Who can get the report
Anyone. Entitled parties, such as the people involved, receive an unredacted copy. Everyone else receives a redacted public copy under the Public Records Act, RCW 42.56.
Where to request it
The Washington State Patrol keeps every collision report filed by any Washington agency in WRECR, the Washington Request for Electronic Collision Records system. Order online through WRECR, or by mail. Seattle Police Department reports are bought the same way.
What you need
- The name of a person involved
- The date of the collision
Fees and timing
The State Patrol charges $10.50 per report, set by RCW 46.52.085, online or by mail. A report takes up to 2 to 4 weeks to be available, and is typically ready much sooner.
If the report is not filed yet
If the report is not in WRECR yet, search again later. If it is still missing after 4 weeks, ask the agency that responded to the crash whether it has been filed.