You can request a Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report, also called a CR-3, through TxDOT’s online crash-report purchase system or the law enforcement agency that investigated your wreck. The report can help identify the other driver, insurance information, witnesses, and the officer’s account of what happened. But it does not automatically decide who is legally responsible for your injuries.
If you were hurt in a Dallas car accident or an 18-wheeler wreck in Fort Worth, obtaining and reviewing the report is an important early step. An incorrect diagram, missing witness, or disputed contributing factor can affect how an insurance company handles your claim.
At The Wooley Law Firm, we help injured people obtain their crash reports, investigate disputed fault, preserve evidence, and pursue compensation after car and commercial truck wrecks throughout Dallas–Fort Worth.
What Is a Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report?
A Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report is the CR-3 form law enforcement uses to document an investigated motor vehicle collision. People also call it a Texas accident report, police crash report, or car accident report.
Depending on the investigation, it may contain:
Driver, passenger, vehicle, and insurance information.
The crash date, location, and investigating agency.
A diagram and written narrative describing the collision.
Road, weather, lighting, and traffic conditions.
Contributing factors and citations.
Witness information and initial injury observations.
Commercial vehicle information when applicable.
The report is a starting point for understanding the wreck. It may not contain every witness statement, photograph, video, or piece of evidence collected afterward.
How to Get a Texas Crash Report Online
1. Start With TxDOT’s Official Crash-Report Page
Visit TxDOT’s crash reports and records page and select Crash Report Online Purchase System. Using the official state page helps you reach the current purchasing portal.
Have the following information available to help locate the correct report:
The crash date and approximate location.
The name of a person involved.
The city or county where the wreck occurred.
The investigating agency.
The police case number or TxDOT crash ID, if known.
Follow the portal’s search instructions and select the applicable reason you are entitled to receive the report. After purchase, TxDOT provides the report by email.
2. Check the Fee and Whether You Need a Certified Copy
TxDOT lists $6 for a regular copy and $8 for a certified copy, with additional transaction charges potentially applying. A certified copy carries official certification; whether you need one depends on how the report will be used.
Certification does not mean every statement in the report is correct or that every statement will necessarily be admissible in court.
3. Save Every Page
Download the complete report and keep the original electronic file. If the investigating agency later supplements the report, keep both versions so the changes can be identified.
How Long Does It Take for a Texas Crash Report to Become Available?
The officer’s submission deadline and the date you can purchase the report are different. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 550.062, an officer who investigates a qualifying crash generally must electronically submit the report to TxDOT no later than the tenth day after the collision.
That requirement does not guarantee online availability within 10 days. Submission, review, processing, or a delayed report can affect when it appears.
If your report is missing, confirm the search information and contact the investigating agency to ask whether the CR-3 has been submitted. Do not assume a missing search result means no report exists.
You do not need to wait for the crash report before seeking legal help. Video footage and other evidence may need to be preserved while the report is still being prepared.
Can I Get the Report From Dallas Police or Another DFW Agency?
You may also request records from the agency that investigated your collision. The Dallas Police Department’s public-information page provides records-request instructions and directs crash-report requesters to TxDOT.
For a Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Irving, Garland, or other North Texas wreck, identify the agency listed on the information card the officer gave you. A city police department, county sheriff’s office, or Texas DPS may have investigated, depending on jurisdiction and the response.
The road name alone does not establish who has the report. A collision on I-35E, I-30, I-635, or U.S. 75 may involve different agencies depending on where it occurred.
An incident number or driver-exchange sheet can help locate the case, but it may be a different document from the completed CR-3.
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Who Can Obtain a Texas CR-3 Report?
Texas Transportation Code Section 550.065 governs access. People entitled to receive crash-report information include involved drivers and passengers, authorized representatives, owners of damaged vehicles or property, certain insurers, and people who may sue because of a crash-related death.
The statute also recognizes other qualifying requesters. People who do not qualify for access to the protected information may request a redacted report.
An attorney representing an injured person can help obtain the appropriate report and explain what additional records may be needed.
How to Read Your Texas Crash Report
Before accepting an insurance adjuster’s interpretation, review the report carefully.
Check Which Vehicle Is Yours
Match your vehicle to its assigned unit number using the driver and vehicle information. Being listed as Unit 1 does not, by itself, establish legal fault.
Compare the Narrative and Diagram
Check the direction of travel, lane positions, traffic controls, and described impacts. Does the narrative match the diagram? Does either conflict with your photographs or dashcam footage?
Review Contributing Factors and Citations
Look for the conduct the officer identified, such as an unsafe lane change, failure to yield, or following too closely. A contributing factor is not a court’s allocation of fault, and the absence of a citation does not automatically defeat an injury claim.
