discuss your case with one of our experienced car accident attorneys.

Pennsylvania’s crash report system

If the Pennsylvania State Police respond to your car accident call, you can request your crash report online or by mail. You must allow up to 15 days after the accident date.

To search for a crash report, you need either the case number or the last name and date of the incident. Once you’ve found the report you need, you can purchase it directly through the site by paying the current $22 fee. If you would like to request a report by mail instead, you must complete Form SP 7-0015, “Application to Obtain Copy of Police Crash Report,” and mail it with your $22 payment to the PSP Crash Reports Unit.

If a city or county police department handled your accident, you’ll need to look into their specific report request procedures. For example, if the Philadelphia Police Department responded to your collision, it generally takes about two to three weeks to get a report, although processing times can vary depending on volume. You need to fill out an application and affidavit to receive a crash report. The fee for a report is $25.

What delays a police report request?

If you’ve waited the required time but your crash report is still unavailable, there may be other factors complicating the case or delaying its release. Some issues that may lead to delays in crash reports include:

• Complex accidents requiring more in-depth investigations: While most accidents are fairly cut-and-dry, others require more police resources and investigative work. Serious crashes involving severe or fatal injuries, hit-and-run accidents, DUI-related accidents, and multi-car pileups often take longer to investigate and finalize.
• Supervisor review: Officers may be required to submit reports to supervisors for review before releasing them to the involved parties, which can result in delays.
• Missing or corrected information: If information was unavailable or recorded incorrectly at the time of the collision, the responding officer may need to add or correct the information before finalizing their report.
• Backlog of reports: When there is a significant number of accidents, for example, over the holidays, it may take a few extra days for reports to be completed and submitted.
• Public records rules: Crash reports in Pennsylvania are not public records, but they are available to involved parties, insurers, attorneys, and certain authorized entities.

If you’ve waited the necessary amount of time, but you still can’t get a copy of your police report, you might need to be a little more assertive to get your report.

How to speed up the process

You’ve waited the amount of time required by the agency that investigated your crash, but when you submit your request, you’re still getting an error message or a “report not available” message. What now?

If you’ve retained a car accident attorney to handle your claim, it may be time to loop them in. While you should legally be able to secure a copy of your police report, having your lawyer request it may help move the request forward. If you don’t yet have a lawyer handling your case, you can inform your insurance adjuster of your struggles to get a police report. They, too, may be able to reach out directly to the police department and get the documentation you need.

What to do if you receive a report with errors

Not getting a police report is stressful; getting one with errors is even worse. An incorrect police report can cause the insurance companies and attorneys on both sides to misattribute liability and misunderstand what happened in the crash. This can complicate your claim and make it harder for you to get the compensation you are owed.

You can’t personally change the report, but you can reach out to the agency that drafted the report to request an addendum, supplemental statement, or updated police report. Agencies are not required to change findings or conclusions. If they refuse to help, this is another time when looping in your attorney can be very helpful. They can contact the police department directly, explain the situation, and insist on a corrected police report.

We know that chasing down a police report is the last thing you want to do when you are recovering from injuries and adjusting to life after an accident. However, the sooner you have a report in hand, the sooner you can begin your personal injury claim.

Choose KBG Injury Law for your car accident claim

The sooner you reach out to a car accident attorney after an accident, the more quickly they can begin investigating your crash and fighting for you. Call our team today or contact us online to set up a consultation.