Florida
Florida Police Reports: How to Get a Copy, Fees, and What's Public
Florida splits police records into two separate systems. A traffic crash report is a state form filed by the investigating officer and stored in a state repository under Florida Statutes section 316.066; almost every driver looking for a report after a wreck wants this one. A police incident report, covering anything from a burglary to an assault, is held by the local agency that responded and released under Florida's Public Records Act, Chapter 119.
This guide covers both channels: the FLHSMV Crash Portal for crash reports, the local records-unit process for incident reports, and Florida's separate framework for body camera footage.
Information last verified on 2026-08-11. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
How to Get a Copy of a Florida Crash Report
The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department (FLHSMV) operates the Florida Crash Portal at flhsmv.gov/traffic-crash-reports, the state's official repository for traffic crash reports under section 316.066. Reports cost $10.00 each under section 321.23, plus a $2.00 convenience fee per online transaction, with a maximum of 10 reports per transaction. A report typically becomes available online within 10 days of the crash; once purchased, it must be downloaded within 48 hours. Drivers can also request reports by mail or in person: up to 10 records at any Florida Highway Patrol Troop Station, or more than 10 by mail to FLHSMV's Crash Records unit at 2900 Apalachee Parkway, MS 28, Tallahassee, FL 32399, with a signed statement, taking four to six weeks to process.
Not every crash generates a law enforcement report. Officers investigate crashes involving injury, death, a hit and run, suspected DUI, a wrecker removal, a commercial vehicle, or apparent damage of $500 or more. For crashes below that threshold, section 316.066(1)(c) lets the officer complete a short form report or hand the drivers a driver exchange of information form instead. If no officer responds at all, Florida lets drivers file a Driver Self Report of Traffic Crash by mail or email with FLHSMV.
Who Can Get a Florida Crash Report, and When
FLHSMV's own portal describes access in plain terms: crash reports are exempt from public disclosure except for parties involved in the crash and other specific parties outlined in the statute. The statute itself, section 316.066(2), is more detailed than that summary suggests. Before the 60 day mark, an eligible report is available not only to the parties themselves but also to their legal representatives, any insurer a party has applied to or is insured by, licensed insurance agents, contracted claims and underwriting vendors, law enforcement and their contractors, victim services programs, and any government agency or a private entity acting on a government agency's behalf. A redacted version, with no address, driver's license number, date of birth, or phone number, goes to FCC licensed broadcasters and legal notice newspapers even sooner.
After 60 days, section 316.066(2)(f) opens the report further, to anyone eligible under paragraph (b) or under any of the permissible uses listed in the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. section 2721(b), which covers uses like litigation, insurance underwriting and claims, and government functions. In practice, Florida crash reports move from a defined eligible party list in the first two months to a broad DPPA style access standard afterward.
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How to Get a Florida Police Incident Report
A police incident report, covering anything other than a traffic crash, is requested from the responding agency's own records unit, not FLHSMV. Requests are made under Florida's Public Records Act, Chapter 119. Section 119.071(2)(c) lets an agency withhold a record only while it constitutes active criminal intelligence information or active criminal investigative information; once an investigation closes, the exemption generally no longer applies. FLHSMV also fields broader public records requests beyond the standard crash report purchase through its CrashRecords@flhsmv.gov address, and offers a separate Signal 4 portal for government and contractor users and a Crash Dashboard for aggregate crash data, neither of which replaces a records request to the agency that handled a non-crash incident.
Body Camera Footage in Florida
Florida does not have a dedicated body camera access statute the way some states do. Section 943.1718 requires any agency that equips its officers with body cameras to adopt policies covering their use, maintenance, and storage, with retention governed by the cross-referenced section 119.021, Florida's general records retention statute. The section also confirms that Chapter 934, Florida's wiretapping act, does not apply to body camera recordings. Disclosure of the footage itself runs through the general Chapter 119 exemption framework, principally the 119.071 family used for other law enforcement records, rather than a separate bodycam specific fee and timeline schedule. For the fuller legal picture, see Florida's body camera laws, and for the request process generally, see how to file a police report, how to read a police report, and how to request body camera footage.
Corrections, Redactions, and Anti-Solicitation Rules
Florida's crash report statute is unusually explicit about misuse. Section 316.066(2)(d) requires anyone purchasing crash report information in bulk, or a vendor operating under a memorandum of understanding, to sign a statement that the information will not be used to commercially solicit accident victims. Sections 316.066(3)(c) and (d) make it a third degree felony to knowingly obtain or attempt to obtain confidential crash report information unlawfully, and section (3)(e) creates a private civil cause of action, with a minimum of $2,500 in liquidated damages plus potential punitive damages and attorney's fees, measured against the DPPA's permissible use standards. This is a notably stronger anti-solicitation regime than many states carry.
No dedicated statutory form for correcting a Florida crash report was located for this guide. If a report contains an error, contact the investigating agency's records unit directly to ask about its correction or supplement process.
