After a crash, the police report is one of the first documents an injury lawyer asks for. It records the date, time and location, the drivers and vehicles involved, insurance information, witness details and the investigating officer’s observations. Getting a copy early makes it easier to check the facts and start a claim.

Who Writes the Crash Report

In New Jersey, the investigating police officer completes the state’s crash report. The official form is the NJTR-1, titled the State of New Jersey Police Accident Report Form. You do not fill it out yourself. Your part is to make sure the officer has your correct name, contact details and insurance information at the scene.

How to Get a Copy

Most crash reports can be requested online through the New Jersey State Police Crash Report Request portal at njportal.com. The fee for a standard report is modest, usually well under $20, and it can vary with the type of crash and how you order it. Crashes on toll roads, including some Turnpike and Parkway crashes, go through a separate request process with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. You can also request a report by mail from the Division of State Police, Criminal Justice Records Bureau, P.O. Box 7068, West Trenton, NJ 08628-0068.

Have the case number ready if the officer gave you one. The request may also ask for the date and location of the crash, your name and contact information, and the license plate and driver’s license numbers involved.

How Long It Takes

A report is not available until the investigation is completed and approved. If yours is not ready, the state recommends checking again in a couple of days. Once it is ready, the portal emails a download link, and you can download the report for up to 14 days after delivery. Save a copy somewhere safe as soon as you get it.

Serious and Fatal Crashes

Serious and fatal crash investigations are handled differently. Investigation materials, scene evidence, photographs and statements are not part of the basic public report. To request them, the state requires a subpoena signed by an officer of the court or a judge’s order, submitted through the Records Request for a Serious/Fatal Crash form. Serious or fatal investigation reports cost more than a standard report, and delivery can take up to a month.

Check the Report When You Get It

Read the report carefully. Errors in names, plate numbers, insurance information or the description of how the crash happened can affect your claim. Look closely at the contact details, vehicle information, insurance codes, the diagram, the officer’s narrative and any citations. Insurance codes can be hard to read, so our guide to New Jersey auto insurance codes explains what they mean. If something looks wrong, bring it to a lawyer’s attention early.

Your Own Reporting Duty

Separate from the police report, the driver of a vehicle involved in a crash that causes injury or death, or more than $500 in damage to any one person’s property, generally must send a written accident report on form SR-1 to the state within 10 days. The form says the driver’s report is not required if a law enforcement officer has already submitted a written report, but confirm that in your own case. Failing to report can lead to suspension of driving and registration privileges.

Deadlines Still Apply

A crash report is important evidence, but it does not stop the clock on a claim. In New Jersey, most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the accident, and claims against public entities can have shorter notice deadlines. Read our guide to New Jersey filing deadlines for more.

How Blaise Injury Law Can Help

If you were hurt in a crash in Cherry Hill, Mount Laurel or elsewhere in South Jersey, Blaise Injury Law offers a free consultation. This article is general information and not legal advice.

Call (856) 340-5685 or visit our contact page to get started today.