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How to get a Louisiana crash report
Copies come from Louisiana State Police (LSP) Traffic Records Unit. Request one at lsp.org. Online: $11.50 per report plus $2.50 + 2.5% card fees. At a Troop office: $16.50 (certified check, company check or money order), or $16.50 plus $2.50 + 2.5% by credit card. Usually ready "Please allow fifteen (15) working days after the crash before submitting a request for reports or photographs." Fatality crashes: 60-day wait for photo requests, and fatal crash reports can only be bought in person at a Troop office.
Checked against the official pages on October 2, 2026
The statewide copy
| Who has it | Louisiana State Police (LSP) Traffic Records Unit |
|---|---|
| Where to request it | lsp.org |
| Covers | "all accidents handled by Louisiana Department of Public Safety and State Police" (state police crashes). City police and sheriffs' offices also provide their own copies. |
| Cost | Online: $11.50 per report plus $2.50 + 2.5% card fees. At a Troop office: $16.50 (certified check, company check or money order), or $16.50 plus $2.50 + 2.5% by credit card. |
| Usually ready | "Please allow fifteen (15) working days after the crash before submitting a request for reports or photographs." Fatality crashes: 60-day wait for photo requests, and fatal crash reports can only be bought in person at a Troop office. |
| What you need | Crash Request Form when buying at a Troop; online purchase is by report search (the LSP page does not list the search fields) |
| Who can get a copy | LSP says requests come "from the public, insurance companies, and attorneys"; the statute says state police, local police and sheriffs "shall provide copies of crash reports". |
| By mail | Troop purchases use the Crash Report Request Form (PDF) with payment; photos go to Louisiana State Police Traffic Records-Photo Lab, P.O. Box 66614 (Box A-27), Baton Rouge, LA 70896. |
Reports taken by city police or a sheriff
The police department of the city or town where the crash happened (or the sheriff's office outside city limits) investigates and keeps the report; by statute it must provide copies for no more than $5 for a report of up to two pages (and no more than $20 for longer ones, all fees included). Third-party vendors may sell individual reports for the agency.
The form
Officers in Louisiana write crash reports on the Louisiana Uniform Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Report. Most boxes on it hold numeric codes for things like contributing factors, injuries and road conditions.
When you must call the police
Immediately, if anyone is injured or killed or property damage is more than $500 (within 72 hours if the crash is in an evacuation area or declared emergency) (La. R.S. 32:398(A)(1))
After you have the report
Louisiana gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024, No. 423, eff. July 1, 2024)). Every Louisiana deadline and fault rule.
Louisiana is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
4,268 people died in crashes in Louisiana 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 Louisiana. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How much does a Louisiana crash report cost?
Online: $11.50 per report plus $2.50 + 2.5% card fees. At a Troop office: $16.50 (certified check, company check or money order), or $16.50 plus $2.50 + 2.5% by credit card., from Louisiana State Police (LSP) Traffic Records Unit. Reports taken by a city police department or sheriff may be priced differently by that agency.
How long does it take to get a crash report in Louisiana?
Usually "Please allow fifteen (15) working days after the crash before submitting a request for reports or photographs." Fatality crashes: 60-day wait for photo requests, and fatal crash reports can only be bought in person at a Troop office. The officer has to finish and submit the report before it can be sold.
Are Louisiana crash reports public?
LSP says requests come "from the public, insurance companies, and attorneys"; the statute says state police, local police and sheriffs "shall provide copies of crash reports".
Sources
- Statewide crash reports: lsp.org/about/leadershipsections/support/bcii/traffic-records-unit/
LSP: "The Traffic Records Unit is the central processing location for all accidents handled by Louisiana Department of Public Safety and State Police." "Please allow fifteen (15) working days after the crash before submitting a request for reports or photographs." "Each crash report purchased online will cost $11.50 plus $2.50 + 2.5% and can only be purchased with the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover." "Fatal crashes can ONLY be purchased in person at each local Troop Office." La. R.S. 32:398(D)(1): "The state police, any local police department, or any s…
- Local police and sheriff reports: legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=88361
- Driver report duty (La. R.S. 32:398(A)-(C)): legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=88361
R.S. 32:398(C): "Within forty-eight hours after completing the investigation, the investigating law enforcement agency shall forward a copy of the crash report or data contained in the report to the Department of Transportation and Development."
- When to call police (La. R.S. 32:398(A)(1)): legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=88361
"The driver of a vehicle involved in a crash resulting in injury to or death of any person or property damage in excess of five hundred dollars shall: (1) Immediately give notice of the crash to the local police department if the crash occurs within an incorporated city or town or, if the crash occurs outside of an incorporated city or town, to the nearest sheriff's office or state police station."
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.