Pennsylvania Police Reports: Crash Reports, Incident Reports, and Body Cam Footage

Pennsylvania splits records access across three separate legal tracks, and mixing them up is the easiest way to file the wrong request. A crash report runs through its own statute, Title 75, independent of the state's general records law. A general incident report runs through Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law. Body camera and dashboard camera footage runs through a completely different law, Act 22 of 2017, that does not go through the Right-to-Know Law or its appeals process at all.

This guide walks through each track separately: where to request a crash report and what it actually costs, how Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law treats law enforcement records, and the strict deadlines and appeal process for body camera and dashcam footage under Act 22.

Information last verified on 2026-08-11. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

How to Get a Pennsylvania Crash Report

75 Pa.C.S. section 3751(b)(1) sets out who can get a copy:

Police departments shall, upon request, furnish a certified copy of the full report of the police investigation of any vehicle accident to any person involved in the accident, his attorney or insurer, and to the Federal Government, branches of the military service, Commonwealth agencies, and to officials of political subdivisions and to agencies of other states and nations and their political subdivisions.

The Pennsylvania State Police runs an Online Crash Report Requests tool at pa.gov/psp/crash-reports/, where you search by name and date. You can also mail Form SP 7-0015 (Application to Obtain Copy of Police Crash Report) with a money order or certified check, made out to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to PA State Police Crash Reports Unit, 1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110. Reports are typically available 15 days after the crash date, and PSP's own crash-reports page lists 717-783-3380 and RA-pspcrashreports@pa.gov as contacts.

There is a wrinkle worth flagging directly. The statute caps the cost of furnishing a report at $15 generally, or $25 in a city of the first class, meaning Philadelphia. PSP's own live pricing, confirmed directly on its request page, currently charges $22 regardless of location. That figure exceeds the statute's stated $15 cap outside Philadelphia, which may reflect a later fee update not reflected in the codified text, or a different basis for PSP's own processing charge. Either way, treat $22 as the number you will actually be asked to pay through PSP's official channel, and confirm it directly with PSP before submitting payment.

Police departments, including PSP, can refuse to release a complete crash report while criminal charges are pending against someone involved, unless the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure require producing the documents anyway. The copy is also not admissible as evidence in a civil or criminal trial arising from the accident.

How to Get a Pennsylvania Incident Report

General incident reports run through Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, Act 3 of 2008, not through Title 75. The RTKL's criminal-investigation exemption, 65 P.S. section 67.708(b)(16), covers investigative complaints, notes, correspondence, videos, and reports, along with the identities of confidential sources and uncharged suspects, victim-safety information, and anything that would reveal how an investigation is progressing or compromise a fair trial.

That exemption has a specific carve-out that matters for anyone requesting a basic incident report: it explicitly excludes police blotters and traffic reports, which remain accessible. Subsection (b)(17) provides a parallel exemption for noncriminal investigation records, and subsection (b)(18) separately exempts 911 and other emergency dispatch audio recordings, though a court can override that exemption if the public interest requires disclosure.

Requests go to the agency's designated open-records officer under the RTKL process, administered statewide by the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, which also hears appeals of RTKL denials.

Body Camera and Dashboard Camera Footage in Pennsylvania

This is where Pennsylvania departs furthest from a normal public-records request, and it is the state's biggest procedural trap. Body camera and dashboard camera video does not go through the RTKL at all. It runs under a completely separate law, Act 22 of 2017, codified at 42 Pa.C.S. chapter 67A. Section 67A02(a) is the provision that displaces the Right-to-Know Law, and section 67A03 sets the filing mechanics:

An individual who requests an audio recording or video recording made by a law enforcement agency shall, within 60 days of the date when the audio recording or video recording was made, serve a written request to the individual who is designated as the open-records officer for the law enforcement agency...

