Is a Police Report Useful When Filing a Claim for a Car Accident in Maryland?
Yes, police reports are very helpful when filing a claim for a car accident in Maryland. After a crash occurs, information and photographs of the incident are reported by a police officer or a county officer which will be in the official report.
When filing a claim for a car accident, is it crucial that you have as much information as possible about the incident to determine who is to blame for the collision.
The police officer at the scene will also collect information from witnesses and both parties involved in the collision which will also be included in the report.
The officer will report any damage that was made to vehicles, barriers, physical injuries endured from the accident, and the locations of the vehicles. From there, the officer will use these details to determine who is to blame for the accident.
Obtaining a police report is the first step. Getting in touch with a Maryland Car Accident Lawyer can help with requesting more evidence and assistance with the case.
What Does the Police Report Contain?
The police report holds the information that is collected and generated by the officer on the scene. the police officer will collect as many details as possible after the crash to determine who is to blame for the collision.
Some of the details that will most likely be in the police report are the approximate date and time, information from witnesses, location of the vehicles and damages made, weather conditions, opinions on who is at fault, and statements from the parties involved.
The information that is collected in the police report can either be factual or opinionated. Details like the time, date, and damages made to the vehicle are examples of factual information that is collected at the scene.
Fault determinations are typically made by one’s personal opinion. Regardless of the information that is collected by the police officer at the scene, insurance companies will determine who is to blame for the collision.
What Happens if No Police Report was Filed after an Accident?
Occasionally, drivers involved in a minor collision that caused little damage and no injuries decide to not file a police report.
This decision may slow down and complicate the process when determining who is responsible for the accident. the accident still occurred whether or not a police report is filed. it is beneficial to file a police report as it gives some clarity as to who is to blame for the accident.
If a police report is not filed, a car accident lawyer will be able to assist and possibly prove that you were not responsible for the accident. If you choose not to file a police report, photographs of the vehicles after the collision or of the scene may help determine who is at fault.
How to Obtain Your Police Report
There are three ways in which you can obtain a police report for a car accident in Maryland.
Request Via Email
You may request a police report through email. You must provide as much information as possible in the email about the car accident or the report that you are requesting.
You may also use the Report Request Form. All police reports that are sent electronically will be free of any charges. Reports cannot be submitted until seven days have passed after the accident.
Make an In-Person Visit to the Central Records Unit
You may also obtain a copy of a police report by physically going to the Central Records Unit and making a request. the Central Records Unit’s usual business hours are 8:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
The office will not be open on state holidays. You must call before visiting the Central Records Unit to ensure that the report you are looking for is available. Making this phone call will also inform you of the fees that come with obtaining an official police report.
You must wait at least seven days after the accident to make a request or receive any information about the police report. All fees must be paid by cash or a check and an official copy of the police report will then be provided to you.
Make a Request through Mail
To make a request for an official police report through mail, you must call the Central Records Unit to check on the availability of the report. You will also be informed of the fees associated with obtaining the police report.
You must download and complete a Report Request Form and mail it with the additional fees. the report and fees must be inside of a business-stamped envelope that is self-addressed and stamped.
Please wait at least seven days after the incident to request the police report. An official copy of the report will then be mailed to you.
Is there a fee to request a copy of a police report?
There is a $15 fee for those who are requesting a copy of a police report. Depending on the county, the fees may differ.
If you are a victim of a crime, you will not be charged when requesting a copy of the report. Please allow two weeks for the request to be processed.
How to Contact the Central Records Unit for a Copy of a Police Report
The Central Records Unit is located at 4330 Broening Highway, Baltimore. the Central Records Division Baltimore Police Department’s phone number is (410) 396-2234.
This phone number will help you obtain copies of car accident reports and photographs of incidents that occurred in Baltimore City.
To receive a report from an accident anywhere from 2011 to the present, you will need to provide one of the following; your last name and street, report number, or last name, and the date of the incident.
Contact Information for all 24 Counties
Allegany County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Allegany County Government
Attention: Bretta Reinhardt, Public Information Officer
701 Kelly Road
Cumberland, MD 21502
This location is open on Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. One-sided copies will have a fee of $0.25 per page. Two-sided copies will have a fee of $0.25 per side.
Annapolis
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Annapolis Police Department
ATTN: Central Records
199 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
Police reports can be obtained Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm at the location above. A $5 check or money order is necessary when making a visit to request a copy of the police report. Cash is not accepted at this location. Reports can also be obtained through the mail which has a fee of $5 in check or money order. the envelope must be self-addressed and stamped.
Anne Arundel County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Anne Arundel County Police Department
Central Records Section
8495 Veterans Highway
Millersville, Maryland 21108
(410) 222-8750
Police reports that are requested in-person will have a fee of $5 and requests made by mail will have a fee of $6. Reports that are more than 20 pages will have a fee of $0.25 per page. There is an approval process that may take about five to seven days after the incident. Please allow time for this process.
Baltimore County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Baltimore Police Department
Attention: Community Correspondence Unit
242 W. 29th Street
Baltimore, MD. 21211
All forms must be mailed with $10 in cash or a check in a self-addressed and stamped envelope. Accident reports from 2011 to the current date are available using the online LexisNexis database. To retrieve the report, you will either need the report number, last name and street, or last name and the date of the incident.
