How to Get a Car Accident Report in Florida

Florida car accident reports contain essential information that may be useful for filing car accident claims for compensation later. If you were in a Florida car accident, the law enforcement officer who responded to the scene is required by law to complete a crash report. If the accident was minor, the police might not have responded to the scene, but Florida law may require you to file a crash report on your own.

The experienced Gainesville car accident lawyers at Fine, Farkash & Parlapiano, P.A. know the value of these reports, which often provide a foundation for us to demand maximum compensation for the injuries you’ve suffered. Our trial-tested lawyers are equipped to litigate your case if a fair settlement cannot be reached on your behalf.

We explain which crashes require a report, what is in a crash report, and how to access yours. If you have any questions about the legal process after a car accident, you can always reach out to our team for a free case review.

Duty to Give Information and Render Aid

Florida Statute 316.062 requires that you stop and render aid in any accident you are involved in where another vehicle was attended and the accident resulted in property damage, personal injury, or death. Additionally, personal information concerning the parties involved in the crash must be gathered and include:

Name
Address
Registration number of the vehicle you were driving

Additionally, you must show your driver’s license if asked by the other driver or police.

Under Florida Statute 316.027, you must stay at the scene of the crash until you have fulfilled these requirements. Willfully violating these requirements can subject you to possible criminal charges.

If you are unable to provide the information required of you (for example, if you are injured or unconscious) and no law enforcement officer responded to the scene of the crash, you must report the crash to the nearest police station and provide the required information as soon as possible.

Duty to Report Accident

Under Florida Statute 316.065, you are required to report the accident “by the quickest means of communication” to the nearest law enforcement agency if the crash resulted in injury, death, or apparent property damage of $500 or more. Within a municipality, that is the local police department, such as the Gainesville Police Department. Otherwise, individuals involved in these crashes should report them to the county sheriff or the nearest office or station of the Florida Highway Patrol.

The responding officer may provide the drivers and other involved parties with an exchange-of-information form to share their basic information with each other.

Making a statement to a law enforcement officer for the purpose of completing a crash report is a privileged communication, and the accident report cannot be used against you as evidence in a civil or criminal case.

Under Florida Statute 316.064, your passenger can make the accident report if you are physically unable to do it yourself. If you were driving someone else’s vehicle, the vehicle owner should make the report within ten days of the crash.

Long Form Accident Reports

After a law enforcement officer completes an investigation into a motor vehicle crash that resulted in injury or death, they must complete a Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form under Florida Statute 316.066, which contains the following information:

The date, time, and location of the crash
The names and addresses of all drivers and passengers
A description of the vehicles involved
The identification of the vehicle in which each person was a driver or passenger
The names and addresses of any witnesses
Their name, badge number, and law enforcement agency they work for
The names of the insurance companies for the parties involved in the crash

The officer must complete the long form accident report within ten days of completing the investigation.

If the accident involved a death, the investigating agency would also complete a lengthy homicide report.

How Long Do I Have to File a Report?

Under Florida law, an individual involved in a crash that damages a vehicle or property but does not require a police response must self-report the collision to the appropriate department within ten days. For crashes requiring law enforcement to respond, the officer must submit their report to their department within ten days of completing their investigation.

How Can I Obtain a Copy of My Florida Highway Patrol Accident Report?

If you’ve been in a car crash in Florida, obtaining a copy of your Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) accident report as soon as possible is crucial. There are two easy ways you can get copies of your crash report: online and in-person.

Online

The first way you can access your FHP accident report is by simply going online. Note that reports typically become available 10 days after the accident. Here’s how you can get your report from the Florida Crash Portal through the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles site:

Navigate to the portal and select “Report Number.”
Enter the report number given to you at the accident scene, complete the security challenge, and hit search.

If you do not have your report number, you can search using the vehicle identification number (VIN) or by entering the last name of the individual involved in the accident. For this method, you will need the accident date and the county the accident happened in.

In Person

You may also request a crash report in person at the FHP troop station closest to the crash location. Remember to bring a valid ID (like a driver’s license) and your choice of payment method (cash, check, or credit card). It might be a good idea to call in advance to make sure your report is ready to avoid lengthy wait times.

Troop stations are open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can find a list of all FHP troop stations on their website.

Fees

Your Florida crash report comes with a mandatory fee of $10.00 and an additional $2.00 convenience fee per transaction. Customers are limited to obtaining a maximum of 10 reports per transaction.

Archive Reports

Getting historical accident reports, or archive reports, may be necessary for several reasons like legal proceedings, insurance claims, or personal records. To find out if the report you need has been archived, consider how long ago the incident occurred. Reports from several years ago are likely to be archived.

Start your search using the Florida Crash Portal, as it may still have reports from the past few years. If you can’t find your report, consider visiting the nearest FHP station with details about the accident or mail a request to the specific FHP troop station where the report would have been filed.

Getting an archived car accident report may require more time and come with additional fees. If the report dates back considerably or is needed for legal matters, consider consulting with a car accident attorney.

What Is Included in My Crash Report?

A Florida crash report includes the following information:

The date, time, and location of the crash
A description of the vehicles involved
The names and addresses of the parties involved (including drivers and passengers) and which vehicle they were traveling in
The names and addresses of any witnesses
The name, badge number, and law enforcement agency of the investigating officer
The names of the insurance companies for the parties involved

Who Can Request a Crash Report?

Crash reports are confidential for 60 days after filing. However, the following individuals may immediately access a crash report:

The parties involved in the crash
The parties’ legal representatives
The parties’ insurance companies or the companies’ representatives
Prosecutors
Law enforcement agencies
Transportation department
Victim services programs
Radio stations, television stations, newspapers, or other members of the media

Contact a Gainesville Car Accident Lawyer for Help with a Florida Crash Report

If you need assistance requesting a Florida crash report, contact a car accident lawyer at Fine, Farkash & Parlapiano, P.A. in Gainesville today. We can request your crash report and advocate for your rights and interests. Call one of our experienced car accident attorneys in Gainesville, FL for a free consultation. If we take your case, you will work one-on-one with an attorney at every stage of your case.