CIVIL AND MISDEMEANORS

How to Look Up a Police Report for Hillsborough County, Florida

By Teo Spengler, J.D.

March 18, 2019

Reviewed by Karen Lac, J.D.

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Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office makes it easy to look up a Florida Traffic/Crash Report for an accident in the county. You can identify the report and order it online at the Record's Section of the Sheriff's Office website.

What's in a Hillsborough County Police Report?

A police report may refer to a report put together by investigating offers at a motor vehicle crash. The report summarized the information the police obtained about the accident. This can include names of drivers and passengers, witnesses, descriptions and license number of the vehicles involved and insurance data.

In Hillsborough County, Florida, this type of report is called a Florida Traffic Crash Report. Once a report is prepared, it is kept in the records section of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. The customer service address of the records section is: Freddie Soloman Annex, 1900 East 9th Avenue, Tampa, Florida, 33605. It is open between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can phone the office at (813) 247-8210.

Read More: Police Report Types

How to Order a Hillsborough County Accident Report

To order a Florida Traffic Crash Report, you can go into the office during business hours and place an order. Alternatively, and more conveniently for those who live far from Tampa, order a copy of your police report online/SupportHome.aspx).

If you are ordering your own traffic crash report, you can do so immediately after the accident. You'll have to download and complete a sworn affidavit specifying your interest in the proceeding, then mail it back to the office by email at rec_request@hcso.tampa.fl.us. The records are, for 60 days after the accident, considered confidential. They are available only to parties, attorneys and some other agencies or media outlets.

If you want a police report from an accident that occurred more than 60 days earlier, you can order one online. You will not need to fill out the sworn affidavit.

Alternatively, the Sheriff's Office suggests you use the LexisNexis BuyCrash.com website. LexisNexis assists law enforcement with this nationwide, automated service. You'll need to provide a report number, a VIN number of a vehicle or the party names and date of the accident.

Tips

  • To get police reports in Hillsborough County, Florida, contact that law enforcement agency that took the report. This could mean the Hillsborough County Sheriff, Florida Highway Patrol, Tampa Police, Temple Terrace Police or Plant City Police. For a traffic/crash report that took place in the county, the Sheriff's office has a website where you can request records online.

References

Tips

  • Incidents that took place within a city are usually investigated by local police. You will need to visit the city's police department to look up those reports. You also can contact the Records Department of the Tampa Police Department through the city's website at www.tampagov.net.
  • Accident reports are not available until 60 days after the accident unless you were involved in the accident. You must show proof of identity if you are requesting an accident report before the 60 days are up.

Writer Bio

Teo Spengler earned a JD from U.C. Berkeley Law School. As an Assistant Attorney General in Juneau, she practiced before the Alaska Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court before opening a plaintiff's personal injury practice in San Francisco. She holds both an MA and an MFA in English/writing and enjoys writing legal blogs and articles. Her work has appeared in numerous online publications including USA Today, Legal Zoom, eHow Business, Livestrong, SF Gate, Go Banking Rates, Arizona Central, Houston Chronicle, Navy Federal Credit Union, Pearson, Quicken.com, TurboTax.com, and numerous attorney websites. Spengler splits her time between the French Basque Country and Northern California.

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