How to Get a Crash Report in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) provides copies of crash reports for crashes PSP investigated. You can request a copy online or by mail.¹

PSP's Crash Reports Unit in Harrisburg receives mail requests. Its hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PSP's contact page and its online request site both list a phone number for crash reports.^1,3,4

In Philadelphia, crash reports come from the City of Philadelphia's Department of Records. They used to be called traffic accident reports.²

State, county, municipal and other law enforcement agencies submit traffic crash reports to PennDOT. PennDOT uses them to compile statewide crash statistics. PennDOT says it does not investigate crashes.^5,6

Online from PSP: Wait at least 15 days after the crash. Then go to PSP's Online Crash Report Requests site. If you have a paper copy of the police crash report, search by the Incident Number at the top left of the page. If you don't, search by name and date. When you find the report, fill out the Application To Obtain Copy of Police Report web form. If PSP approves your request, the approval email includes a link to an online payment form. PSP sends the documents in a separate email after you pay.^1,4

By mail from PSP: Wait until 15 days have passed since the crash. Download Form SP 7-0015 (6-2018), Application to Obtain Copy of Police Crash Report. Complete it, sign it and print it. Pay with a money order or certified check for $22, payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Mail the form and payment to PA State Police, Crash Reports Unit, 1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110. The form is for certified copies of the crash report, which don't include appended documents or photographs. On the form, you can ask for the copy by email in Adobe Acrobat format instead of by mail. That option isn't available for crashes before January 2004.^1,7

Online in Philadelphia: You can request a Philadelphia crash report online through the City's public safety reports application.²

By mail or drop-off in Philadelphia: Mail or drop off the City's crash report application with payment at the Department of Records, Public Safety Records Unit, City Hall, Room 170, 1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19107. The office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.²

Viewing at the station: If you were involved in the crash, you can view or photograph the PSP crash report with your own equipment, but only at the investigating station. Your attorney, your insurer and certain government officials can do the same. Witnesses can't.⁷

Not by Right-to-Know request: PSP says Right-to-Know requests are not for crash reports. For crashes PSP investigated, it directs you to its crash report request page instead.⁸

For PSP's online site: To search, you must enter at least a CAD/case number, or a last name and an incident date. The CAD/case number field shows example formats: 'PA 2018-123456' or 'B02-00000'. The online application then asks for basic personal information and your reason for the request.⁴

For Form SP 7-0015: The form asks for the date and time of the crash, the CAD/case number, and the county and municipality (township, borough or city). It also asks for the route number, location and route signing, and for others involved, such as drivers, owners, pedestrians and property owners.⁷

Your reason on Form SP 7-0015: Pick one. Directly involved in the crash (give your involvement, such as driver or owner). Attorney or insurer for a person involved (give your client's name). Government agency or official (give the agency and your title). Or other (explain).⁷

Your details on Form SP 7-0015: The form asks for your name, phone number, address, signature and the date. It also asks for the complete name, mailing address and email address where the copy should be sent.⁷

For a Philadelphia crash report: The application should include the crash date, driver name(s), location and DC (district control) number, plus the affidavit and a government-issued photo ID. You can get the DC number by calling the police district where the crash happened.⁹

PSP charges $22 for a crash report. For mail requests, PSP's request page says to pay by money order or certified check, while Form SP 7-0015 says check or money order. Both list a money order, and both say to make payment out to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.^1,7

For online PSP requests, you pay after PSP approves your request. The approval email includes a link to an online payment form.⁴

In Philadelphia, a crash report costs $25. For in-person or mail requests, the City accepts cash, money order, business check or certified check, payable to 'City of Philadelphia'. It does not accept personal checks or credit or debit cards. The fee for mailed requests is not refundable.^2,9,10

Filing a Driver's Accident Report (Form AA-600) with PennDOT is free. A copy of a filed AA-600 costs $5.00. PennDOT accepts only a check or money order for copies, not cash.⁶

PSP crash reports are available 15 days after the crash. Wait at least 15 days from the crash date before you search online or send Form SP 7-0015.^1,4,7

After you apply online, you get a confirmation email. PSP approves or denies the request within 7 business days of receiving it. If it's approved, PSP sends the documents by separate email after you pay.⁴

Philadelphia's crash report application asks you to allow 2 to 3 weeks from the date of the crash before you apply.⁹

If police did not investigate and someone was injured or killed, or a vehicle had to be towed, PennDOT says the driver should send it a Driver's Accident Report (Form AA-600) within 5 days.^6,11

If you were involved in the crash, you can get the PSP crash report. So can your attorney or insurer, and any government agencies involved.¹

Form SP 7-0015 says PSP crash reports are available to persons authorized by Section 3751(B) of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code. That includes anyone involved in the crash and their attorney or insurer. It also includes the federal government, branches of the military service, Commonwealth agencies and officials of political subdivisions. Agencies of other states and nations, and their political subdivisions, are listed too.⁷

In Philadelphia, the crash report affidavit says only certain people are entitled to a copy and that you need government-issued photo ID. The application says the driver's name must be on the report to receive a copy.⁹

Only the driver who submitted a Form AA-600 can request a copy of it.⁶

Philadelphia: Crash reports (formerly called traffic accident reports) come from the City of Philadelphia's Department of Records. Its Public Safety Records Unit is in City Hall, Room 170, and is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The City's public safety report page lists a phone number and email address for questions.²

When it applies: PennDOT's Driver's Accident Report (Form AA-600) is only for crashes that no police agency investigated. The form says it's required when someone was injured or killed, or when a vehicle couldn't be driven under its own power and needed towing. Every driver involved must complete one and send it to PennDOT within 5 days.^6,11

Before you start: PennDOT suggests using only the AA-600 downloaded from its official pa.gov page. It may return another version. PennDOT won't accept an AA-600 if the vehicle was parked, the crash happened outside Pennsylvania, or the report comes from someone other than the driver. That includes a property owner, passenger, pedestrian or someone filing for the driver.⁶

Filling it out: Sign the form and include a diagram. PennDOT can't process it without them. Fill out the tow and injury information on page 1. PennDOT will also reject a form that's missing the date next to the signature, the crash description, page 2, or the location details (county, municipality, street and intersecting street).⁶

Sending it: Mail it to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, BOO - Crash Unit, P.O. Box 2047, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2047. BOO is PennDOT's Bureau of Operations. PennDOT's FAQ lists the same P.O. box under the Bureau of Highway Safety and Traffic Engineering. There's no fee to file.^5,6,11

Proof it arrived: PennDOT does not confirm receipt. For proof, it recommends certified mail or asking for a date-stamped copy with the fee. If you send a $5.00 check with the form, PennDOT treats it as a request for a date-stamped copy and sends one. Keep a copy of your completed form for your records.⁶

After you send it: PennDOT does not investigate crashes. It responds only if it can't accept the form, the form isn't fully completed, or you asked for a copy. The form says that under Vehicle Code Section 3747, all reports are confidential and not available as evidence at trial.⁶

Getting a copy later: Only the driver who submitted the AA-600 can request a copy. Copies cost $5.00 each, paid by check or money order, not cash. If you want the copy by email, say so in your request and give an email address.⁶