How to Get a Police Report in South Australia

To report a crime or crash in South Australia, use SAPOL's online reporting tools or call 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance; to get a copy of a crash or theft report for insurance, apply through SAPOL's dedicated Occurrence Report or Motor Vehicle Collision Report scheme for a $95 fee (as listed in September 2026).

How to report a crime or incident in South Australia

SAPOL (South Australia Police) runs online reporting for lost property, cybercrime and minor collisions, plus a 'Track My Crime' tool so you can follow the status of a report you have already lodged. The online collision report is only for a crash in South Australia where nobody was injured or killed, everyone exchanged particulars, it was not a hit-run, no police vehicle was involved, no vehicle was towed, total damage is estimated at less than $3,000, police did not attend, and you do not want police to investigate. There is no online theft report: call 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance or to report a crime that has already happened. If you have information that may help solve a crime, or information about criminal activity generally, call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online; Crime Stoppers is for tip-offs, not for lodging a report about something that happened to you.

For an emergency where life is in danger or a crime is in progress, call 000.

Getting a copy of a report for insurance

If you need a report for an insurance claim, SAPOL runs a dedicated, non-FOI process called 'Get a crash, theft or damage report.' Depending on what happened, you apply for an Occurrence Report (burglary, theft or damage), a Motor Vehicle Collision Report, or a replacement copy of a crash report you lodged online. The application must be supported by 100 points of identification and witnessed by a police officer, Justice of the Peace, or lawyer. SAPOL processes applications within 14 working days.

The fee is $95.00 per report, whether it is an Occurrence Report or a Motor Vehicle Collision Report, as listed on SAPOL's fee schedule in September 2026. The same schedule listed $92.00 in March 2026, so check the current figure when you apply.

This dedicated scheme is for insurance purposes or insurance-related litigation. If you need a report for something else, or need additional documents beyond the standard report, SAPOL directs you to make a Freedom of Information application instead.

Duty to report a crash in South Australia

South Australia layers two separate reporting duties depending on what happened, and they should not be conflated.

Death or injury crashes. Section 43 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (SA), 'Duty to stop, give assistance and present to police where person killed or injured,' requires a driver involved in such a crash to stop immediately, give all possible assistance, then present to a police officer at the scene or at a police station within 90 minutes to give particulars and submit to alcohol and drug testing. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for up to 5 years, plus a mandatory minimum 1 year licence disqualification that a court can only reduce for a trifling first offence. The section has defences for a driver who was unaware of the crash, where that lack of awareness was reasonable, or who had a reasonable, safety based reason to delay.

Other reportable crashes. Where nobody was killed or injured, Australian Road Rules (SA) rule 287, read with the Road Traffic (Road Rules, Ancillary and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2014 (SA) regulations 39 to 42, requires a driver to give particulars to police as soon as possible, and except in exceptional circumstances within 24 hours, if: particulars were not given to everyone entitled to them, the other driver's particulars were not given to you, a vehicle was towed or carried away, or (under regulation 39) property damage is fairly estimated above $3,000, excluding damage only to the driver's own property. Under regulation 40, a crash where someone is killed or injured is handled by the section 43 duty above instead, apart from the duty to give your particulars to the other people involved. Regulation 42 sets out what particulars are required: the day, time and place, driver and vehicle details, and injury or damage details, with a specific carve-out for speed and position information on self-incrimination grounds.

False reports to police

Section 62 of the Summary Offences Act 1953 (SA), 'False reports to police,' makes it an offence to make a false report to police, with a maximum penalty of $10,000 or 2 years imprisonment; a court may also order the offender to pay the costs of the police investigation.

Section 62A, 'Creating false belief as to events calling for police action,' makes it a separate offence to intentionally create a false belief that an offence has been committed or that a life has or may have been lost or is endangered. It carries the same maximum penalty of $10,000 or 2 years imprisonment, and the same power to order the offender to pay investigation costs.

Victim support after making a report

SAPOL employs victim contact officers who attend to the needs of victims of crime, but SAPOL's public pages do not set out how a victim is referred to one or how to contact one directly.

For counselling, Victims of Crime SA, the office of the state's statutory victims commissioner, lists rebuild, run by Relationships Australia South Australia, which offers trauma-based counselling and peer support to adult and child victims of crime as they move through the criminal justice process, on 1800 310 310 during business hours.

The South Australian Government's own list of victim support groups names Relationships Australia SA as the provider of statewide counselling services to victims of crime. The list also includes SA Police, the statutory Victims of Crime Commissioner (Victims of Crime SA), Relationships Australia SA, 1800RESPECT, Yarrow Place, the Domestic Violence Crisis Line, the Witness Assistance Service, eSafety Woman, the Homicide Victims Support Group, and the Road Trauma Support Team.

Police report vs police check

A police report documents a specific incident, such as a crash, theft or crime you reported. A police check is a different product: a criminal history check, most often needed for employment, licensing or volunteering. If that is what you actually need, see our South Australia police check guide.

When a formal FOI request is the right path

SAPOL's dedicated report-copy scheme covers insurance purposes and insurance-related litigation only. For anything else, including additional documents or a non-insurance reason for wanting a report, use South Australia's formal information access scheme; see our South Australia Freedom of Information guide for how that process works.

For the position in other Australian states and territories, see our Australia police reports hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a South Australia police report cost?

As listed on its fee schedule in September 2026, SAPOL charges $95.00 for an Occurrence Report or a Motor Vehicle Collision Report obtained through its dedicated insurance report scheme, processed within 14 working days.

How do I report a crash in South Australia that is not an emergency?

Call 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance or to report a crime that has already happened. SAPOL's online tools cover lost property, cybercrime and minor collisions (no injury, particulars exchanged, damage under $3,000, no police investigation wanted). Call 000 if life is in danger or a crime is in progress.

How long do I have to report a crash to police in South Australia?

If someone was killed or injured, the driver must stop, give assistance, and present to police within 90 minutes under section 43 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. For other reportable crashes, such as property damage above a fair estimate of $3,000 or a towed vehicle, particulars must go to police as soon as possible and, except in exceptional circumstances, within 24 hours under Australian Road Rules rule 287.

What happens if I make a false report to South Australia Police?

Section 62 of the Summary Offences Act 1953 makes a false report to police an offence carrying up to $10,000 or 2 years imprisonment, and a court can also order the offender to pay the costs of the police investigation.

Is a police report the same as a police check in South Australia?

No. A police report documents a specific incident you reported, such as a crash or theft. A police check is a criminal history check, generally used for employment, licensing or volunteering.