DMV keeps (motorist and police) accident reports for 4 years from the date of an accident, except for rare cases. 1
You can order a certified accident report online. 2
You will need to pay a search fee ($7 online or $10 by mail). 3 To order reports you will need to pay an additional $15 fee (for each report).
You can search, purchase, and immediately download certified accident reports online.
You must pay both a
Please note: you must complete Step 1 of the online transaction before you will be able to perform a free or paid search.
To see if your report is available in our system use 'List Reports on File by Date' to see a list of accidents by the county and date you select (see screenshot example below). The list of accidents will include the plate numbers of the vehicles involved in the accident.
If there are reports you want, you will need to do a paid search before you can order them.
To search for your report use 'Search by Plate Number, License Number, or DMV Accident Case Number' (see screenshot example below).
You will be charged a fee even if
Each search costs $7.
To order reports, you will need one of the following (which you can get from the search)
Each report costs $15. 5
After you pay, you will be able to download your reports (in PDF format).
You will have 7 calendar days to access the reports [2] you purchased. After 7 days, you will need to purchase the reports again.
Note: Some customers have problems downloading PDF documents [3] from our website. Make sure your operating system and web browser are up to date.
You can still order a certified copy of an accident report online if you are unable to use the method above.
You must pay a
Use the Records Request Navigator [5], and provide the
and at least one of the following
If DMV cannot find an accident based on the information you provide, we will notify you by certified letter.
It takes 14 - 60 days for an accident report to become available in our system. The time depends on where the accident occurred, and who filed the report (police or a motorist).
Filing method | Report enters system |
---|---|
Electronically filed police report in one of the 5 boroughs of New York City | at least 14 days after accident |
Paper police report | at least 30 days after accident |
Motorist report from anywhere in New York State | at least 60 days after accident |
You will have 7 calendar days to access reports [2] you already purchased online. After 7 days, you will need to purchase the reports again.
You will need
Note: Some customers have experienced problems downloading PDF documents [3] from our website. Make sure your operating system and web browser are up to date.