{"id":6908,"date":"2026-11-08T07:23:02","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T07:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/colvinaccidentlawyers.com\/resources\/wrongful-death-lawyer\/how-do-i-look-up-an-accident-report-in-california\/"},"modified":"2026-11-08T07:23:07","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T07:23:07","slug":"how-do-i-look-up-an-accident-report-in-california","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/colvinaccidentlawyers.com\/resources\/wrongful-death-lawyer\/how-do-i-look-up-an-accident-report-in-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Car Accident Report Lookup in California: Step by Step"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Car Accident \u00b7 Bakersfield & Kern County<\/p>

Find Your Car Accident Report in California, Step by Step<\/h1>

Learn which agency wrote your crash report, what details to have ready, and how to request a copy. Colvin Accident Lawyers can review the report with you.<\/p>

Get a Free Consultation<\/a><\/div>
Get a Free Consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

By Donald Norman Colvin \u00b7 Published November 8, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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How do I look up an accident report in California? Request it from the agency that wrote it. For crashes the California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigated, that means the CHP’s online system, mail, or an in-person request. For crashes handled by a city police department or county sheriff, the request goes to that agency.<\/p>\n

This guide covers who writes the report, who may get a copy, how to ask for it, and the dates to track. Many readers are working through this while they recover from injuries or grieve a loss. The steps are meant to be clear and simple.<\/p>\n

Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield, and we represent accident victims and their families.<\/p>\n

What a California Accident Report Is and Who Creates It<\/h2>\n

The officer who responds to a crash usually writes the official collision report. The CHP writes reports for crashes it investigates, and city police or county sheriffs write them for crashes in their areas.<\/p>\n

A typical report lists the date, time, and location. It also names the drivers, passengers, and vehicles. Witness details, the officer’s observations, and a diagram or narrative often appear too. Its details help you confirm the basic facts of the crash, like when and where it happened. Insurers and courts may ask for it.<\/p>\n

Don’t mix this up with the driver’s own report. Under Veh. Code \u00a7 16000<\/a>, a driver in a crash on a street or highway that causes injury, death, or damage to the property of any one person in excess of $1,000 must report it within 10 days, unless the vehicle was owned or leased by, or under the direction of, the United States, this state, another state, or a local agency. The report goes to the department on a department-approved form, either personally or through an insurance agent, broker, or legal representative. That report is filed by a driver, not written by an officer, so it is a separate document.<\/p>\n\n

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If you're holding a crash report you can't yet make sense of, we're glad to talk it through with you. Talk it through with our team — the first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.<\/p>

Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div>
Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Who Is Allowed to Obtain a Copy of a Collision Report<\/h2>\n

Collision reports can be one source of information about how a crash was documented. The CHP’s request page<\/a> explains who may request a crash report, and how.<\/p>\n

After a death, the family member asking should be ready to explain their connection to the person who died. California’s wrongful death statute lists who may bring a claim, such as a surviving spouse, domestic partner, or children, or the decedent’s personal representative on their behalf (Code Civ. Proc. \u00a7 377.60<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Write down the names of everyone involved, plus any witnesses you know. That list helps you check the report when it arrives and spot anything it leaves out. Crashes involving a bus, truck, or motorcycle can involve several parties, insurers, and agencies, which makes that list more useful.<\/p>\n

If someone handed you a report, confirm your right to it before you rely on it in a claim.<\/p>\n

How to Request a Crash Report Online Through CHP<\/h2>\n

For a crash the CHP investigated, start with the CHP’s Online Crash Report System. The CHP’s request page<\/a> explains how to request a report online, in person, or by mail.<\/p>\n

Before you search, gather what you know:<\/p>\n