How To Get A Minnesota Car Accident Report
Minnesota uses a signed crash-record request and limits who can receive a report. Keep the investigating agency involved when you need additional materials.
Sources Checked October 4, 2026 General Information
Identify The Report And Your Relationship To It
Start with the investigating department, incident number, collision date and location. Minnesota’s standard crash record can be requested through Driver and Vehicle Services, but access is restricted. The crash-report provisions in section 169.09 identify eligible recipients, including involved or injured persons and qualifying representatives. Do not treat a report as an unrestricted public document because you can locate an incident online.
Write down whether you were a driver, passenger, property owner or another eligible requester. If acting for someone else, identify the authority under which you are requesting. For a fatal collision, confirm the documentation needed to establish your role. A general family relationship may not answer every access question without supporting information.
Use The DVS Request Form And Current Instructions
The DVS crash-report request page links form PS2503 and requires the signature of an authorized requester. It describes submission by mail, in person at DVS or through a full-service deputy registrar. Choose the route that fits your circumstances, and confirm that a particular office offers the full service before traveling.
Gather your identification and the crash identifiers before filling out the form. Use the actual date and department name from police paperwork where available. If you lack a report number, ask the investigating agency how to identify the record. Do not substitute an insurer’s claim number or a vehicle repair order for the police reference.
Check Fees And Availability
DVS currently lists a $5 report fee and says reports are available three weeks after the incident. Confirm the current instructions and whether the particular record is ready before submitting. An investigation or missing identifier may require follow-up, so treat the published interval as agency guidance rather than a guarantee about every collision.
For a mailed request, use the address and payment instructions on the current official form. Save the signed form, payment record and delivery evidence. For an in-person request, bring the identification and authorization required for your category. Ask how the record will be delivered and what reference to use if you need to check the request’s status.
Understand Why Access May Need Clarification
The statutory recipient list is more precise than a general statement that crash reports are public or confidential. If the office asks for additional authorization, ask what is missing and how to supply it. Send only the information needed through the appropriate channel. Keep identity documents out of versions of the claim file shared broadly with repair vendors or other parties.
A redacted report may also require an explanation of which information was withheld and why. Ask the custodian about available review or follow-up options without assuming that every field must be released. Preserve its written answer. If a lawyer or insurer is requesting for you, confirm what release or representation documentation the office requires.
Do Not Confuse A Report Copy With A New Driver Filing
Minnesota repealed the former driver-report provision in subdivision 7 of section 169.09 in 2021. The current statute still contains other duties, including police notification in specified circumstances and officer reporting. Requesting a copy concerns an existing record; it does not decide whether every duty at the scene was satisfied.
If you are uncertain whether a report exists, ask the investigating agency rather than submitting an old driver form found online. Keep any confirmation that the agency investigated or did not prepare a report. You can tell an insurer what is available and what remains pending without describing a document you have not actually received.
Request Other Evidence Separately
List photographs, video, statements, dispatch records or supplements you may need. Ask the agency that holds each item about its request process and access rules. A standard crash-record copy should not be assumed to contain all related materials. Use a narrow date, location and time range when asking about a recording.
Keep a log of requests and responses, including unavailable records. Retain your own original photographs and files. The statutory report-use restrictions mean a purchased record is not automatically trial evidence. A lawyer may need to evaluate the underlying facts and materials independently, so preserve them instead of relying entirely on the report narrative.
Review The Received Record
Check vehicle numbering, names, date, location and the diagram. If a factual entry appears incorrect, identify the field and supporting document and ask the investigating agency about correction or supplementation. Do not edit the official copy yourself or imply that a personal annotation is an agency amendment.
- Save the original report and request receipt.
- Keep authorization and identification records secure.
- Store corrections and supplements as separate versions.
- Record which report version was sent to an insurer.
- Maintain a separate list of additional evidence requests.
The result should be a traceable record file: what you requested, why you could access it, what arrived and what still needs follow-up.
Official Sources
These agency and legislative sources support the state-specific information above. Check the current agency instructions before making a request.
- Request a Crash ReportMinnesota DPS Driver and Vehicle Services
- Minnesota Statutes 169.09Minnesota Revisor of Statutes
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