If you were involved in an accident on Florida highways, get a Florida Highway Patrol traffic accident report online from the BuyCrash website, linked to from the FHP website. You can also get an FHP report of a third-party accident (one you were not involved in) from BuyCrash, but you'll have to wait at least 60 days after the report was filed.
Obtaining Your FHP Accident Report
If a serious vehicle accident or crash occurs on Florida motorways, the Florida Highway Patrol makes a traffic accident report. If you were a driver or a passenger in the crash, you have the right to obtain a copy of the report. The FHP website provides a link to the BuyCrash website where you can buy a copy.
To get your copy online from BuyCrash, you need the accident report number. If you did not get it at the accident scene, obtain it at the FHP station nearest to the location of the crash. You'll also need a driver's name and the date of the accident.
Read More: How to Get Online Accident Reports
Reports Aren't Public Record Until 60 Days Pass
Florida law limits access to Florida accident reports to people "connected to the accident" for the first 60 days after a report is filed. People connected to the accident include drivers and owners of the vehicles involved, passengers, witnesses, and the insurers and attorneys for the parties. You will have to prove that you are among this group of people before you can get the report. You may also have to file a written sworn statement that you won't use the information for commercial solicitation of accident victims.
BuyCrash charges a fee to provide a copy of the FHP accident report to you even if you were involved in the crash. Once you pay the fee, the company will send a copy of the report to your email account. You can also get an emailed copy for an extra fee.
Obtaining a Report for a Third Party Crash
You can obtain Florida accident reports for third-party crashes beginning 60 days after the accident. At this point, the information becomes public.
Use the same procedure to access third-party FHP accident reports at BuyCrash as to obtain your own. However, you do not need to prove that you are one of the people "connected to the accident" in order to receive the report.
Making a Driver Report to the FHP
The Florida Highway Patrol might not show up at smaller, fender-bender accidents on state roadways, but a driver may still need to file a report with the FHP to comply with state law or insurance policy requirements.
In order to file a "Driver Report of a Traffic Crash" online, go to the FHP website for traffic accident reports. Fill in the online form to report the accident. You can print the report when you are done and provide a copy of it to your insurer.
Tips
Florida law provides that a police accident report doesn't become public record until 60 days have passed. You can obtain a Florida accident report online at the BuyCrash website after that time. If you were one of the parties involved in the accident, you can get it sooner.
References
Resources
Tips
- If you are unable to visit the FHP branch where the crash took place, you can still request a copy of the report. Call the branch's non-emergency number for more information. Go to flhsmv.gov/fhp/misc/CrashReport/Where.htm for a list of FHP branch phone numbers.
Warnings
- Unlawful disclosure of confidential personal information and unlawfully obtaining or attempting to obtain confidential personal information are third-degree felonies.
Writer Bio
Teo Spengler earned a JD from U.C. Berkeley Law School. As an Assistant Attorney General in Juneau, she practiced before the Alaska Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court before opening a plaintiff's personal injury practice in San Francisco. She holds both an MA and an MFA in English/writing and enjoys writing legal blogs and articles. Her work has appeared in numerous online publications including USA Today, Legal Zoom, eHow Business, Livestrong, SF Gate, Go Banking Rates, Arizona Central, Houston Chronicle, Navy Federal Credit Union, Pearson, Quicken.com, TurboTax.com, and numerous attorney websites. Spengler splits her time between the French Basque Country and Northern California.