How to Order and Access Motor Vehicle Accident Reports Online

1.  Determine if you are eligible:

To use this online transaction you must:

• Provide information to identify you.
• Provide information to identify a motor vehicle accident or accidents that occurred in NYS for which reports have been filed with the DMV and processed by the DMV so copies of the reports are available.
• Request an accident report within 4 years of the date of the accident.
• Have a valid reason to request a copy of the type of accident report (police or motorist) that you seek.

2.  Determine what you must have and what you need to know:

To use this transaction, your web browser must permit cookies.

To order and access motor vehicle accident reports online, you must have the following items or information:

• Your full name, your mailing address and a valid e-mail address so the DMV can send you confirmation of your transaction. Your e-mail program must be able to receive e-mail from addresses that include the domain: dmv.ny.gov.
• Information to identify the accident:
  
  
  • You can simply provide the date and county of the accident to see a list of accident cases on file for that date and county. The list includes the plate numbers of the vehicles involved in the accident. There is no charge to view the list. You must pay the required $7.00 search fee if you select an accident from the list.
  • You can search directly by the NYS DMV accident case number (not the police agency number), the vehicle plate number of a vehicle involved in the accident, or the driver license number (from NYS or from another state) of a driver involved in the accident. If you search by one of these numbers, you must pay the required $7.00 search fee even if the accident is not found on DMV files.
• A credit card or a debit card that the DMV accepts to pay the required $7.00 search fee and a $15.00 report fee for each accident report you order. If you submit a search, but you do not order any reports, you are charged only the search fee.
• A version number of 7.0 or later of Adobe Acrobat Reader® installed on your computer to view, print and/or save any accident reports you order. The latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader® is free at the Adobe web site.
• A pen or a pencil and a piece of paper, or a printer, to record your confirmation number.

When you use this transaction, you need to know that:

• The amount of time required to process accidents reports and to make the reports available from the DMV varies based on the location of the accident and the method used by the police agency to report it. See the FAQ about accident report availability.
• To determine if a report is on file before you pay the search fee, use the date and county entry to view a list of accidents that have been reported for that date and county.
• The DMV is required by law to charge the $7.00 search fee. The fee cannot be refunded. A search fee is not charged to view a list of accidents on file for a date and county. A search fee is charged if you select an accident to search for from the list.
• Any requester can purchase a report filed by a police agency. To purchase a report filed by a motorist you must:
  
  
  • Be named on the accident report, or
  • Represent a person named on the report, or
  • Be a party to a civil action that arose from the accident, or
  • Represent a person who is a part to a civil action that arose from the accident.
• Accident reports available through this transaction are certified copies that include a certification seal watermark and a certification statement.
• If you have a question about this transaction, you can read the FAQs.
• To begin the transaction, select "Go to the Transaction" below.