Santa Clara County
In San Jose, the agency that came out to your crash keeps the report. Call 911 first if anyone is hurt. Then trade names, driver license numbers, insurance, and plate numbers, and write down the time and the cross streets. California Vehicle Code section 20012 says the agency the crash was reported to must release the report to a person with a proper interest.
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
Request a Crash Report
CHP FAQ, collision section
California Vehicle Code section 20012
The agency that took your San Jose crash report
In San Jose, a city street crash and a freeway crash can end up with different agencies. California law sets who may get a copy. Here is how to work out where to ask.
01
CHP says it can only get copies of collision reports CHP investigated. If a city police department or a sheriff took your report, ask that agency. CHP says that if you do not know who investigated, your local police department or a CHP office can help you identify the right agency.
California Highway Patrol02
California Vehicle Code section 20012 names who may get an accident report. It lists the drivers involved, a guardian or conservator, the parent of a minor driver, an authorized representative, any named injured person, owners of damaged vehicles or property, people who may face civil liability, and their attorneys.
California Legislative Information03
Section 20012 also says a request for a copy of an accident report must come with a fee, and that the fee cannot be more than the actual cost of providing the copy. Ask the agency that holds your report what it charges and how it wants to be paid.
California Legislative Information04
If CHP investigated the crash, a proper party of interest can request the report online through the CHP Crash Portal, or send form CHP 190 to a CHP Area office in person or by mail. Have the crash date, the location, and the driver or owner name ready.
California Highway PatrolAgencies 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 2.8% 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
California Vehicle Code section 20012 sets the list. It covers the drivers involved and their guardian or conservator, the parent of a minor driver, an authorized representative, named injured people, owners of damaged vehicles or property, people who may face civil liability, and attorneys who declare under penalty of perjury that they represent one of them.
California Vehicle Code section 20012 says a request has to come with a fee, and that the fee cannot be more than what it actually costs the agency to provide the copy. The amount is set by the agency that holds the report, so ask that agency before you send anything.
It depends on which agency investigated. CHP says it can only get copies of the reports CHP investigated, and that your local police department or a CHP office can help you work out who came out. If it was CHP, a party of interest can use the CHP Crash Portal or form CHP 190.
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 Jose agency page linked here on this date and rewrote anything that had changed.
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