If you are in a car accident locally, it is important for you to know how to get a Clearwater police report. It is within your rights under the law to see what is written within the report. Check with law enforcement soon after the crash to see how the accident is described.
Obtaining A Clearwater Police Report
It can take up to 10 days following a car accident before the police report becomes accessible. Only the people who are involved in the accident and other individuals defined in the law can see car accident reports for the 60 days following the date the report is filed. Furthermore, the information in these reports is confidential. It is illegal, a third-degree felony, to publicly disclose confidential personal details from these reports. (See Section 316.066, Florida Statutes.)
When you get into a car accident, there are actually three general sources you can use to get a police report: your insurer, your Clearwater personal injury attorney, or law enforcement. Whichever direction you go, you may not be able to get the report for a couple of weeks, depending on how long it takes for the investigating officer to finish it.
Insurance company
You can go through your insurance company. When you speak with a claims representative, check with them to see if they have the report and if they can send you a copy. They may not have it. However, if they do, you may be able to get the report for free.
Personal Injury Attorney
Your Clearwater personal injury attorney will usually be able to speed up the process of getting the report because they interact with police agencies regularly and often order numerous reports daily. Sometimes a law firm will be able to essentially express-order a report by calling the police and asking that they issue the report as quickly as they can.
If the report is slow to issue for whatever reason, as an individual, you may just have to wait. On the other hand, with an experienced Clearwater car accident attorney, you will be able to determine the reason for the delay and know when the report will become available.
DIY – Law Enforcement
You can also go directly through law enforcement. In order to go this route, you will need the report’s identification number. That number should be listed on a receipt provided to you by the investigating officer on-site following the crash. If you do not have the report number, you can get it from the investigating officer afterward. Alternately, you can provide your name as well as accident details – where and when it occurred – in order to get the report.
There are various ways you can get Clearwater police reports. They are as follows:
Get The Report Through The Mail
You can send a letter requesting the report, with a check or money order for $10 payable to FLHSMV, to the following address:
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Crash Records
2900 Apalachee Parkway
MS 28
Tallahassee, FL 32399
If it is within 60 days following the accident, you will need to fill out and include the following Sworn Statement to Obtain Crash Report form.
Call To Get It Mailed
Call the Clearwater police at (727) 562-4242. Again, the price is $10.
Get The Police Accident Report In-Person
During business hours, you can obtain the report by visiting either the FHP Troop Station in Pinellas Park or the Clearwater Police Department. Again, the cost will be $10.
The address for the FHP Troop Station is:
6855 62nd Ave N.
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
The address for Clearwater Police is:
645 Pierce Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
Get Your Accident Report Online
You can obtain Clearwater police reports through the Florida Crash Portal. You will get access to the report right after you buy it — via email, at the email address you provide in your request. You then have up to 48 hours to download the report using the link sent in the email.
The online price is $12, $2 of which is a convenience fee.
Note that you may have difficulty getting your accident report through this portal: the FLHSMV has reported problems with loading. If you are unable to load your crash report through this system, the agency recommends obtaining it via alternative means.
Involved in a Car Accident in Clearwater? Here are some more articles to consider:
- How to Get a Rental Car After An Accident
- Repairing Your Car After An Accident
- Auto Accidents: What to Do When There’s No Insurance
- Understanding Loss of Use After An Auto Accident
- How Total Loss Is Determined After An Accident
- Auto Accidents: Should I Handle My Own Claim?
- How Long Do I Have to File An Auto Accident Claim in Florida?
- When Should I Hire An Attorney?
- What Are The Benefits of Hiring An Auto Accident Attorney?
