Accident help
After a car accident in Florida, get medical care first, even if you feel okay. Call police so a report gets written. Take photos and get names, plates, and insurance from everyone. Which state's rules apply depends on where the crash happened, not where you live. A free case check organizes what happened, a licensed attorney reviews it, and it decides nothing.
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
Traffic Crash Reports
Florida Crash Portal
Florida law on crash reports, section 316.066
Contact FHP
Traffic Incidents
General rules where the crash happened
Because the crash happened in Florida, Florida traffic and fault rules are the first ones to check. Other state law may also matter depending on where people live, vehicles are registered, policies were issued, employers operate, and companies are based. A lawyer must decide which law controls the particular case.
A secondary state-by-state chart classifies Florida as a no-fault jurisdiction. Under that general framework, available benefits in the policy you actually have may cover certain medical expenses without first deciding who caused the crash, and current local law may limit some claims against another driver. The facts, current law, and the policy you actually have determine what applies; an attorney must review them.
A secondary state-by-state chart indicates that insurers in Florida generally must offer uninsured motorist coverage on applicable auto policies. The source does not confirm what was offered, selected, or rejected on the policy you actually have, or whether coverage applies or pays. Check that policy and its declarations page for uninsured motorist or UM; the policy terms and facts control.
Other states can matter too, depending on where the people live, where the vehicles are registered, where the policies were issued and which companies were involved. A lawyer decides which law applies to your facts.
Check any other stateFlorida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Crash Records
FLHSMV is the state's official repository for crash records, so reports from city police, county sheriffs and the Florida Highway Patrol all end up in one place. Here is how to get yours.
01
Before you request anything, gather the crash date, the county, the names of the drivers, and the report or case number from the paper the officer handed you. You need those details to find the report. Guessing slows the request down.
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles02
The state runs an online crash portal. You confirm that you are allowed to get the report, search for it, pay the fee the portal lists, and download the file. The portal says the download link expires, so save the file to your phone or email as soon as it opens.
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles03
Florida law keeps crash reports that reveal personal information out of public view at first. The law says the report may be made immediately available to the parties involved in the crash, their legal representatives, their licensed insurance agents, their insurers, and listed government agencies.
Florida Legislature04
The state says a customer asking for a crash record by mail or in person must complete a signed statement. It says a request for a small number of records may be filled at the FHP Troop Station nearest the crash. Larger requests go to Crash Records in Tallahassee with payment.
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles05
The Florida Highway Patrol says it is not common practice for FHP to work incidents inside city limits. On a rural highway, an interstate or the Turnpike outside a city, a trooper often writes the report. Check the agency name printed on your crash form before you request anything.
Florida Highway Patrol06
If a trooper worked your crash, the Contact FHP page lists the FHP contacts, including the crash records line for buying copies. It explains how to reach the Regional Communications Center from a mobile phone, and says to call your local FHP Troop with other questions.
Florida 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.
A driver reporting duty, not a claim window
Florida law puts a separate duty on the driver. Section 316.066, Florida Statutes says the driver of a vehicle that was in any manner involved in a crash resulting in damage to a vehicle or other property which does not require a law enforcement report shall, within 10 days after the crash, submit a written report of the crash to the department. That is a reporting duty owed to the state. It is not a window for making a claim, and it says nothing about your options.
Florida LegislatureFederal fatal-crash counts, 2022 to 2024
| County | Fatal crashes | People who died | Share of the state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade County | 865 | 911 | 9.2% |
| Broward County | 721 | 750 | 7.7% |
| Hillsborough County | 598 | 636 | 6.4% |
| Palm Beach County | 590 | 640 | 6.3% |
| Orange County | 521 | 535 | 5.5% |
| Duval County | 443 | 467 | 4.7% |
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.
Closer to where it happened
Each page names the department that usually holds the report there and how to ask for it.
Questions
Florida keeps crash reports in one place. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles runs the Florida Crash Portal. You confirm you are eligible, search for your report, pay the fee the portal lists, and download the file. You can also ask by mail or in person, with the signed statement the state requires.
Florida law limits this at first. The people in the crash, their legal representatives, their licensed insurance agents, their insurers and listed government agencies can get the report right away. Everyone else waits until the report opens up to the public. That is why the portal asks who you are.
Florida has a driver self report for crashes that damaged a vehicle or property and that did not need a law enforcement report. You fill out the Driver Self Report of Traffic Crash form and send it to the state crash records office by email or mail. Keep a copy for yourself and for your insurance.
It depends on where you were. The Florida Highway Patrol says it is not common practice for FHP to work incidents inside city limits, so a city police department may hold your report even on a highway. Outside city limits, troopers often work it. Your crash form shows the reporting agency and the case number.
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 Florida agency page linked here on this date and rewrote anything that had changed.
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