The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records confirms directly on its own site that the Right-to-Know Law does not apply to these requests at all. The mechanics are strict and specific:

• The 60-day filing window runs from the date the recording was made, not the date you learned about it (section 67A03(1)).
• The request must be delivered in person or by certified mail to the agency's Open Records Officer, and must state the date, time, and location of the incident, and describe the requester's connection to it (section 67A03(1) through (3)).
• If the recording was made inside a residence, the request must identify every person who was present, unless that information is not known or reasonably obtainable (section 67A03(4)).
• The agency has 30 days after the open-records officer receives the request to respond; that period can be extended by agreement. Silence after that period counts as a deemed denial (section 67A05(a) and (b)).
• An agency can deny the request on grounds like potential criminal evidence, ongoing investigation information, or confidential or victim data that redaction would not adequately protect (section 67A04(a)).

The appeal path is the trap. Unlike a normal RTKL denial, an Act 22 denial is not appealed to the Office of Open Records; OOR has confirmed it lacks jurisdiction over these appeals and dismisses them. Instead, you file a Petition for Judicial Review under section 67A06. The statute names no county: section 67A06(a)(1) says only that the petition goes to "the court of common pleas with jurisdiction," and it must be filed within 30 days of the date of denial. The filing fee is $125 under section 67A06(b)(1), and the petitioner must serve the petition on the respondent's open-records officer within five days of filing.

Both deadlines bite. Section 67A06(d)(1) makes an untimely request to the agency or an untimely petition to the court grounds for summary dismissal, so missing the 60-day request window, sitting on a denial past 30 days, or appealing to the wrong body can end an otherwise valid request before it is ever heard on the merits.

For the full statewide picture on body camera law, see our Pennsylvania body camera laws page and our general guide to requesting body camera footage, which covers this exact 60-day, $125 trap alongside other states' rules.

Related Resources

• Police Reports by State covers the full 50-state picture.
• How to file a police report
• How to read a police report
• How to request body camera footage
• Are police reports public records?
• Pennsylvania body camera laws
• Pennsylvania car accident laws
• Pennsylvania public records laws
• Pennsylvania court records

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about Pennsylvania's police report and body camera access laws. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees, portals, and forms change; confirm current details with the relevant state agency or law enforcement agency before relying on them. Consult a licensed Pennsylvania attorney about your 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 Pennsylvania crash report cost?

The Pennsylvania State Police currently charges $22 for a crash report requested online or by mail. The underlying statute, 75 Pa.C.S. section 3751, caps the cost a police department can charge at $15 generally or $25 in a city of the first class, so confirm the current fee directly with the requesting agency.

How long after a crash is the Pennsylvania report available?

Typically about 15 days after the crash.

Are Pennsylvania police blotters public record?

Yes. The Right-to-Know Law's criminal-investigation exemption specifically excludes police blotters and traffic reports, so they remain accessible even though the broader investigative file is exempt.

Do I use the Right-to-Know Law to request Pennsylvania body camera footage?

No. Body camera and dashboard camera footage requests go through a completely separate law, Act 22 of 2017, codified at 42 Pa.C.S. chapter 67A. Section 67A02(a) makes that chapter apply instead of the Right-to-Know Law, and it carries its own 60-day filing deadline and its own appeal route to the court of common pleas rather than the Office of Open Records.

What is the deadline to request Pennsylvania body camera footage?

60 days from the date the recording was made, not from when you learned about the incident.

How do I appeal a denied Pennsylvania body camera request?

File a Petition for Judicial Review within 30 days of the date of denial. 42 Pa.C.S. section 67A06(a)(1) directs it to the court of common pleas with jurisdiction and does not name a county, section 67A06(b)(1) sets a $125 filing fee, and section 67A06(d)(1) makes an untimely petition grounds for summary dismissal. The Office of Open Records does not have jurisdiction over these appeals.

Can Pennsylvania police withhold a crash report while charges are pending?

Yes. A police department can refuse to release the complete report while criminal charges are pending against someone involved, unless the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure require producing it.