Accident reports now available through DMV

Effective July 1, 2013, all requests for an FR300P Accident Report must be made to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). State law was amended by the Virginia General Assembly during the 2013 session to declare DMV as the sole source for distribution of FR300P Accident Reports completed by state law enforcement agencies in Virginia.

The Code of Virginia 46.2-380 (http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-380) identifies only select parties as being permitted access to an FR300P Accident Report. In the past, those parties/individuals could go to DMV or the investigating law enforcement agency to request a copy of the completed FR300 Accident Report.

The Department of Motor Vehicles maintains the official record of all reportable crashes occurring within the Commonwealth. Crashes may be reported by law enforcement (FR300P) or by an individual involved (FR200). DMV maintains the reports for a minimum of 36 months from the date of the crash. Sections 46.2-379 and 46.2-380 of the Code of Virginia control the release of data from the reports. Police crash reports are available 30 days after the crash date. The fee is $8.00 per crash report requested.

Last year, Virginia State Police Area Offices and Administrative Headquarters fielded approximately 44,000 requests from attorneys, insurance companies, and crash victims for copies of FR300P Accident Reports completed by state troopers.

In accordance with state law 46.2-380, requests for the FR300P Accident Report are to be submitted via an online form. The submission process and form are available on DMV’s Website at http://www.dmv.virginia.gov/general/#records/accident.html.