How to Get My Police Record
Whenever law enforcement is called to respond to the scene of an accident or incident, law enforcement prepares a report. If you have been involved in a car accident, your insurance company may require a copy of the police report of your accident. If you have been charged with a crime, obtaining a copy of the police report is an important step in preparing your defense. Although law enforcement agencies throughout the country vary in their procedure for requesting a police report, it generally involves requesting a copy in person or by mail.
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Instructions
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Determine whether you can request a copy of your police record. If you were involved in an automobile accident or criminal activity investigated by police, you should be able to request a copy of your police report. If you are an interested member of the public not involved in the incident, you may not be able to request a copy of the police report if there is an ongoing criminal investigation or if the investigation pertains to a sexual offense.
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Collect identifying information about the police report you wish to request. In order to obtain a copy of your police report, you will need to provide the names of all parties involved in the incident, the location of the incident and the date it took place. If a citation was issued by law enforcement, determine the citation number.
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Visit the police department that compiled the police report during normal business hours. Some police departments only process records requests at certain times or at certain offices, so call ahead or access the website of the police department to determine when and where you can request a police report.
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Fill out any necessary forms and pay any report fee. Some police departments may require you to fill out a form before releasing police reports. Although the cost of obtaining a police report varies by department, the cost can either be a flat fee ranging from $2 to $20 or a per-page cost from 20 to 50 cents per page. If the police report you are requesting is very large, you may be required to pay the full cost of reproducing the record.
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