How to Request an Accident Report in Charlotte, NC
After a traffic accident in North Carolina—whether involving a car, truck, or motorcycle—most people call 911 for emergency assistance. If police respond, they’ll document the crash and conduct a basic investigation. The resulting details are compiled into an official accident report.
This report can be essential if you plan to file an insurance or personal injury claim. To use it, you’ll first need to request a copy from the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV). Here’s how to obtain your accident report after a crash in Charlotte.
First, Does an Accident Report Exist?
Charlotte police officers will file an accident report in many cases, but not always. If the police don’t arrive at the car accident scene, they can’t create a report. But even if they do, the police will likely not make an accident report if your accident didn’t involve any injuries or significant damage to a vehicle.
As such, you should make it a point to ask whether a report will be filed if an officer arrives on the scene.
Who May Request an Accident Report?
Anyone can request an accident report. However, they will receive a redacted copy if they don’t have a legitimate reason to get a copy of the report.
Some legitimate reasons to request a report are as follows:
- You intend to pursue litigation or administrative proceedings
- You are an employer verifying information relevant to a commercial driver’s license
- You represent an interested insurance company
- You represent a towing or impound company that has previously towed the vehicle
- You are the legal representative for anyone in the above examples
As the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident, you can get the accident report to pursue your insurance or legal claim. Furthermore, you can also obtain the information if you are an injured passenger, such as in a rideshare accident.
Requesting an Accident Report: What You’ll Need
When you request an accident report, you need to provide the NCDMV with the following:
- Your driver’s license or ID card number
- Your Social Security number, U.S. Visa number, or Individual Taxpayer Identification number
- The driver’s license number of at least one driver in the accident
- The date the accident occurred
- $6.50 per report that you request
The easiest way to request a report is online. You will receive a PDF copy of the report that you can keep. However, online requests include an additional transaction fee of just over $3.00.
You may also request an accident report by mail. You’ll need to fill out the Crash Report Request (TR-67A) form, which typically takes about ten business days to process. An in-person request is faster; if you request five records or fewer, you can receive them immediately. Larger requests, however, will take additional time.
Contact the Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyers at Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
If you were injured in a car accident in Charlotte, a crash report can provide significant assistance in getting fair compensation from the insurance company. With three different ways to request an accident report, at least one should be suitable for your needs. Whichever is best, you should get a copy as soon as possible to protect your rights after an accident.
If you want to pursue a legal claim after your accident, contact the Charlotte personal injury lawyers at Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers for help today. We offer free consultations.
We proudly serve clients in Charlotte, NC, and its surrounding areas:
Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers
1009 East Blvd Suite 110, Charlotte, NC 28203
(704) 980-9999