Related Resources
Police Reports by State covers the full 50-state picture. See also how to file a police report, how to read a police report, are police reports public, how to request body camera footage, Florida bodycam laws, Florida car accident laws, Florida public records laws, and Florida court records.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Florida's police report and public records process. It is not legal advice. Fees, portals, and eligibility rules change; verify current details with the agencies named above or a licensed Florida attorney before relying on anything here for a specific situation.
Last updated: 2026-08-11. Fees and portals reflect their published status as of August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Florida crash report cost?
$10.00 per report through the FLHSMV Crash Portal, plus a $2.00 online convenience fee, under section 321.23 of the Florida Statutes.
How long does it take to get a Florida crash report?
Most reports are available online within about 10 days of the crash, and a purchased copy must be downloaded within 48 hours. Mail requests take four to six weeks.
Who can get a copy of a Florida crash report?
For the first 60 days, an eligible list that includes the parties, their insurers and legal representatives, and law enforcement. After 60 days, anyone eligible under the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act's permitted uses.
Where do I get a Florida police incident report that is not a crash?
From the responding agency's records unit, under Chapter 119, Florida's Public Records Act, not from FLHSMV.
Does Florida have a body camera access law?
Not a dedicated one. Section 943.1718 requires agencies that use body cameras to adopt use and storage policies, and disclosure runs through Florida's general public records exemption framework in Chapter 119.
What happens if someone misuses a Florida crash report?
Knowingly obtaining or misusing confidential crash report information is a third degree felony, and the statute also allows a private civil claim with a minimum of $2,500 in liquidated damages.
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.
Florida Statutes
§ 119.071General exemptions from inspection or copying of public records.In forcecited in 3 of our articles
(1) AGENCY ADMINISTRATION.—(a) Examination questions and answer sheets of examinations administered by a governmental agency for the purpose of licensure, certification, or employment are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. A person who has taken such an examination has the right to review his or her own completed examination. (b)1. For purposes of this paragraph, “competitive solicitation” means the process of requesting and receiving sealed bids, proposals, or replies in accordance with the terms of a competitive process, regardless of the method of procurement. 2. Sealed bids, proposals, or replies received by an agency pursuant to a competitive solicitation are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until such time as the agency provides notice of an intended decision or until 30 days after opening the bids, proposals, or final replies, whichever is earlier. 3.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-28 · Read the full section at leg.state.fl.us
Also relied on in: Florida Police Bodycam Laws & Public Records, Florida Public Records Laws: The Public Records Act (Chapter 119) Explained
§ 316.066Written reports of crashes.In force
(1)(a) A Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form must be completed and submitted to the department within 10 days after an investigation is completed by the law enforcement officer who in the regular course of duty investigates a motor vehicle crash that:1. Resulted in death of, personal injury to, or any indication of complaints of pain or discomfort by any of the parties or passengers involved in the crash; 2. Involved a violation of s. 316.061(1) or s. 316.193; 3. Rendered a vehicle inoperable to a degree that required a wrecker to remove it from the scene of the crash; or 4. Involved a commercial motor vehicle. (b) The Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form must include:1. The date, time, and location of the crash. 2. A description of the vehicles involved. 3. The names and addresses of the parties involved, including all drivers and passengers, and the identification of the vehicle in which each was a driver or a passenger. 4. The names and addresses of witnesses. 5. The name, badge number, and law enforcement agency of the officer investigating the crash. 6. The names of the insurance companies for the respective parties involved in the crash.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-28 · Read the full section at leg.state.fl.us
§ 943.1718Body cameras; policies and procedures.In forcecited in 4 of our articles
(1) As used in this section, the term:(a) “Body camera” means a portable electronic recording device that is worn on a law enforcement officer’s person that records audio and video data of the officer’s law-enforcement-related encounters and activities. (b) “Law enforcement agency” means an agency that has a primary mission of preventing and detecting crime and enforcing the penal, criminal, traffic, and motor vehicle laws of the state and in furtherance of that primary mission employs law enforcement officers as defined in s. 943.10. (c) “Law enforcement officer” has the same meaning as provided in s. 943.10. (2) A law enforcement agency that permits its law enforcement officers to wear body cameras shall establish policies and procedures addressing the proper use, maintenance, and storage of body cameras and the data recorded by body cameras. The policies and procedures must include:(a) General guidelines for the proper use, maintenance, and storage of body cameras. (b) Any limitations on which law enforcement officers are permitted to wear body cameras.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-28 · Read the full section at leg.state.fl.us
Also relied on in: Florida Laws on Recording Police: Halo Law and Your Rights (2026), Florida Video Recording Laws: What You Can and Cannot Record (2026)
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Sources and References
- Florida Statutes section 316.066, Written reports of crashes(leg.state.fl.us).gov
- Florida Statutes section 119.071, General exemptions from inspection or copying of public records(leg.state.fl.us).gov
- Florida Statutes section 943.1718, Body cameras; policies and procedures(leg.state.fl.us).gov
- Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Traffic Crash Reports(flhsmv.gov).gov
- 18 U.S.C. section 2721, Driver's Privacy Protection Act(uscode.house.gov).gov