HomeCrash reportsColorado
How to get a Colorado crash report
Copies come from Colorado State Patrol Central Records Unit (for crashes CSP investigated); Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (crash records it receives from law enforcement and online counter reports). Request one at csp.colorado.gov. CSP: the whole process "may take up to ten (10) working days" after the investigation is complete. DMV: "Please allow 90 days for receipt of the crash report by the law enforcement agency and for data to be entered into the driver license system.".
Checked against the official pages on October 2, 2026
The statewide copy
| Who has it | Colorado State Patrol Central Records Unit (for crashes CSP investigated); Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (crash records it receives from law enforcement and online counter reports) |
|---|---|
| Where to request it | csp.colorado.gov |
| Covers | CSP: crashes investigated by the State Patrol. DMV: crash records forwarded by agencies or filed online by drivers (kept seven years). Crashes handled by city police or county sheriffs are also requested from those agencies. |
| Usually ready | CSP: the whole process "may take up to ten (10) working days" after the investigation is complete. DMV: "Please allow 90 days for receipt of the crash report by the law enforcement agency and for data to be entered into the driver license system." |
| What you need | CSP: name of the driver, date of the crash, case report number, and location of the accident. DMV: form DR 2559 (signed permission) or DR 2489 (requestor release and affidavit of intended use) plus the fee. |
| Who can get a copy | CSP: requests go through its Records Request Portal. DMV: the driver, or someone with the driver's written consent (DR 2559), or a requestor with a permissible use under the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DR 2489). |
| By mail | DMV: mail the completed form to Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 173350, Denver, CO 80217-3350, or make an appointment at the Westgate Office, 3265 S. Wadsworth Blvd. #3A, Lakewood. CSP mails the report after payment (check, money order or card). |
Reports taken by city police or a sheriff
Crashes investigated by city police or county sheriffs are requested from that agency's records unit. Example: Denver Police Records takes crash report orders and gives case numbers by phone at (720) 913-6029.
The form
Officers in Colorado write crash reports on the Colorado Traffic Accident Report. Most boxes on it hold numeric codes for things like contributing factors, injuries and road conditions.
Your own report to the state
No separate driver report is required. No driver-filed written report is required when police came to the scene (DMV sends a letter only if it needs something). If no officer came, the driver may file an online counter report, which is kept for record purposes only. (CRS 42-4-1606 (written-report subsection (2) repealed); DMV crash-records page)
City police and sheriff reports in Colorado
| Agency | Covers | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Police Department | Denver | $10.00 by mail |
When you must call the police
Immediately, if the crash causes any injury, serious bodily injury, death or any property damage. Officers may decline to write a report when damage is $1,000 or less with no injury, unless a participant asks or cannot show proof of insurance. (CRS 42-4-1606(1) and (4)(b)(I); also CRS 42-4-1601)
After you have the report
Colorado gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I)). Every Colorado deadline and fault rule.
Colorado is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
3,486 people died in crashes in Colorado from 2020 to 2024 (NHTSA FARS). See the record for your county.
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Colorado. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How long does it take to get a crash report in Colorado?
CSP: the whole process "may take up to ten (10) working days" after the investigation is complete. DMV: "Please allow 90 days for receipt of the crash report by the law enforcement agency and for data to be entered into the driver license system.". The officer has to finish and submit the report before it can be sold.
Are Colorado crash reports public?
CSP: requests go through its Records Request Portal. DMV: the driver, or someone with the driver's written consent (DR 2559), or a requestor with a permissible use under the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DR 2489).
Do I have to file my own crash report in Colorado?
No separate driver report is required. No driver-filed written report is required when police came to the scene (DMV sends a letter only if it needs something). If no officer came, the driver may file an online counter report, which is kept for record purposes only.
Sources
- Statewide crash reports: csp.colorado.gov/crash-information
CSP: "A basic crash report can be requested through our Central Records Unit with the Colorado State Patrol. Please note that reports are not available immediately following a crash; processing times vary and may take up to 10 working days." "If you would like to obtain a copy of your crash report, the following information is needed: Name of the Driver; Date of the Crash; Case Report Number; Location of the Accident. Contact the Colorado State Patrol Central Records Unit for associated costs." DMV: "To obtain a copy of someone else's crash report, you will need either: The permission of the p…
- Request portal: csp.colorado.gov/talk-with-us/central-records-unit
- Local police and sheriff reports: www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-O
- Driver report duty (CRS 42-4-1606 (written-report subsection (2) repealed); DMV crash-records page): dmv.colorado.gov/crash-records
"If you were involved in a crash and a police officer was called to the scene to obtain all the needed information, you do not need to provide any forms unless you receive a letter from the Department of Revenue." "If a police officer was not called to the scene of the crash you may file a crash report online." "The reports are kept for record purposes only."
- When to call police (CRS 42-4-1606(1) and (4)(b)(I); also CRS 42-4-1601): leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-42.pdf
"The driver of a vehicle involved in a traffic accident resulting in injury to, serious bodily injury to, or death of any person or any property damage shall, after fulfilling the requirements of sections 42-4-1602 and 42-4-1603 (1), give immediate notice of the location of such accident ... to the nearest office of the duly authorized police authority". CSP: "Crashes are required by law, under CRS 42-4-1601 to be reported to the agency having jurisdiction immediately."
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.