San Diego County
In San Diego, the San Diego Police Department covers crashes in the city. SDPD says to call 911 if the crash involves an injury or a hit and run. If it is property damage only, exchange names, addresses, insurance, license numbers, and plates, then note the date, time, and place, and tell your insurance company.
Free. Not legal advice. Starting a case check does not mean we represent you.
Where this comes from
We checked these original sources on September 5, 2026. Each link opens the source so you can read it for yourself.
Original links
CHP FAQ, collision section
Traffic Accidents, Reports, Tickets and Concerns
San Diego Police Department Records
SDPD holds collision reports for crashes its officers work in the city of San Diego. The city page explains who may get one and links the request.
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SDPD says it responds only to injury accidents and to hit and run collisions where there are injuries or possible suspect or lead information. If nobody was hurt and there was no hit and run, no SDPD officer may have come out.
City of San Diego Police Department02
Under Vehicle Code section 20012, the city says anyone subject to civil liability gets a copy of the accident report, including drivers, injured passengers, insurance companies, and employers when the driver is an employee. Reports are not released to arrested people or suspects.
City of San Diego Police Department03
The city page has a Request Accident Report link for getting a copy. Before you use it, gather the date, time, and location of the accident, the names and addresses of the drivers, the license numbers, and the vehicle plate numbers and states, which are the details the city tells you to collect.
City of San Diego Police Department04
The city says accidents, road rage, road hazards, and other issues on a California freeway can be reported to the California Highway Patrol. If CHP worked your crash, CHP holds the report, and CHP cannot release a report another department wrote.
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SDPD offers online reporting for hit and run collisions with no injuries, no suspect information, and no leads, when the report is only needed for insurance. If you later learn something new about a hit and run you already reported, the city lists a number to call with your case number.
City of San Diego Police DepartmentAgencies change their forms, portals and fees. Open the linked page before you pay for anything, and keep a copy of every request you send.
Federal fatal-crash counts, 2022 to 2024
That is 7.1% of every fatal crash the federal file records in the state over the same three years.
These are crashes in which at least one person died within 30 days, as counted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They are not a count of all crashes, injuries, insurance claims or lawsuits, and most crashes are not in this file at all.
The counts are not adjusted for population, road miles or how much people drive, so they cannot say one place is more dangerous than another. A crash appearing here does not show who was at fault, whether anyone was insured or whether anyone has a claim.
Questions
Start on the city police page for traffic accidents and use the Request Accident Report link. Under Vehicle Code section 20012, the city says anyone subject to civil liability gets a copy, such as a driver, an injured passenger, an insurance company, or an employer when the driver is an employee.
No. SDPD says it responds only to injury accidents and to hit and run collisions with injuries or with possible suspect or lead information. If your crash is property damage only, the city tells you to trade information with the other driver and notify your insurance company.
The city page says accidents, road rage, and road hazards on a California freeway can be reported to the California Highway Patrol, and it lists the CHP number. Because CHP only releases reports CHP wrote, ask CHP for that copy, not the city.
Keep reading
A quick reality check
This page cannot decide fault, medical cause, insurance coverage, legal deadlines, case value or whether you have a claim. Those questions depend on the complete facts, records, state law and a licensed attorney's review.
Last updated
We opened every San Diego agency page linked here on this date and rewrote anything that had changed.
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