HomeCrash reportsWisconsin
How to get a Wisconsin crash report
Copies come from Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DMV) Purchase Crash Reports system. Request one at crashreports.wi.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 | Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DMV) Purchase Crash Reports system |
|---|---|
| Where to request it | crashreports.wi.gov |
| Covers | Crash reports completed by Wisconsin law enforcement agencies and received by WisDOT (MV4000), available for four years from the crash date; reports are not emailed, faxed or picked up at DMV offices |
| What you need | Search by DOT crash report document number, or by crash date together with the Wisconsin driver license number; or by DOT accident/crash number |
| Who can get a copy | No eligibility rule stated; the online search requires a document number or a date plus Wisconsin driver license number, so in practice involved drivers or people given the number |
| By mail | None: 'Crash Reports are NOT available via Email, Fax, or pickup at any DMV office'; reports not available online can be printed from the site list and mailed to DOT |
Reports taken by city police or a sheriff
Police departments and sheriffs also release their own reports: for example the Washington County Sheriff's Office offers motor vehicle accident reports through Crashdocs.org for a flat $2.00 fee, using the report number, last name and date from the handout given at the crash.
The form: MV4000
Officers in Wisconsin write crash reports on the Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Accident Report (law enforcement) (MV4000). 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 Wisconsin
| Agency | Covers | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Police Department | Milwaukee | Copies at the MPD Open Records Office: $0.25 per page or CD, $0.50 per color photo, cash or check only. Online LexisNexis/WisDOT price not stated on the MPD page. |
After you have the report
Wisconsin gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Wis. Stat. § 893.54(1m)(a)). Every Wisconsin deadline and fault rule.
Wisconsin is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
3,017 people died in crashes in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin. Both take under a minute.
Questions
Are Wisconsin crash reports public?
No eligibility rule stated; the online search requires a document number or a date plus Wisconsin driver license number, so in practice involved drivers or people given the number
Sources
- Statewide crash reports: wisconsindot.gov/Pages/safety/crsh-rpt/default.aspx
Crash Reports are made available once they are completed and received from the reporting law enforcement agency. Depending upon a number of factors including the complexity of the crash, and the associated investigation, this process can take 10 business days or more. Crash Reports are available for FOUR (4) years from the date of the crash. | After purchase, your report(s) are immediately available for download as an electronic PDF document. | Crash Reports are NOT available via Email, Fax, or pickup at any DMV office. | WisDOT DMV fees: Crash report $6 | FAQ: Information you need to search f…
- Request portal: crashreports.wi.gov/
- Local police and sheriff reports: www.washcowisco.gov/departments/sheriff_office/open_records
- MV4000 codes: wisconsindot.gov/Documents/dmv/shared/manual-mv4000.pdf
- Driver report duty (Wis. Stat. 346.70(2)): docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/346/xi/70
(2) Written report of accident. Unless a report is made under sub. (4) by a law enforcement agency, within 10 days after an accident of the type described in sub. (1), the operator of a vehicle involved in the accident shall forward a written report of the accident to the department.
- When to call police (Wis. Stat. 346.70(1)): docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/346/xi/70
The operator or occupant of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, any damage to state or other government-owned property, except a state or other government-owned vehicle, to an apparent extent of $200 or more, or total damage to property owned by any one person or to a state or other government-owned vehicle to an apparent extent of $1,000 or more shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of such accident to the police department, the sheriff's office, or the traffic department of the county or municipality in which the acc…
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.