HomeCrash reportsTexas
How to get a Texas crash report
Copies come from Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Crash Records Information System (CRIS). Request one at cris.dot.state.tx.us. The fee is not stated on the official page.
Checked against the official pages on October 2, 2026
The statewide copy
| Who has it | Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Crash Records Information System (CRIS) |
|---|---|
| Where to request it | cris.dot.state.tx.us |
| Covers | Texas Peace Officer's Crash Reports (CR-3) from all Texas law enforcement agencies for crashes on public roadways (injury, death or $1,000+ damage) |
| What you need | Search the Crash Report Online Purchase System for the report (crash ID, or crash details such as date and county, driver name, plate); you must state how you qualify under Transp. Code 550.065 |
| Who can get a copy | Persons directly concerned in the crash or with proper interest under Transp. Code 550.065: people involved, their representatives, drivers, employers/parents, vehicle or property owners, insurers and their claim contractors, licensed broadcast and qualifying newspapers, persons who may sue for a death, vehicle storage facilities, and government agencies; anyone else receives a redacted copy |
Reports taken by city police or a sheriff
City police and county agencies submit their crash reports to TxDOT, and they send requesters to the same CRIS purchase system: for example the Fort Bend County Constable Precinct 2 says its crash reports are purchased through the state online system, and Texas State University Police direct requests to TxDOT Crash Reports and Records.
The form: CR-3
Officers in Texas write crash reports on the Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report (CR-3). Most boxes on it hold numeric codes for things like contributing factors, injuries and road conditions. The state publishes the key to those codes:
City police and sheriff reports in Texas
| Agency | Covers | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Police Department | Austin | $9 |
| Dallas Police Department | Dallas | $6.00 for the accident report if requested through the mail or picked up in person |
| El Paso Police Department | El Paso | $6.00 for an accident or crash report |
| Fort Worth Police Department | Fort Worth | $6.00 per report |
| Harris County Sheriff's Office | Houston | $6 for a regular copy |
| Houston Police Department | Houston | $6.00 non-certified or $8.00 certified by mail |
| San Antonio Police Department | San Antonio | $6 per accident report |
After you have the report
Texas gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a)). Every Texas deadline and fault rule.
Texas is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
21,238 people died in crashes in Texas 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 Texas. Both take under a minute.
Questions
Are Texas crash reports public?
Persons directly concerned in the crash or with proper interest under Transp. Code 550.065: people involved, their representatives, drivers, employers/parents, vehicle or property owners, insurers and their claim contractors, licensed broadcast and qualifying newspapers, persons who may sue for a death, vehicle storage facilities, and government agencies; anyone else receives a redacted copy
Sources
- Statewide crash reports: www.txdot.gov/data-maps/crash-reports-records.html
You may obtain a copy of a Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report (CR-3) by using our Crash Report Online Purchase System link below. Customers using the online system receive their report(s) via email following the purchase. | $6 for a regular copy. $8 for a certified copy - A certified copy is requested when a person needs an official document, such as for a legal proceeding. | Texas Transportation Code §550.065 allows for the release of a crash report on written request and upon payment of the required fee to any person directly concerned in the accident or having proper interest therein | Pers…
- Request portal: cris.dot.state.tx.us/public/Purchase/
- Local police and sheriff reports: www.fortbendcountytx.gov/government/departments/constables/constable-precinct-2/
- CR-3 codes: ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/trf/crash_notifications/2023/code-sheet.pdf
- Driver report duty (TxDOT crash records page (Senate Bill 312, 85th Legislature)): www.txdot.gov/data-maps/crash-reports-records.html
Effective Sept. 1, 2017, per the 85th Texas Legislature Senate Bill 312, the Driver's Crash Report (Form CR-2) is no longer retained by TxDOT. ... Drivers involved in a crash not investigated by a police officer who were provided a CR-2 or similar local agency form should retain this information for their records. Please note that any CR-2 or similar local agency form submitted to TxDOT will be destroyed as required by our records retention policy.
- When to call police (Tex. Transp. Code 550.026(a)): texas.public.law/statutes/tex._transp._code_section_550.026
The operator of a vehicle involved in a collision resulting in injury to or death of a person or damage to a vehicle to the extent that it cannot be normally and safely driven shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of the collision to the: (1) local police department if the collision occurred in a municipality; (2) local police department or the sheriff's office if the collision occurred not more than 100 feet outside the limits of a municipality; or (3) sheriff's office or the nearest office of the department if the collision is not required to be reported under …
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.