Connecticut
How to Get a Police Report in Connecticut (2026): Crash & Incident Reports
Connecticut's crash-report system is a two-tier arrangement. Most routine crashes become available online through BuyCrash within about a month, while serious injury, fatality, and not-yet-available reports go through the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection's (DESPP) own request portal instead. Either way, a mandatory search fee applies whether or not a report is actually found.
Connecticut is also one of the states with the most detailed bodycam-release timeline written directly into statute, built around how quickly the officer involved reviews the footage rather than a flat calendar deadline.
Information last verified on 2026-08-11. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
How to Get a Connecticut Crash Report
Routine crashes: Most reports become available online through BuyCrash.com within 30 business days of the accident date. BuyCrash may add its own convenience fee on top of the state's search fee, since it is a third-party purchasing platform, not a state-run portal.
Serious or not-yet-available reports: Submit a request through DESPP's Reports and Records Unit customer portal at desppct.govqa.us, or in person at the relevant State Police troop.
Fee: Connecticut General Statutes 29-10b, confirmed directly against DESPP's own page, mandates a non-refundable $16.00 search fee 'whether a report is produced or not,' with 'payment required prior to any search for case-related information.'
Free preliminary option: A free 'Accident Information Summary,' preliminary data only, not the full report, is available for 30 days at accidents.despp.ct.gov, though it 'may have restricted information based on state law.'
Timeline: 30 business days for BuyCrash availability; GovQA and direct requests are processed 'in the order received,' with no fixed turnaround time published.
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How to Get a Connecticut Police Incident Report
An incident report for an arrest, theft, or other non-crash matter goes through the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act (CT FOIA), a distinct state statute from the federal FOIA, submitted to the investigating agency. DESPP's own investigative reports also route through the GovQA portal above, alongside crash reports.
Connecticut General Statutes 1-210(b)(3), confirmed directly against the statute's text, withholds law-enforcement investigatory records only to the extent disclosure 'would not be in the public interest,' meaning it would reveal specific things: the identity of an informant or mandated reporter whose safety could be endangered, the identity of a minor witness, signed witness statements if disclosure would prejudice a prospective proceeding, investigatory techniques not otherwise publicly known, arrest records of a juvenile, or the identity of a sexual assault or family violence victim. This is a public-interest balancing test tied to those specific categories, not a blanket exemption for every investigative file.
Connecticut Police Bodycam Footage
Connecticut General Statutes 29-6d, confirmed directly against the statute's text, requires that 'each police officer shall use body-worn recording equipment while interacting with the public in such sworn member's law enforcement capacity,' worn on the officer's outer-most garment above the torso's midline, alongside a parallel mandate that every police patrol vehicle carry a dashboard camera.
The release timeline runs off how quickly the officer reviews the footage, rather than a single fixed deadline. If an officer is giving a formal statement about a use-of-force incident or is the subject of a disciplinary investigation involving the footage, the officer has the right to review the recording with an attorney or labor representative present. The recording must then be disclosed to the public within 48 hours of that review, or within 96 hours of the disciplinary investigation's initiation if the officer does not review it, whichever comes first. Public disclosure can be delayed further only for a genuine medical or acute psychological stress response, and never beyond 144 hours (six days) after the recorded event.
Certain categories are permanently excluded from disclosure regardless of the timeline: a scene involving a victim of domestic or sexual abuse, homicide, suicide, or a deceased accident victim where disclosure would be an unwarranted invasion of privacy, and any recording of a minor, unless the minor and a parent or guardian consent, or a related officer-misconduct or criminal defense need requires it. See Connecticut Police Bodycam Laws and our guide to requesting body camera footage for the fuller mechanics.
Corrections and Practical Notes
No formal Connecticut statutory procedure for correcting a factual error on a crash report was found; the informal practice, described consistently across several non-primary sources but not confirmed against a state statute, is to contact the investigating officer or department directly, and if a dispute involves subjective language like fault, to have an attorney prepare a supplemental statement to attach to the file rather than force an edit to the officer's original narrative.
Connecticut's PR-1 Uniform Police Crash Report is completed for crashes involving injury, death, or property damage over $1,000. Whether a separate, lower-threshold exchange-of-information process exists below that figure was not independently confirmed on a DESPP or DOT primary source during this research pass.
For the aftermath of a crash beyond the report itself, see Connecticut Car Accident Laws. For the broader public-records framework, see Connecticut Public Records Laws and Connecticut Court Records. For the general process of filing or reading a report, see How to File a Police Report and How to Read a Police Report.
Disclaimer
This article provides general legal information about how to obtain a police crash report, incident report, or body camera footage in Connecticut as verified on 2026-08-11. It does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Readers with a specific records dispute, or who need advice about a specific incident, should consult a lawyer licensed in Connecticut.
Last updated: 2026-08-11. Fees and portals reflect their published status as of August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a copy of my Connecticut crash report?
