How to get a car accident report in North Carolina
Every rule below is quoted from North Carolina law or a state agency, with a link. Checked September 17, 2026.
The short answer
You can request a North Carolina crash report by mailing or bringing a completed Crash Report Request form TR-67A with payment to the DMV. Mailed requests take about 10 business days to process, and requests of 5 records or fewer made in person are given right away. A certified copy costs $6 and 50 cents. A law enforcement officer who investigates a reportable crash must make a written report within 24 hours. A crash is reportable if it causes death or injury, or $1,000 or more in total property damage, or any damage to a vehicle that was seized under the state's impaired driving seizure law.
Which agency has your report
The report comes from the agency whose officer came to the crash. On interstates and state highways that is usually the state police or highway patrol. On city streets it is the city police, and outside city limits it is often the county sheriff. Ask the officer for the report number before you leave the scene.
Requesting a state police crash report
You can request a North Carolina crash report by mailing or bringing a completed Crash Report Request form TR-67A with payment to the DMV. Mailed requests take about 10 business days to process, and requests of 5 records or fewer made in person are given right away. A certified copy costs $6 and 50 cents.
“Please allow 10 business days from the time of receipt for the request to be processed.”
Your reporting duties
When you must report to police
A law enforcement officer who investigates a reportable crash must make a written report within 24 hours. A crash is reportable if it causes death or injury, or $1,000 or more in total property damage, or any damage to a vehicle that was seized under the state's impaired driving seizure law.
“A crash involving a motor vehicle that results in one or more of the following: (a) Death or injury of a human being. (b) Total property damage of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more, or property damage of any amount to a vehicle seized pursuant to G.S. 20-28.3.”
Whether you must file your own report
North Carolina does not require the driver to separately file a written crash report with the DMV. The investigating law enforcement officer must make a written report within 24 hours of a reportable accident, and local agencies must forward that report to the DMV's Division of Motor Vehicles within 10 days.
“A law-enforcement officer who investigates a reportable accident...must make a written report of the accident within 24 hours of the accident and must forward it as required by this subsection.”
Sources on this page
Each one was opened and checked on September 17, 2026.
Know My Claim is not a law firm or a government agency, and this page is not legal advice. Laws change, so check the linked source before you rely on a deadline.