HomeCrash reportsNew York
How to get a New York crash report
Copies come from New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (Crash Records Center); Thruway crashes via the NYS Thruway Authority (form TA-W4310). Request one at getcrashreports.dmv.ny.gov. The fee is not stated on the official page.
Checked against the official pages on October 2, 2026
The statewide copy
| Who has it | New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (Crash Records Center); Thruway crashes via the NYS Thruway Authority (form TA-W4310) |
|---|---|
| Where to request it | getcrashreports.dmv.ny.gov |
| Covers | Police crash reports from NYS Police, NYC and local police, plus motorist (MV-104) reports; reports of crashes with no injury and no property damage over $1,000, and e-bike/e-scooter crashes, are not sold online |
| What you need | To search online, at least one of: DMV case number (8 digits), local police code, date of crash, county of crash, VIN, plate number of an involved vehicle, or driver license number. Purchased reports can be downloaded for 7 calendar days |
| Who can get a copy | No eligibility rule stated on the DMV online-ordering page. The MV-198C mail form (1/18 version) lists: a person named in the report or their authorized representative, a party or possible party to a civil action arising from the crash (or their representative), or a NY State/political subdivision representative for highway safety research |
| By mail | MV-198C 'Request for Copy of Crash Report' with $10 search fee + $15 per report to NYSDMV, MV-198C Processing, 6 Empire State Plaza, Albany NY 12228 |
Reports taken by city police or a sheriff
NYPD collision reports are online at collisionreport.nypdonline.org (accessible within up to seven business days of the incident; at the precinct for the first 30 days, then through DMV form MV-198C); other local police departments also post reports, for example Suffolk County PD directs online requests to BuyCrash.com.
The form: MV-104A (police) / MV-104 (motorist)
Officers in New York write crash reports on the New York Police Accident Report (MV-104A) and Report of Motor Vehicle Crash (MV-104, motorist report) (MV-104A (police) / MV-104 (motorist)). Most boxes on it hold numeric codes for things like contributing factors, injuries and road conditions.
City police and sheriff reports in New York
| Agency | Covers | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| New York City Police Department | New York City |
After you have the report
New York gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 214(5)). Every New York deadline and fault rule.
New York is a no-fault state: your own personal injury protection (PIP) pays first, with at least $50,000 required, and you can sue the other driver only past the state's threshold. Give your own auto insurer written notice of the accident as soon as you reasonably can and no later than 30 days after the crash, unless you can show clear and reasonable justification for being late.
5,601 people died in crashes in New York 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 New York. Both take under a minute.
Questions
Are New York crash reports public?
No eligibility rule stated on the DMV online-ordering page. The MV-198C mail form (1/18 version) lists: a person named in the report or their authorized representative, a party or possible party to a civil action arising from the crash (or their representative), or a NY State/political subdivision representative for highway safety research
Sources
- Statewide crash reports: dmv.ny.gov/records/order-and-access-motor-vehicle-crash-accident-reports
You must pay both a $7.00 search fee and a $15.00 report fee for each report. | You must pay a $10 search fee and a $15 report fee for each report you order. | Electronically filed NYC reports: at least 14 days after crash; Paper reports: at least 30 days after crash; Motorist reports statewide: at least 60 days after crash | You will have 7 calendar days to access reports you already purchased online. | Reports of crashes where no one was hurt and where there was no property damage over $1,000 in value are not available for search or sale through this online transaction.
- Request portal: getcrashreports.dmv.ny.gov/
- Local police and sheriff reports: www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/services/vehicles-property/reports.page
- Driver report duty (New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 605): dmv.ny.gov/records/file-a-motorist-crash-accident-report
IMPORTANT: You must report within 10 days any crash occurring in New York State causing a fatality, personal injury or damage over $1,000 to the property of any one person. Failure to do so within 10 days is a misdemeanor. Your license and/or registration may be suspended until a report is filed. (MV-104, 5/25)
- When to call police (VTL 600; MV-104 instructions): dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv104.pdf
Was anyone killed or injured in this crash or was the estimated damage to any one vehicle or property greater than $1,000? If "Yes", you are required by law to report this crash to the police and file this report. (MV-104 5/25)
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.