Most reports are available online through BuyCrash.com within 30 business days of the crash. Reports not yet online, or involving serious injury or a fatality, go through DESPP's GovQA portal at desppct.govqa.us or a local State Police troop.
How much does a Connecticut crash report cost?
Connecticut General Statutes 29-10b mandates a non-refundable $16.00 search fee, charged whether or not a report is produced. A free preliminary Accident Information Summary, not the full report, is available for 30 days at accidents.despp.ct.gov.
How do I get a Connecticut police incident report?
Submit a request under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act to the investigating agency. Connecticut General Statutes 1-210(b)(3) allows withholding only to the extent disclosure would not be in the public interest, tied to specific categories like informant safety and juvenile records.
How fast must Connecticut police release bodycam footage?
Connecticut General Statutes 29-6d ties release to the officer's review: disclosure is generally required within 48 hours of the officer reviewing the footage, or 96 hours of the investigation's start if the officer does not review it, and never later than 144 hours after the event.
Do Connecticut police officers have to wear body cameras?
Yes. Connecticut General Statutes 29-6d requires every police officer to use body-worn recording equipment while interacting with the public, and every police patrol vehicle to carry a dashboard camera.
Updates
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on 3 statutory provisions held in our own legal record, each retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Connecticut General Statutes, Title 01 (Provisions of General Application), Chapter 14
§ 1-210(Formerly Sec. 1-19). Access to public records. Exempt records.In forcecited in 3 of our articles
(a) Except as otherwise provided by any federal law or state statute, all records maintained or kept on file by any public agency, whether or not such records are required by any law or by any rule or regulation, shall be public records and every person shall have the right to (1) inspect such records promptly during regular office or business hours, (2) copy such records in accordance with subsection (g) of section 1-212, or (3) receive a copy of such records in accordance with section 1-212. Any agency rule or regulation, or part thereof, that conflicts with the provisions of this subsection or diminishes or curtails in any way the rights granted by this subsection shall be void. Each such agency shall keep and maintain all public records in its custody at its regular office or place of business in an accessible place and, if there is no such office or place of business, the public records pertaining to such agency shall be kept in the office of the clerk of the political subdivision in which such public agency is located or of the Secretary of the State, as the case may be.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at cga.ct.gov
Also relied on in: Are 911 Calls Public Records? State Access Guide (2026), Connecticut Police Body Camera Laws: Rules & Public Access (2026)
Connecticut General Statutes, Title 14 (Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway By Vehicles. Gasoline), Chapter 246
§ 14-108aUniform investigation of accident report. Requirements and policy for identifying and notifying person's family or household member of motor vehicle accident in which person was killed.In force
(a)(1) The Commissioner of Transportation shall prescribe for the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and for each police department and officer and other suitable agencies or individuals a uniform investigation of accident report, in such form as the commissioner shall prescribe, which form shall be followed in filing all such reports. (2) In each motor vehicle accident in which any person is killed or injured or in which damage to the property of any one individual, including the operator, in excess of one thousand dollars is sustained, the police officer, agency or individual who, in the regular course of duty, investigates such accident, either at the time of or at the scene of the accident or thereafter, by interviewing the participants or witnesses, shall, not later than five days after completing such investigation, complete and forward one copy of such report to the Commissioner of Transportation.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at cga.ct.gov
Connecticut General Statutes, Title 29 (Public Safety and State Police), Chapter 529
§ 29-6dUse of body-worn recording equipment and dashboard cameras. When recording prohibited. Retention of data.In forcecited in 4 of our articles
(a) For purposes of this section and section 7-277b: (1) “Law enforcement unit” has the same meaning as provided in section 7-294a; (2) “Police officer” means a sworn member of a law enforcement unit or any member of a law enforcement unit who performs police duties; (3) “Body-worn recording equipment” means an electronic recording device that is capable of recording audio and video; (4) “Dashboard camera” means a dashboard camera with a remote recorder, as defined in section 7-277b; (5) “Digital data storage device or service” means a device or service that retains the data from the recordings made by body-worn recording equipment using computer data storage; and (6) “Police patrol vehicle” means any state or local police vehicle other than an administrative vehicle in which an occupant is wearing body-worn camera equipment, a bicycle, a motor scooter, an all-terrain vehicle, an electric personal assistive mobility device, as defined in subsection (a) of section 14-289h, or an animal control vehicle.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at cga.ct.gov
Also relied on in: Connecticut Laws on Recording Police: Your Rights and Limits (2026), Connecticut Video Recording Laws: Consent, Surveillance, and Privacy Rules (2026)
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Sources and References
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-108a (Uniform investigation of accident report)(cga.ct.gov).gov
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-210 (Access to public records; exempt records)(cga.ct.gov).gov
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-6d (Use of body-worn recording equipment and dashboard cameras)(cga.ct.gov).gov
- Connecticut DESPP, Reports and Records(portal.ct.gov).gov