How to Get a Crash Report in Oregon

Oregon DMV keeps the crash reports that police file with it. Oregon State Police says requests for crash reports should go to DMV.^1,2,3,5

DMV lists this record as the Police Traffic Crash Report. The copy you get is a photocopy of the police report filed with DMV.^1,3

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) calls Oregon a self-reporting state, and police do not attend every crash. ODOT says about half of the crash cases it receives include a police crash report.⁶

In some crashes, drivers must also file their own collision report with DMV. DMV does not give out copies of these driver reports, but it can send some information from them in a certified letter.^4,6,7

By mail (individuals): Use DMV's Order Your Own Record form (Form 735-7266). Choose the Police Traffic Crash Report option (code PA) and give the crash date and county. Add enough information for DMV to verify your identity. Enclose a check or money order payable to Oregon DMV. Mail it to DMV Records Services, 1905 Lana Ave NE, Salem OR 97314. DMV mails the record to the address on your DMV record unless you say otherwise. You can give a fax number to get it by fax, but DMV cannot email it. DMV Records Services answers questions about the form, and its contact details are on the form.^3,4,8

By mail (businesses): A business without a DMV Record Inquiry Account uses DMV's Request for Information form (Form 735-7122). Fill in the driver information and the crash date and county, then sign the form. Send it with any documents that show you qualify for personal information and a check or money order payable to Oregon DMV.^4,8,9

At a DMV office: DMV's How to Request a DMV Record guide says field offices can order records for customers, including your own record. Bring proof of identity. All DMV offices accept cash, credit or debit cards and checks.^8,10

From Oregon State Police: OSP says crash report requests should go to DMV. For OSP's own records, such as an investigative report, use OSP's online records request form or its paper Public Records Request form. OSP accepts the paper form by mail or in person only. Send your request without payment. OSP then sends a letter that explains the fees.^5,11

You need the crash date and the county where the crash happened. If you don't know the county, give the nearest city.^3,9

DMV cannot find a police crash report by its police report number. A request without the crash date and county is returned unprocessed.⁹

To order by mail on Form 735-7266, include enough information for DMV to verify your identity, such as your date of birth, place of birth and the address on your DMV record.³

A Form 735-7122 request must include the completed and signed form and any documents that show you qualify for personal information.⁸

To request a record in person, bring an Oregon driver license, permit or ID card, or one item from DMV's identity list in OAR 735-62-0020.⁸

An uncertified copy of a police crash report from DMV costs $8.50. A certified copy costs $9.50.^1,3,12

The $8.50 covers DMV's search for the report. You pay it even if DMV does not find the report.^1,4,12

If you order by mail, pay by check or money order made out to Oregon DMV.⁸

A certified letter with information from a driver's Oregon Traffic Collision and Insurance Report costs $12.50. DMV charges this fee whether or not it finds the record.⁴

Oregon State Police charges a $12.50 flat rate for an investigative report when processing takes 30 minutes or less. That covers up to 10 pages. This is an OSP record, separate from the DMV crash report copy.⁵

DMV says certain records ordered at a field office are mailed from DMV Headquarters in Salem the next business day.⁸

Oregon State Police says a public records request to OSP may take up to 30 days or more.⁵

If you qualify this way, you can get personal information about any owner, driver or occupant of a vehicle involved, as shown on the police crash report. You can also get personal information about any witness listed on the report.¹²

Entities that qualify for personal information include attorneys, legitimate businesses, insurance companies, police agencies and other government agencies. If you qualify but are not listed on Form 735-7122, you can send a written request that explains how you qualify and why you need the information.⁸

DMV sources differ on what happens if you do not qualify. DMV's fee list says DMV returns the request and payment. DMV's records privacy page says you can still order records, but they are sanitized to remove all personal information except your own. Sanitized records can only be ordered by mail from DMV Headquarters.^4,8,13

Information from a driver's Oregon Traffic Collision and Insurance Report is available to anyone involved in the collision, their family, or their personal representative. It includes the identity of owners, drivers and occupants, vehicle registration, insurance information and witness names.⁴

When a law enforcement agency in Oregon investigates a crash, it fills out the Oregon Police Traffic Crash Report (#46A). It submits the report to DMV under ORS 810.460.²

If you were a driver in a crash in Oregon, state law requires you to file a report with DMV within 72 hours in certain cases. A report is required if someone was injured or killed, if your vehicle has over $2,500 in damage, or if any vehicle has over $2,500 in damage and any vehicle was towed from the scene. It is also required if anyone's property other than a vehicle involved has over $2,500 in damage. If you cannot file within 72 hours, file as soon as possible.^7,14

You must file even if police file a report. Drivers licensed in another state and non-residents must file too. If your crash meets these rules, you must also notify police right away.^7,14

If you have an Oregon license, permit or ID number, you can file online through DMV2U. If you are not eligible for the online report, use the paper Oregon Traffic Collision and Insurance Report (Form 735-32).^7,14

You can pick up the paper form at a DMV office or a local law enforcement department. DMV Customer Assistance can also send it to you by mail, fax or email. To file it, mail it to the DMV Crash Reporting Unit, 1905 Lana Ave NE, Salem, Oregon 97314, fax it to that unit, or hand it in at a DMV office.^7,14

Send DMV only one report per crash. Each report shows as a new collision on your driving record. DMV does not decide who was at fault, but it must post the crash to the driving record of each driver who is required to report.^7,14

DMV cannot give you a copy of the report you file, so keep your own copy and proof of when you sent it. DMV gives a free Certificate of Filing to people who have filed, or say they have filed, this report.^4,7,14

If a required report is not filed, Oregon law requires DMV to suspend your driving privileges. DMV mails notices to the address on your record, and the postal service cannot forward DMV mail. Keep your address up to date at DMV2U.^7,14

If you are not sure whether you must report, you can call the DMV Crash Reporting Unit to ask. The number is on DMV's Collision Reporting and Responsibilities page. If you believe you did not need to report, you can send DMV evidence such as a repair bill or estimate, or a statement from an insurance company.¹⁴