Who can get the report
The New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) sells crash reports to anyone who can identify the crash with the details listed below. It does not state an eligibility rule.
Where to request it
- From the DMV online: use the DMV crash report portal with a NY.gov ID. You get the PDF right away and can download it again for 7 days.
- From the DMV by mail: send form MV-198C, or use the DMV Records Request Navigator.
- In New York City: the NYPD Collision Report Retrieval Portal has reports taken after September 30, 2016. In the first 30 days you can also ask the precinct where the crash happened, using the Request for Copy of Collision Record form. After 30 days, request the report from the DMV.
- In Suffolk County: the Suffolk County Police Department sells its reports through LexisNexis BuyCrash.
Crashes with no injury and less than $1,000 in damage are not reportable, and the DMV will not have them.
What you need
- The 8-digit DMV case number, or
- The date of the crash and the county, plus a license plate, VIN or driver's license number
Fees and timing
- DMV online: $7 search fee plus $15 per report.
- DMV by mail or Navigator: $10 search fee plus $15 per report.
- NYPD portal: reports can take up to 7 business days to appear; no fee is stated.
NYC reports filed electronically take at least 14 days to enter the DMV database, and paper reports at least 30 days.
If the report is not filed yet
If the DMV does not have your report yet, wait for it to reach the database. For an NYC crash, try the NYPD portal, or the precinct within the first 30 days.