Check Witness and Injury Information
Identify missing witnesses or inaccurate occupant information. Initial injury observations also may not capture conditions diagnosed during later treatment. The crash report does not replace medical records documenting your injuries and care.
For help interpreting an unfavorable report, a Dallas car accident lawyer can compare the officer’s account with the other available evidence.
What If the Police Report Is Wrong or Blames Both Drivers?
An unfavorable report can create an insurance dispute, but it does not necessarily end your case. The officer may have arrived after the collision, heard conflicting accounts, or lacked video that later becomes available.
For example, both drivers may claim they entered an intersection on green. Without independent evidence, the report may leave the dispute unresolved. Our article on a red-light crash report that blames both drivers explains why witness testimony, video, and physical evidence matter.
Similar issues arise when an insurer denies a lane-change claim because each driver blames the other. Read about challenging a “he said, she said” lane-change insurance denial.
If you find an error:
Identify the specific statement, entry, or diagram you dispute.
Gather supporting photographs, video, documents, or witness information.
Ask the investigating agency about its correction or supplemental-report process.
Keep copies of your request and supporting evidence.
Continue preserving evidence even if the agency declines to change its conclusions.
Texas Transportation Code Section 550.068 addresses changes to material facts in crash reports. A correction or supplement is not guaranteed, particularly when the issue involves disputed accounts rather than a straightforward factual mistake.
If your collision involved a turning driver, our guide to fault in Dallas left-turn crashes discusses why the right-of-way analysis may require more than the report’s initial description.
Why an 18-Wheeler Crash Report Is Only the Beginning
A commercial truck report may provide leads about the driver, carrier, tractor, trailer, and sequence of impacts. It may not establish every business relationship, applicable insurance policy, or company decision that contributed to the wreck.
A Dallas truck wreck lawyer may need to investigate evidence beyond the CR-3, including:
Truck and trailer ownership and motor-carrier information.
Dashcam footage and available electronic vehicle data.
Electronic logging device and hours-of-service records.
Dispatch communications and trip information.
Inspection, maintenance, and repair records.
Driver qualification and training records.
Cargo documents, photographs, and vehicle inspections.
The relevant evidence depends on how the collision happened. A trailer sideswipe calls for a different investigation than a brake failure or a rear-end collision involving stopped traffic.
Records may be overwritten, and vehicles may be repaired or moved. Early preservation efforts can help protect evidence while responsibility is investigated.
Does the Crash Report Include Dashcam or Bodycam Video?
Do not assume purchasing the CR-3 gives you the entire police investigation file. Body-camera footage, patrol-car video, 911 recordings, scene photographs, and other records may require separate requests to the agency that holds them. Availability and disclosure can depend on the record and applicable law.
Also preserve your own photographs, dashcam files, witness contact information, tow receipts, and insurance correspondence. Keep original video files rather than relying only on edited clips or screenshots.
Frequently Asked Questions About Texas Crash Reports
Can a passenger request the report?
Yes. A passenger involved in the collision generally qualifies as a person involved under Section 550.065. Follow the requesting agency’s identification and eligibility requirements.
Can I pursue an injury claim without a police report?
Potentially. A report can help, but other evidence may establish how the wreck happened and who caused it. Photographs, witnesses, video, vehicle damage, and medical records may become especially important.
What if no officer investigated the wreck?
There may be no CR-3 to purchase. Preserve the information you have and ask the appropriate agency about any available local reporting process. TxDOT no longer retains the former Driver’s Crash Report, commonly called the CR-2 or “blue form.”
Does the report prove what my injury case is worth?
No. Claim value depends on evidence of liability, injuries, medical care, lost income, other recoverable damages, and available coverage. A crash report alone cannot establish the value of a settlement.
Should I wait for the report before contacting an attorney?
No. An attorney can help locate the report while investigating the collision and working to preserve evidence that may disappear.
Need Help After a Dallas–Fort Worth Car or Truck Wreck?
Obtaining your Texas crash report is an important step. Understanding what it shows—and what still needs to be investigated—can be just as important.
The Wooley Law Firm helps injured drivers, passengers, and families review crash reports, investigate disputed liability, communicate with insurers, and pursue compensation supported by the evidence.
Call (214) 699-6524 for a free consultation, or contact The Wooley Law Firm to discuss your wreck. You don’t pay attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different.
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Andrew J. Wooley
Personal Injury Attorney
Andrew J. Wooley is a dedicated personal injury attorney based in Dallas, Texas. He focuses on helping accident victims recover fair compensation for their injuries. With a commitment to personalized service, Andrew works directly with each client to understand their unique situation and fight for their rights.
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