Accident help
After a car accident in Illinois, get medical care first. Call police so an officer writes a crash report. Trade names, insurance and plate numbers. Take photos of both cars and the street. 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 does not decide anything.
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
Crash Reports
Obtain a Copy of a Crash Report Online, E-Pay
Obtain a Crash Report Online
Obtain a Copy of a Crash Report by Mail
Obtain a Copy of a Traffic Crash Report
ISP Patrol Troop 3
625 ILCS 5/11-403, duty to give information and render aid
625 ILCS 5/11-406, repealed
625 ILCS 5/11-407, immediate notice of crash
625 ILCS 5/11-408, police to report crash investigations
General rules where the crash happened
Because the crash happened in Illinois, Illinois 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 Illinois as an at-fault jurisdiction. Fault generally affects legal responsibility, but that does not mean a particular person or insurance company automatically owes or pays a claim. Payment depends on the facts, current law, available coverage, and the policy you actually have. That policy may separately list MedPay or PIP on its declarations page.
A secondary state-by-state chart indicates that Illinois generally requires uninsured motorist coverage on applicable auto policies, subject to policy type and legal exceptions. That does not confirm that the policy you actually have includes the coverage or that it will pay a particular loss. Check that policy and its declarations page for uninsured motorist or UM; application and payment depend on its terms and the facts.
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 stateIllinois State Police, Patrol Records Unit
In Illinois the crash report is kept by the agency that investigated. The Illinois State Police keep the reports their officers write, mostly on interstates, tollways and state routes. City streets are usually handled by the local police department.
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Look at the paper the officer gave you at the scene. The state page says to check the Investigated By box in the upper left corner. If it does not say Illinois State Police, ask the agency listed there for your report.
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Have the agency crash report number, a driver's first and last name, the date of the crash, the location such as an interstate or a state route, and the county. The state police online request page lists each of these before it can find your report.
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The state police page for online copies points you to their pay and email system. The copy that comes back is redacted under the state open records law. If you need a copy with nothing removed, that page says to send a subpoena or an order signed by a judge with your request.
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You can also write to the Patrol Records Unit in Springfield. Send the crash report number, the date, the location, and the names of the drivers and passengers. The page says to include a check or money order and a self addressed, stamped envelope.
Illinois State Police05
The state police let some drivers file the report themselves online when the crash was a single vehicle with property damage only and no injuries, on an interstate or a U.S. or Illinois route. On Chicagoland freeways you can go in person for a desk report instead.
Illinois State PoliceAgencies 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
Illinois has a driver reporting duty. The Illinois State Police page says each driver must file a crash report if the crash caused a death, bodily injury, or property damage above the amount Illinois sets, which changes if a driver has no insurance. If a police officer does not appear on the scene, that page says to file a report with the Illinois State Police as soon as possible, within 10 days. This is a reporting duty to the state. It is not a window for making a claim.
Illinois State PoliceFederal fatal-crash counts, 2022 to 2024
| County | Fatal crashes | People who died | Share of the state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 1,055 | 1,138 | 31.3% |
| Lake County | 160 | 170 | 4.7% |
| Will County | 149 | 165 | 4.4% |
| Dupage County | 137 | 142 | 4.1% |
| St. Clair County | 122 | 128 | 3.6% |
| Kane County | 109 | 122 | 3.2% |
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
First check which agency worked the crash. If the Illinois State Police did, you can pay online and get a copy by email, or write to their Patrol Records Unit. If a city or village department worked it, ask that department instead. Have the report number, date, county and names ready.
Illinois law says the driver gives notice to police by the fastest available means when no officer is present. Notice goes to the local police if the crash was in a municipality, or otherwise to the nearest county sheriff office or state police headquarters. The state police also let some drivers file online.
The Illinois State Police send copies under the state open records law, so names and other details can be removed. Their page says the copy you get is a redacted version. To get a copy with nothing removed, that page says to send a subpoena or an order signed by a judge.
State police Troop 3 lists the tollways it serves, including the Tri-State, the Reagan Memorial, the Jane Addams, the Veterans Memorial and Illinois Route 390. If a trooper worked your crash, the report comes from the Illinois State Police, not from the town you were driving through.
Yes. You can start a free case check from anywhere in Illinois in English or Spanish. You can call or text, or use the form online. You share what happened, what hurts, and any paperwork you have. Gregory S. Hach looks at it as the initial attorney reviewer.
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 Illinois agency page linked here on this date and rewrote anything that had changed.
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