HomeCrash reportsMinnesota
How to get a Minnesota crash report
Copies come from Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) Records Unit. Request one at dps.mn.gov. Cost: $5 per crash report. Usually ready "Reports are available three weeks after the incident.".
Checked against the official pages on October 2, 2026
The statewide copy
| Who has it | Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) Records Unit |
|---|---|
| Where to request it | dps.mn.gov |
| Covers | Police crash reports officers send to the Commissioner of Public Safety (Minn. Stat. 169.09 subd. 8) |
| Cost | $5 per crash report |
| Usually ready | "Reports are available three weeks after the incident." |
| What you need | Crash Record Request Form (PS2503) with the requestor's signature |
| Who can get a copy | An authorized requestor: a person involved in the crash who is recorded on the police report (driver, passenger, owner of damaged property, vehicle owner or pedestrian), or their legal or insurance representative with a signed release; in a fatality, next of kin, surviving spouse or estate representative with proof of death. |
| By mail | Form PS2503 mailed to Driver and Vehicle Services, Attn: Records Unit, 445 Minnesota St., Suite 161, St. Paul, MN 55101-5161; or in person at the Downtown Saint Paul Exam Station (445 Minnesota St.) or a full-service deputy registrar office. |
Reports taken by city police or a sheriff
Officers must send a report of every reportable crash to the Commissioner within ten days (Minn. Stat. 169.09 subd. 8), so city, county and State Patrol reports are in the same DVS system.
The form: PS2503
Officers in Minnesota write crash reports on the Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Record request form (PS2503). 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. Drivers no longer file a crash report with DVS: the driver-report subdivision of the crash statute was repealed effective July 1, 2021. (Minn. Stat. 169.09 subd. 7 (repealed by 2021 1st Special Session ch. 5 art. 4 s. 151))
When you must call the police
Immediately, if the collision injures or kills anyone (to the local police if in a municipality, State Patrol if on a trunk highway, or the county sheriff). No property-damage-only duty to notify police found in this subdivision. (Minn. Stat. 169.09 subd. 6)
After you have the report
Minnesota gives you six years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(5)). Every Minnesota deadline and fault rule.
Minnesota is a no-fault state: your own personal injury protection (PIP) pays first, with at least $40,000 total ($20,000 medical expense and $20,000 for income loss, replacement services and funeral expense) required, and you can sue the other driver only past the state's threshold.
2,205 people died in crashes in Minnesota 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 Minnesota. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How much does a Minnesota crash report cost?
$5 per crash report, from Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) 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 Minnesota?
Usually "Reports are available three weeks after the incident.". The officer has to finish and submit the report before it can be sold.
Are Minnesota crash reports public?
An authorized requestor: a person involved in the crash who is recorded on the police report (driver, passenger, owner of damaged property, vehicle owner or pedestrian), or their legal or insurance representative with a signed release; in a fatality, next of kin, surviving spouse or estate representative with proof of death.
Do I have to file my own crash report in Minnesota?
No separate driver report is required. Drivers no longer file a crash report with DVS: the driver-report subdivision of the crash statute was repealed effective July 1, 2021.
Sources
- Statewide crash reports: dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/contact/driver-and-vehicle-records-requests/request-cra
DPS: "Crash reports can be obtained in person at DVS or from a full-service deputy registrar office. They are only available to the individuals involved in the crash or their authorized agent. Reports are available three weeks after the incident." "Complete a Crash Record Request Form (PS2503) and submit it in person, at a full-service deputy registrar office or by mail. Requests will not be processed without a signature from an authorized requestor." "A crash report costs $5."
- Local police and sheriff reports: www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.09
- Driver report duty (Minn. Stat. 169.09 subd. 7 (repealed by 2021 1st Special Session ch. 5 art. 4 s. 151)): dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/contact/driver-and-vehicle-records-requests/request-cra
DPS: "Reports are no longer submitted to Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS). Minnesota Statutes, section 169.09, subdivision 7 was repealed effective July 1, 2021." Statute: "Subd. 7. MS 2020 [Repealed, 1Sp2021 c 5 art 4 s 151]".
- When to call police (Minn. Stat. 169.09 subd. 6): www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.09
"The driver of a vehicle involved in a collision resulting in bodily injury to or death of another shall, after compliance with this section and by the quickest means of communication, give notice of the collision to the local police department if the collision occurs within a municipality, to a State Patrol officer if the collision occurs on a trunk highway, or to the office of the sheriff of the county."
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.