Carroll County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office
100 North Court Street
Westminster, MD 21157
There will be an $8 fee for the first page and an additional $2 fee for each additional page. You will be prompted to make a payment at the time of the request.
Calvert County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Office of the Sheriff, Calvert County
30 Church Street
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
To obtain a copy of a police report from this location, an Information Request Form must be filled out and submitted to the sheriff’s office. There will be a $10 fee to request a copy of the report.
Cecil County
Cecil County Sheriff’s Office
107 Chesapeake Blvd
Elkton, MD 21921
This location is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. Checks and money orders are accepted. Paying fees by cash or credit cards is not accepted. There will be a $5 fee for every copy. Reports can only be issued in person.
Charles County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Charles County Sheriff’s Office
Records Section
PO Box 189
La Plata, MD 20646
There is an $8 fee for each copy that is requested. You can only pay by a cashier’s check or money order at this location. Personal checks and cash are not accepted.
Dorchester County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Amy J. Craig, Clerk of Court
Circuit Court for Dorchester County
206 High Street
Cambridge, MD 21613
Mailing address:
PO Box 150
Cambridge, MD 21613
This location is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 am-4:30 pm. Please call 410.228.0481 to be informed of the potential fees.
Frederick County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Frederick County Sheriff’s Office
110 Airport Drive East
Frederick, MD 21701
There will be a fee of $0.25 per page for every request of twenty or more pages. When the request is approved, you will be notified of the additional fee. This location accepts cash or money orders only.
Garrett County
You may make a request by:
Calling 301.334.8970
Emailing knull@garrettcounty.org
Writing and mailing to:
Public Information Officer
C/O Kevin Null
203 South Fourth Street
Oakland, MD 21550
This location is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 am-4:30 pm.
Harford County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Harford County Sheriff’s Office
45 South Main Street
Bel Air, MD 21014
There will be a $10 fee for each report that is requested. Please pay by check or money order. Please be as descriptive as possible when making the request to speed up the process. Cash or credit cards are not accepted.
Howard County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Circuit Court for Howard County
8360 Court Avenue
Ellicott City, MD 21043
This location accepts cash, checks, or money orders to pay the fees. This location is open to the public Monday-Friday from 8:30 am-4:30 pm. Please call 410-313-3822 to find more information about the fees that come with requesting copies of police reports.
Kent County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Sheriff John F. Price IV
Kent County Sheriff’s Office
104 Vickers Drive, Unit B
Chestertown, MD 21620
There is a $5 fee to get a copy of a traffic accident report. If you would like to receive a copy, you may write to this address or make a physical visit.
Montgomery County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Public Safety Headquarters
Records Division
100 Edison Park Drive
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878
Each report has a $10 fee and can be paid by check or money order to Montgomery County Government, Maryland. You may request a police report in-person or through the mail. All major credit cards and cash are accepted as payment. Reports at this location will be available Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Prince George’s County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Prince George’s County Police Records
4923 43rd Avenue, 3rd floor
Hyattsville, Maryland 20781
The fee for each copy of the police report will be $10. If you are making an in-person visit to receive a copy, you are able to pay the fee using a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, and Discover), cash, or check. There is a credit card fee of $1.50 per transaction. Requests by mail must also include $10 in cash or check.
Queen Anne’s County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Office of the Sheriff, Queen Anne’s County
505 Railroad Avenue
Centreville, Maryland 21617
There will be a $10 fee for each copy that is requested. You may only pay by check or money order.
Somerset County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Princess Anne’s Police Department
11780 Beckford Ave
Princess Anne, MD 21853
There will be a $10 fee that comes with requesting a copy of a police report at this location. You may make an in-person visit to this address or send the fee and Police Report Request Form in a self-addressed and stamped envelope.
St. Mary’s County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Office of the Sheriff
St. Mary’s County, Maryland
23150 Leonard Hall Drive
Leonardtown, MD 20650
There is a $5 fee for those who are requesting a police report from a car accident. Cash or money orders are accepted. Checks are not accepted in this county. There is an additional fee of $0.50 for accident reconstruction reports.
Talbot County
The Easton Police Department Records Section
106 W Dover Street
Easton, MD 21601
There is a $5 fee for each report that is requested. These reports may be received in person or by mail. If you are sending the fee by mail, make the check payable to the Town of Easton in a self-addressed and stamped envelope. You may send it to:
Town of Easton
P.O. Box 520
Easton, MD 21601
Wicomico County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Wicomico County Maryland
401 Naylor Mill Road
Salisbury, MD 21801
You will want to use this link to submit your request:
https://salisbury.md/mpia-request-police-records
You will then be notified of the fees.
Worcester County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Worcester County Sheriff’s Office
One West Market Street, Room 1001
Snow Hill MD 21863
This location is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. A fee may be charged for the requested information. There will be a fee of $0.25 per page, and an additional fee for the time it takes for a County Employee to process the request.
Washington County
Completed forms will be mailed to:
Washington County Sheriff’s Office
500 Western Maryland Parkway
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Accident reports may be requested in person at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. There is a $5 fee to obtain an accident report. Information that is needed to access the report: last name of the driver or involved party, date of the accident, report number.
If you have questions about requesting a police report in this county, please call 703-746-6200. You may use this link to search for the report.
(https://secure.crashdocs.org/#/reports?state=VA&agencyORI=VA0990000)