After a wreck, the crash report is the first document everyone wants: you, your insurer, the other driver's insurer and your lawyer. Getting a crash report in metro Atlanta is simple once you know which agency wrote it.
Before you leave the scene, ask the officer for the agency's name and the report number. With those two things, the rest is straightforward.
Which agency wrote your metro Atlanta crash report?
It depends on exactly where the crash happened:
- Interstates. On I-285, I-75, I-85, GA-400 and the Downtown Connector, the Georgia State Patrol or local police may work the crash.
- City of Atlanta. Atlanta Police handle crashes inside the city, including Buckhead (Zone 2) and Midtown and Downtown (Zone 5).
- Cities with their own police. Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville, Norcross, Decatur, Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Duluth, Lawrenceville, Marietta and Smyrna each have a police department.
- Cities without one. DeKalb County Police serve Tucker, and Gwinnett County Police serve Peachtree Corners.
- Unincorporated areas. County police, such as DeKalb, Gwinnett or Cobb County Police, usually respond.
Near our office, city lines matter. Perimeter Mall and Crown Pointe Parkway are in Dunwoody, while the Pill Hill hospitals along Peachtree-Dunwoody Road are in Sandy Springs, so two crashes a short drive apart can be handled by different departments.
Check the card or paper the officer gave you. The agency name and report number are usually on it.
How to get your report on BuyCrash.com
Most metro agencies, including Atlanta Police, the Georgia State Patrol and the county police departments, release crash reports online through BuyCrash.com, a LexisNexis site, for a small fee. Reports usually post within a few days.
The Atlanta Police Department's website points drivers to www.BuyCrash.com, and the Georgia Department of Transportation's crash-reporting page links there too. Many city departments post their reports on the site as well.
To search, it helps to have:
- The agency that responded
- The date and location of the crash
- The report number, or at least a driver's last name
Not sure which agency responded? Call (240) 421-5511, tell Gary where the crash happened, and he'll help you figure out where your report is.
Other ways to get a crash report
Atlanta Police
According to APD's website, reports can also be picked up at its Central Records unit at the Atlanta Public Safety Annex on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW. Check the posted hours before you go.
Georgia State Patrol
The Georgia Department of Public Safety says State Patrol reports can be requested from a local State Patrol post or its Open Records Unit. Include your name and contact information, the names of the people involved, the county or city, the date and the report number if you have it.
By mail from GDOT
The Georgia Department of Transportation also sends copies by request. According to GDOT's request form, reports cost $5 each, plus $2 for a certified copy, paid by money order or cashier's check. Start from GDOT's crash reporting page.
Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Brookhaven police
Each of these cities has its own police department and records unit. Check BuyCrash.com first; if the report isn't posted, call the records unit of the department that responded.
Our pages on Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Brookhaven cover the local roads, hospitals and courts as well.
Who can get a Georgia crash report?
Georgia law limits who may obtain a crash report, according to the Georgia Department of Public Safety (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72(a)(5)). GDOT's request form lists drivers, vehicle owners, injured people, witnesses, insurers, attorneys for a party or witness, prosecutors and law enforcement, and news media who meet a separate requirement.
Expect to confirm how you're connected to the crash. If you've hired a lawyer, he can request it for you.
How long does a crash report take?
Usually a few days. Reports on serious or complicated crashes can take longer while the investigation continues.
If nothing shows up after a week or so, call the agency's records unit with your report number.
Would you rather not chase it yourself? Call (240) 421-5511, and Gary can request the report for you.
What's in the Georgia Uniform Motor Vehicle Accident Report?
Metro agencies use the same statewide form, the Georgia Uniform Motor Vehicle Accident Report. It usually includes:
- The date, time and exact location
- Each driver's name, address, license and insurance company
- Vehicle owners, plates and damage
- Passengers and witnesses
- Injuries noted at the scene, and whether anyone left by ambulance
- Road, weather and lighting conditions
- A diagram and the officer's written narrative
- Contributing factors and any citations issued
- Codes for safety equipment, such as seat belts
The officer's opinion on fault is generally not admissible at trial, but the facts inside the report are valuable. Now that SB 68 lets juries hear seat-belt evidence, the safety-equipment entries deserve a close look too.
What if your crash report has a mistake?
Read your report as soon as you get it. Errors happen, from a wrong plate number to a reversed direction of travel.
- Factual mistakes, such as a misspelled name, the wrong insurer or the wrong vehicle: contact the records unit or the officer, explain the error and offer proof, like your insurance card or photos. Some agencies will add a supplemental report or a note.
- Opinions and conclusions are harder to change. An officer may stand by their view of who caused the crash.
- Missing information, like a witness the officer didn't list: give it to the agency in writing, and keep a copy.
A conclusion you disagree with doesn't decide your claim. Under Georgia's 50% comparative negligence rule, fault is decided on all the evidence, including video, witnesses and vehicle damage.
Spotted an error in your report? Call (240) 421-5511 before you contact the agency, and Gary can help you gather proof to support a correction.
Why your lawyer pulls the report
When you hire Gary, getting the crash report is one of the first things he does. He reads it for:
- Every insurance policy that may apply
- Witnesses to contact before memories fade
- Signs of a commercial truck, rideshare car or government vehicle, which can bring other coverage or short notice deadlines
- Seat-belt and injury codes an insurer may point to
- Errors worth fixing early
Then he requests what the report doesn't include, such as 911 audio, body-camera video and business camera footage, before it's gone. For the steps you can take yourself, see what to do after a car accident in Atlanta.
Talk to an Atlanta car accident lawyer about your report
Gary Huggins's office is at 1050 Crown Pointe Parkway, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30338, in Perimeter Center near I-285 and GA-400, minutes from Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Brookhaven. Call (240) 421-5511 24 hours a day for a free consultation, or learn how Gary handles Atlanta car accident claims.
Free consultation. Call (240) 421-5511 any time, or send the form and Gary’s office will call you back.
Questions people ask about how to get a crash report in metro atlanta, agency by agency
How long does it take to get a police report after a car accident in Atlanta?
Usually a few days. Most metro agencies, including Atlanta Police, the Georgia State Patrol and county police departments, post reports on BuyCrash.com, and many city departments do too. Reports on serious or complicated crashes can take longer. If yours isn't online after a week or so, call the records unit of the agency that responded and give them the date, the location and the report number.
Who is allowed to get a copy of a Georgia crash report?
Georgia law limits access to crash reports (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72(a)(5)). According to the Georgia Department of Transportation's request form, eligible requesters include the drivers, vehicle owners, people injured in the crash, witnesses, insurers, attorneys for a party or witness, prosecutors and law enforcement, and news media who meet an added requirement. Expect to confirm how you're connected to the crash when you ask for a copy.
Can a police report be used in a Georgia car accident case?
The report is a starting point, not a verdict. An officer's opinion about who caused the crash is generally not admissible at trial in Georgia. But the facts inside, such as the other driver's insurer, witness names, the diagram and road conditions, are valuable for building the claim and negotiating with the insurer. That's why a report you disagree with isn't the end of your case.
Do I need my crash report before I talk to a lawyer?
No. If you don't have it yet, bring the agency name and report number from the card the officer gave you, or even just the date and location of the crash. Gary can request the report himself, along with evidence the report doesn't include, such as 911 audio and business camera video. Calling early gives him time to ask for that evidence before it's deleted.