How to Obtain Your Police report
Obtaining a traffic accident report is an important first step after being involved in a New Jersey car accident. This document provides crucial information recorded by law enforcement, including information about the drivers, all vehicles involved, any citations issued, and details of the incident. Whether you’re filing an insurance claim or building a legal case, having access to a traffic accident report can be very useful. This guide will walk you through the process of getting your police report.
Who Is Allowed To Obtain A Copy of A New Jersey Traffic Accident Report
In order to obtain a traffic accident report in New Jersey, you must be one of a select group of people. This includes (1) individuals affected by the crash, such as drivers, passengers, pedestrians, or others directly involved. (2) Vehicle owners may also request a report, even if they were not present at the time of the collision. (3) Lawyers representing parties involved in the crash can also obtain copies for processing claims.
If you are legally allowed to gain access to a certain traffic accident report, you will typically need several pieces of information and money. This may include your drivers license, the date of the crash, the location of the crash, and the crash report number (if known). Different agencies will have different requirements. Getting the traffic report will require that you understand which agency created it in the first place.
Determining Which Agency Created Your Traffic Accident Report
If you’re unsure what agency created your traffic accident report, you can check the police receipt “tape” that you received from police at the time of the collision. Even if you lose the police receipt, it won’t be that hard to determine the agency that created the report. Local police stations will create most reports within city limits. On public roads that are outside of city limits, a county sheriff’s office will typically create accident reports. The New Jersey State Police will create reports for collisions that occur on New Jersey highways.
How To Get Your Accident Report Online From BuyCrash
One of the easiest ways to get a traffic accident report is through BuyCrash. BuyCrash is a convenient platform that allows people to get access to traffic accident reports online. Here are the steps to take in order to get your report through BuyCrash.
- Go To TheBuyCrash Website: Your report will be available through BuyCrash. To begin finding your report, select the state and jurisdiction the crash took place in.
- Enter Information Required by BuyCrash: You’ll need to provide some details about the crash to locate the report. This could be a report number if you have it. You can also locate it with a combination of your last name and date of the incident or your last name and the location street.
- Pay Fees: You’ll be prompted to pay a small fee with a debit card or credit card to get the report.
- Download The Report: Once the fees have been paid, you’ll be able to download the report.
You can also access traffic accident reports from the New Jersey State Police & New Jersey Turnpike Authority through their portal. Please note that there are fees for this service. According to the site, “Non-Toll Road Crash Reports and Boat Crash Reports cost $13.00. Toll Road Crash Reports cost $5.00. Serious/Fatal Investigation Reports, digital media, photographs and statements cost $20.00. Photographic print ups cost $5.00 each up to 10 prints and $3.00 for each print after. Payment options include Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express credit or debit card.”
- Go To The Crash Reports Request Website: Once you’re on the website, navigate to the button at the bottom of the page that says “Request a Roadway Crash Report.”
- Select Roadway: Select whether the crash took place on a toll road or non-toll road.
- Enter Information: You can locate your crash report with any of several pieces of information, including case number, license plate number, driving license number, and the involved party’s last name. You also need to enter the crash date.
- Pay Fees: Once you’ve located your report, you’ll need to pay the fees for the information you want. The price will be higher if you want pictures.
- Download The Report: Once the fees have been paid, you’ll be able to download the report.
Please keep in mind that it may take up to 14 business days after an accident for your report to be available for download. Having a digital version of your police report can be extremely useful. It streamlines the process of filing insurance claims and legal disputes. Many attorneys will want to look at a digital copy of your report.
How to Get Your State Police Accident Report In Person
In most situations, you should be able to pickup your accident report in person at the police station or agency that created the report. Before you decide to go there, call ahead to verify its availability. After that, make sure you have all the information and documents you may need, including your driver’s license, date of the accident, location of the accident, and the report number (if known). At the police station, you’ll then need to go to the Records Division during business hours. You’ll be asked to pay a small fee and then receive a hard copy of the accident report.
How To Get State Police Reports By Mail
You’ll also be able to get a copy of your accident report in person if it was created by New Jersey State Police. You can DOWNLOAD the correct form and fill it out. You’ll need to mail the form (along with payment) to the correct agency.
For accidents on non-toll roads, you can send the mail to the following address:
Division of State Police, Criminal Justice Records Bureau, P.O. Box 7068, West Trenton NJ 08628-0068. Telephone: (609) 882-2000, Accident Reports, ext. 2866; for Operations or Investigations, ext. 2863.
For accidents on toll roads, you can send the mail to one of two possible locations.
New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway crash reports are available at: www.BuyCrash.com
All other inquiries should be directed to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority Operations Department
Telephone: (732) 442-8600 ext. 2431
Atlantic City Expressway Authority………………………….Certified check or money order to be made payable to:
South Jersey Transportation Authority
P.O. Box 389 Hammonton, NJ 08037
Telephone: (609) 965-7200 ext. 108
If you’re unsure which agency to mail the information to, it’s always worth giving them a call to double check.
New Jersey Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help You
If you feel overwhelmed or confused by the process of obtaining your accident report, don’t worry. The personal injury attorneys at Beninato & Matrafajlo Attorneys at Law, LLC can obtain your accident report for you. Once we have copies of your report, there are several other ways that we may be able to assist you.
If you were injured in the crash, we can help you get compensation for your medical bills and lost wages. There are absolutely no up-front costs to hiring our attorneys. In fact, our firm only gets paid from the opposing party if we are able to successfully resolve your claim. We have recovered over $100 million in verdicts and settlements for our deserving clients. Whether you just need a copy of your police report or you’re also thinking about hiring an attorney, we are here to help. You can reach out to our office anytime at 908- 378-8467.
