Accident help
After a car accident in Pennsylvania, get medical care first, then make sure police were notified. Take photos of the cars, the street, and any injuries. Trade names, plates, and insurance details. 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
Request a Copy of a Vehicle Crash Report
Online Crash Report Requests
Form AA-600, Driver's Accident Report
75 Pa.C.S. section 3747, written report of accident by driver or owner
75 Pa.C.S. section 3746, immediate notice of accident to police
Motor vehicle miscellaneous questions
General rules where the crash happened
Because the crash happened in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania as a choice no-fault jurisdiction. Depending on the election shown in the policy you actually have, no-fault benefits and limits on some claims may apply, or different fault-based rights may apply. The election, policy terms, facts, and current law must be reviewed together; the label alone does not decide a particular claim.
A secondary state-by-state chart indicates that insurers in Pennsylvania 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 statePennsylvania State Police, Crash Reports Unit
If the state police worked your crash, the Pennsylvania State Police keep the report. If a city or borough police department worked it, ask that department instead. Here is how the State Police request works.
01
Pennsylvania has state police, city police, and borough police. The report sits with whoever worked the scene. Under state law the officer who investigates must give each driver a signed statement that the crash was reported. Keep that paper.
Pennsylvania General Assembly02
Have the date of the crash, the county, where it happened, the drivers' names, and the report or case number if you got one. The State Police search needs a case number, or a last name plus the date.
Pennsylvania State Police03
The State Police page lets you request a copy online, or print a form and mail it with a money order or certified check to the Crash Reports Unit in Harrisburg. The page lists the fee and says how long after the crash a report can be found.
Pennsylvania State Police04
The State Police page limits copies to any person involved in the crash, their attorney or insurer, and any government agencies involved. If your name is not on the report, you may not be able to get a copy yourself.
Pennsylvania 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
Pennsylvania has a separate driver reporting duty. State law says that when a police officer does not investigate a crash that had to be reported, the driver must forward a written report to PennDOT within five days of the accident. PennDOT uses form AA-600, the Driver's Accident Report. This is a reporting duty owed to the state. It is not a window for making a claim, and it says nothing about your own timing. If an officer did investigate, the state says the driver does not send this form.
Pennsylvania General AssemblyFederal fatal-crash counts, 2022 to 2024
| County | Fatal crashes | People who died | Share of the state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia County | 394 | 414 | 12.0% |
| Allegheny County | 231 | 235 | 7.0% |
| Lancaster County | 150 | 160 | 4.6% |
| Montgomery County | 143 | 155 | 4.4% |
| Berks County | 140 | 145 | 4.3% |
| Bucks County | 137 | 145 | 4.2% |
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
It depends on who worked the crash. If the state police responded, the Pennsylvania State Police Crash Reports Unit has it, and you can request a copy online or by mail. If a city or borough department responded, ask that department. Their page lists the fee and how long to wait.
Only in one situation. State law says that when no police officer investigates a crash that had to be reported, the driver sends a written report to PennDOT on form AA-600. If an officer did investigate, the state says the driver does not send that form.
The State Police page lists any person involved in the crash, their attorney or insurer, and any government agencies involved. Someone with no connection to the crash is not on that list, so your name needs to be on the report before you ask for a copy.
Write the date, the county, the road and cross street, the other driver's name, plate, and insurance company. Ask the officer for the case or report number. State law says the officer who investigates gives each driver a signed statement that the crash was reported. Keep it.
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 Pennsylvania agency page linked here on this date and rewrote anything that had changed.
Share what you already have and say what you are not sure about. A licensed attorney reads the case check and tells you what is missing.
See every stateFree to start. No obligation. Starting a case check does not mean we represent you.
Free to start. No obligation.