HomeCrash reportsMassachusetts
How to get a Massachusetts crash report
Copies come from Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Crash Records. Request one at atlas-myrmv.massdot.state.ma.us. Cost: $20 non-refundable search fee for each report requested. Wait at least 4 weeks after the crash to submit a request; allow 4 weeks for the RMV to process it. If a report is not found the RMV keeps searching for 90 days from the crash date.
Checked against the official pages on October 2, 2026
The statewide copy
| Who has it | Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Crash Records |
|---|---|
| Where to request it | atlas-myrmv.massdot.state.ma.us |
| Covers | Motor vehicle police crash reports "filed by a state or local Massachusetts Police Agency and processed by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles" |
| Cost | $20 non-refundable search fee for each report requested |
| Usually ready | Wait at least 4 weeks after the crash to submit a request; allow 4 weeks for the RMV to process it. If a report is not found the RMV keeps searching for 90 days from the crash date. |
| What you need | Online (Massachusetts credential): driver's license/learner's permit number, first and last name, date of birth, Social Security Number for the driver, email address, and the fee. Massachusetts businesses: FID, plate type, last 4 of VIN, registration number. |
| Who can get a copy | An individual involved in the crash (operator, vehicle owner, occupant, vulnerable user, witness, or property owner if property was damaged) who holds a current or expired credential; a Massachusetts registered business whose vehicle was involved; an Authorized Recipient; or a Permitted User under the federal Driver Privacy Protection Act. |
| By mail | Only for people without a Massachusetts credential, Authorized Recipients, or DPPA users without Crash Program access: completed Request for Copy of Police Crash Report form, a copy of ID and a check or money order payable to MassDOT, mailed to Registry of Motor Vehicles, Crash Records, P.O. Box 55889, Boston, MA 02205. |
Reports taken by city police or a sheriff
Reports taken by city and town police go to the RMV and are available through the RMV request above. Drivers must also send a copy of their own crash operator report to the police department with jurisdiction where the crash occurred.
The form
Officers in Massachusetts write crash reports on the Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report (driver form); police crash report form name not found. Most boxes on it hold numeric codes for things like contributing factors, injuries and road conditions.
Your own report to the state
Yes, in some cases: any person was killed or injured, or there was damage over $1,000 to any one vehicle or other property. Deadline: 5 days after the crash. Form Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report, filed with Registry of Motor Vehicles (Crash Records, P.O. Box 55889, Boston, MA 02205-5889), with a copy to the police department having jurisdiction and one to your insurance company. (M.G.L. c. 90, section 26)
After you have the report
Massachusetts gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A). Every Massachusetts deadline and fault rule.
Massachusetts is a no-fault state: your own personal injury protection (PIP) pays first, with at least $8,000 required, and you can sue the other driver only past the state's threshold.
1,896 people died in crashes in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How much does a Massachusetts crash report cost?
$20 non-refundable search fee for each report requested, from Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Crash Records. 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 Massachusetts?
Wait at least 4 weeks after the crash to submit a request; allow 4 weeks for the RMV to process it. If a report is not found the RMV keeps searching for 90 days from the crash date. The officer has to finish and submit the report before it can be sold.
Are Massachusetts crash reports public?
An individual involved in the crash (operator, vehicle owner, occupant, vulnerable user, witness, or property owner if property was damaged) who holds a current or expired credential; a Massachusetts registered business whose vehicle was involved; an Authorized Recipient; or a Permitted User under the federal Driver Privacy Protection Act.
Do I have to file my own crash report in Massachusetts?
Yes, in some cases: any person was killed or injured, or there was damage over $1,000 to any one vehicle or other property. Deadline: 5 days after the crash. Form Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report, filed with Registry of Motor Vehicles (Crash Records, P.O. Box 55889, Boston, MA 02205-5889), with a copy to the police department having jurisdiction and one to your insurance company.
Sources
- Statewide crash reports: www.mass.gov/how-to/request-a-copy-of-a-police-crash-report
RMV: "A standard or certified copy of a motor vehicle police crash report filed by a state or local Massachusetts Police Agency and processed by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) can be requested by an individual involved in the crash, a Massachusetts business whose vehicle was involved in the crash, an Authorized Recipient, or a Permitted User under the Federal Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA)." "To ensure the report is available, please wait at least 4 weeks after the crash to submit a request." "There is a $20 non-refundable search fee for each report requested."
- Request portal: atlas-myrmv.massdot.state.ma.us/myrmv/_/#0
- Local police and sheriff reports: www.mass.gov/how-to/report-a-motor-vehicle-crash
- Driver report duty (M.G.L. c. 90, section 26): malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section26
"Every person operating a motor vehicle which is involved in an accident in which any person is killed or injured or in which there is damage in excess of one thousand dollars to any one vehicle or other property shall, within five days after such accident, report in writing to the registrar on a form approved by him and send a copy thereof to the police department having jurisdiction on the way where such accident occurred". RMV: "There is no fee to submit this form."
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.