How To Get a Copy of Your California Highway Patrol Accident Report

If you’ve recently been involved in a car accident on a California state highway, you might consider pursuing a legal claim against the at-fault party. If you plan to file an insurance claim or lawsuit, you will need a copy of the accident report.

In most cases, accidents that occur on the highway fall under the jurisdiction of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). If CHP filed your accident report, you need to know how to obtain a copy for your records.

Another option is to hire a lawyer to represent you. An experienced car accident lawyer can handle all the details of your claim, including investigating your accident and gathering critical evidence—including your accident report.

How to Get a Copy of a California Highway Patrol Accident Report

To obtain a California highway patrol collision report, you must qualify as a party of interest in the crash. This includes drivers, passengers, vehicle owners, or a parent or guardian of an involved minor. Attorneys and insurance companies for involved parties may also request an accident report.

You can request your report either via U.S. mail or in person at the CHP Area Office that handled the original report.

To submit a request, you must complete and sign the CHP 190 form, ”Application for Release of Information.” You must provide all requested information along with your signature.

The information you must know to complete the form includes the following.

• Collision or Incident Date (provide an approximate date if you aren’t sure of the actual date);
• Collision or Incident Location (provide as much information as possible if you don’t know the specific location address);
• Driver or Owner Name (this refers to your vehicle);
• Party of Interest Designation; and
• Applicant Name and Address.

You must sign the application and provide a copy of your driver’s license or state-issued ID with the CHP 190 form. You can also have the application notarized if you cannot provide a copy of your license. Finally, you must include a check or money order for the report fee.  

How Much Do CHP Incident Reports Cost?

CHP requires a fee for obtaining an accident report copy. The amount varies based on the number of pages in the report. The CHP fee schedule is as follows.

• $10.00 — 01 – 25 pages
• $20.00 — 26 – 50 pages
• $30.00 — 51 – 75 pages
• $40.00 — 76 – 100 pages
• $10.00 — Over 100 – for each additional 25 pages or portion thereof

Make your check or money order payable to “California Highway Patrol.” Note that CHP will only accept cash if you submit your request in person. CHP does not accept any other forms of payment at this time.

CHP Marin County & San Francisco Office Contact Information

If your accident occurred in Marin County, it is likely that your accident report will be processed by CHP’s Marin County office.

Address:

53 San Clemente Drive

Corte Madera , CA 94925

Phone: (415) 924-1100

Hours:

Monday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Thursday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

Otherwise, you may need to obtain a copy of your report from the San Francisco office location, a part of the CHP Golden Gate Division.

Address: 

455 Eighth Street

San Francisco, CA 94103

Phone:

(415) 557-1094

Hours:

Monday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Thursday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

If your accident occurred in another part of the state, click here to locate the CHP office that is local to the area where your collision occurred.