When emergency services are called to the scene of an accident, police are usually one of the first responders to arrive.

They compile the information they collect into the accident report, which can provide critical evidence to help determine the cause of an accident and identify the party at fault.

Therefore, your car crash attorney will need a copy of your Houston police accident report. The procedure to request the accident report will differ depending on whether the Houston Police Department or the Texas Highway Patrol responded to the accident scene.

How Do You Get Your Houston Police Accident Report?

There are several ways you can obtain your accident report from the Houston Police Department, including mail, in person, and online.

To obtain your accident report, you must provide two of the following:

• Date of the accident;
• Location of the accident;
• Name of the driver or party involved in the accident; and
• The incident number.

You must also let five to eight days pass before you request your accident report. They need this time to process in the system.

Getting Your HPD Accident Report by Mail

You can request your accident report in the mail. Start by filling out Form H.B. 2633. This is the Houston Police Department Crash Report Request Form. It is available in English or Spanish. Send this to the following address:

Houston Police Department, Records Division

1200 Travis Street

Houston, TX 77002

You must also include a check or money order for $6. Make it payable to the City of Houston. Enclose this along with a self-addressed stamped envelope in your mailed request packet.

Getting Your HPD Accident Report in Person

Alternatively, you can take the completed H.B. 2633 Form and pick up your police accident report in person. Go to the following address:

Edward A. Thomas Building

1200 Travis St. 

Houston, Texas 77002

The location to pick up your police report is on the first floor.

Getting Your HPD Accident Report Online

To purchase your accident report online, go to this online portal. Double-check the text at the top, “Texas” for state and “Houston Police Department” for jurisdiction. There are three ways to get a copy of your accident report.

1. Option 1. This option asks you to type in the number of the accident report. You probably got this number from the police officer at the scene.
2. Option 2. You must fill in your last name and the full date (month, day, and year) the accident happened.
3. Option 3: You must fill in your last name and the street the accident happened on. Use the street name without any street number, prefix, or suffix.

There are also optional search fields under the “Advanced Search” option. You can fill in your first name and the cross street of the location of the accident.

How Do You Get Your Police Report from the Texas Highway Patrol?

If the car accident occurred on a state highway, the Texas Highway Patrol may have been the responding law enforcement agency at the scene. You can get a copy of their crash report by mail or online.

Getting Your Texas Highway Patrol Police Report by Mail

To get a copy of the Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3) by mail, send your request to the following address:

Crash Data and Analysis, Texas Department of Transportation 

PO Box 12879

Austin, TX 78711

First, you must fill out a request form called the CR-91 form. Information to fill out in this form includes the accident’s date and location. You must also fill out the driver’s information, such as name, birth date, address, and driver’s license number. 

The accident report costs $6. If you would like it to be certified, the report costs $8. Please pay as a money order or a check payable to the Texas Department of Transportation. 

Don’t forget to include a mailing address where you want the accident report mailed.

It takes about 20 business days for a request to be completed.

Getting Your Texas Highway Patrol Police Report Online

Alternatively, you can get a copy of your accident report online at the Crash Report Online Purchase System. There is a small fee associated with processing the search.

To search for your accident report, you can provide the following:

• Name of the person or company involved in the accident;
• Driver’s license or ID card number of a person involved in the accident;
• The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of a motor vehicle involved in the accident; or
• The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Crash ID.

Note that the TxDOT ID is an eight-digit number assigned to your crash. 

Know that your car crash may take 14 days from the accident to show up in the online search results.

Contact a Houston Car Accident Attorney Now for a Free Consultation

Contact one of our seasoned Houston attorneys if you or a loved one has been injured in an accident. Founder Michael Grossman has been named one of Texas’s top lawyers for ten years. At Grossman Law Offices, we have secured millions in settlements and verdicts for our clients.

Contact us now at 855-326-0000 or fill out our online contact form and speak with an attorney today.