San Francisco County
In San Francisco, the city and the county are the same, so one agency handles most street crashes. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. Exchange names, insurance, and plates, and photograph the scene. SFPD processes report requests through its Crime Information Services Unit on Third Street, not at the district stations.
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
Request Copy of Police Incident Report
San Francisco Police Department, Crime Information Services Unit
SFPD handles incident report copies, including traffic collisions, through one unit. The department says the copy is free and points most people to its online portal.
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For traffic collision reports, SFPD asks you to allow the minimum number of business days its page states, counted from the date of the collision, so the report can be reviewed and approved for release. Asking earlier will not speed it up.
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SFPD says the portal is the most secure and convenient way to request and receive a report. You can create an account there to track the request and get reports and correspondence securely online.
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SFPD asks you to upload a copy of valid identification so your request is processed in a timely way. A current driver license, an SF City ID card, a state issued ID card, or a passport from any country all work.
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If you would rather not use the portal, SFPD posts a request form for general crime and traffic collisions in several languages, including Spanish. Fill it out and bring it to police headquarters on a weekday during business hours.
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SFPD says the cost of the report is free. If you already sent a request, the department asks you not to submit a duplicate, and to use its follow up email with your case number instead.
San Francisco 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 1.0% 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
SFPD says the cost of the report is free. You can request it through the online portal or in person at police headquarters on a weekday during business hours. The department asks you to upload a copy of valid identification with the request.
SFPD asks for a minimum number of business days from the date of the collision before you try, so the report can be reviewed and approved for release. Its page states that minimum. If you already asked, SFPD says not to file a duplicate request and to send a follow up email instead.
Yes. SFPD posts its request form for general crime and traffic collisions in Spanish, along with Chinese, Russian, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Download the Spanish form, fill it out, and bring it to police headquarters, or use the online portal instead.
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 Francisco agency page linked here on this date and rewrote anything that had changed.
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