Denver Police Accident Report: How to Get a Copy (2026)

Last reviewed and updated: August 31, 2026.

Written by Steven T. Mandelaris, Esq., a Colorado personal injury attorney who has handled automobile accident and insurance claims since 2006.

If you were involved in a car accident in Denver and need a copy of the Denver Police Department accident report, you can usually obtain the report online through the Denver Police Department’s crash-report system. Denver currently directs standard traffic accident report requests to CrashDocs.org. A standard DPD crash report is generally six pages and is the report most commonly requested by drivers and insurance companies after a Denver car accident.

This guide explains, step by step, how to get a Denver Police accident report, how long it takes, what information you will need, what to do if your report does not appear online, and how to obtain additional records such as 911 calls, body-camera footage, photographs, dispatch records, and Denver traffic-camera video.

Step 1: Confirm That the Denver Police Department Investigated the Accident

The first step is making sure the Denver Police Department actually investigated your accident.

A collision occurring in or around Denver does not automatically mean the Denver Police Department prepared the traffic accident report. Depending on where the collision happened, the investigating agency could have been the Denver Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, or another local law enforcement agency.

Look at any paperwork provided to you at the accident scene. You may see:

• The investigating police agency;
• A police case or incident number;
• The officer’s name;
• The officer’s badge or identification number;
• The date and location of the accident; and
• Instructions for obtaining the traffic accident report.

If the paperwork identifies the Denver Police Department or DPD, the procedures below generally apply.

If a Colorado State Patrol trooper investigated the accident, obtain the report through the Colorado State Patrol instead.

If you were injured in the collision, you can also review our detailed Denver car accident guide for information about insurance claims, evidence preservation, Colorado law, and the steps that follow the initial accident investigation.

Step 2: Determine Which Denver Police Accident Report You Need

The Denver Police Department distinguishes between a routine Crash Report and a more extensive Investigation Report.

Standard Denver Police Crash Report

According to the Denver Police Department, its Records Unit provides a six-page crash report typically needed for insurance purposes.

This is normally what a driver, passenger, vehicle owner, insurance adjuster, or attorney means when referring to a:

• Denver Police Department accident report;
• Denver traffic accident report;
• Denver police crash report;
• Denver County accident report;
• DPD accident report; or
• Denver car accident police report.

You can verify the current procedure directly on the Denver Police Department Police Records page.

When You Need an Investigation Report Instead

The Denver Police Department currently states that certain crashes must be requested through its Civil Liability Section as an Investigation Report.

This applies when:

• The crash involved a fatality;
• The crash involved serious bodily injury;
• A juvenile was a driver or passenger;
• The crash remains under active investigation;
• A City vehicle was involved; or
• The crash record has been legally sealed.

If your accident falls into one of these categories, repeatedly searching the standard CrashDocs system may not locate the report. You may be looking in the wrong records system.

Step 3: Wait for the Denver Traffic Accident Report to Become Available

A Denver Police accident report usually will not be available immediately after the collision.

The Denver Police Department currently states that crash reports typically take approximately 5 to 7 days to become available after they are closed.

This does not necessarily mean exactly five to seven days after the accident. An officer may still be completing the report, supervisors may be reviewing it, or the accident may remain under investigation.

If you search for the report a day or two after your accident and cannot find it, that does not necessarily mean that anything is wrong.

DPD also states that its Records Unit generally responds to submitted records requests within approximately 5 to 10 business days.

Step 4: Gather the Information You Need to Locate the Denver Accident Report

Before searching for your Denver Police Department traffic accident report, gather as much information about the collision as possible.

Useful information includes:

• Denver Police case number;
• Date of the accident;
• Approximate time of the accident;
• Location of the accident;
• Driver names;
• Passenger names;
• Dates of birth;
• Vehicle make and model;
• Vehicle year;
• License plate number;
• State of registration;
• Vehicle identification number (VIN); and
• Insurance information.

You may not need every item to locate the report. However, the more accurate information you have, the easier it will be to make sure you are requesting the correct Denver traffic accident report.

Step 5: How to Get a Denver Police Accident Report Online

For most routine Denver automobile accidents, requesting the report online is the simplest option.

1. Go to the official Denver Police Department Police Records page.

   Denver Police Department Police Records

2. Scroll to the “Records” section.

3. Locate “Crash Report.”

4. Select “Order Crash Report Online.”

5. You will be directed to CrashDocs.org.

   Denver currently uses CrashDocs.org for standard online crash-report requests.

6. Enter the requested accident information.

   Use the police case number when available. Carefully confirm the accident date, names, and other identifying information.

7. Locate and order the report.

8. Save the original report after downloading it.

   Keep the original PDF with your insurance and accident records rather than relying solely on continued availability through an online portal.

Step 6: How to Request a Denver Police Accident Report by Mail

The Denver Police Department also permits standard crash reports to be requested by mail.

Go to the DPD Police Records page and select “Order Crash Report by Mail.”

Complete the official Denver Police Department report request form and provide as much identifying information as possible.

The current DPD form requires a $10 check or money order payable to “Manager of Revenue.”

Mail the request to:

If you want a paper report returned by mail, DPD instructs requesters to provide a self-addressed stamped envelope. The request form also provides an option for having the report returned by email.

Step 7: What If I Do Not Know My Denver Police Case Number?

Your DPD case number is one of the easiest ways to identify the correct report, but not knowing the number does not necessarily prevent you from obtaining the report.

The Denver Police Department’s report-request form instructs people who need a case number to call:

Denver Police Records Unit: 720-913-6755

Before calling, have the following available:

• Accident date;
• Approximate accident time;
• Accident location;
• Your name;
• The other driver’s name, if known; and
• Vehicle information.

Once you obtain the case number, return to the online reporting system and search again.

Step 8: What If I Reported the Denver Accident Online Myself?

This is an important distinction.

A crash report that you personally submitted through Colorado’s online accident-reporting system is different from a traffic accident report prepared by a Denver Police Department officer.

DPD states that if you originally submitted the crash report online, the report is not available through the Denver Police Department.

Instead, self-reported crashes must be obtained through the Colorado crash reporting system.

This commonly causes confusion when Denver Police did not respond to a relatively minor accident and the drivers instead completed an online accident report.

Step 9: How to Get a Denver Police Report for a Serious Injury or Fatal Accident

If the Denver accident involved serious bodily injury or a fatality, do not rely solely on the standard CrashDocs search.

DPD requires these crashes to be requested through the Civil Liability Section as an Investigation Report.

The same procedure applies to crashes involving juvenile drivers or passengers, City vehicles, active investigations, and legally sealed crash records.

An Investigation Report can be significantly more extensive than the standard six-page traffic accident report.

According to DPD, an investigation report can include:

• Officer statements;
• Witness statements;
• Detective notes;
• Scanned images;
• Additional investigative documentation; and
• Other materials associated with the investigation.

The Denver Police Department currently charges a $20 initial research fee for Civil Liability requests. The first 50 electronic pages are included. Additional research and retrieval time may be charged at the City’s applicable hourly rate, currently listed by DPD as $41.37 per hour.

DPD currently states that Civil Liability processing times are approximately 6 to 8 weeks after all information necessary to process the request has been received.

Civil Liability requests are currently processed electronically through the Denver Police Records page.

Step 10: The Basic Denver Crash Report May Not Be the Only Evidence You Need

A standard Denver Police accident report is not necessarily the complete accident investigation.

Particularly after a serious Denver car accident, additional evidence may exist that is not included in the basic six-page traffic accident report.

Depending upon the circumstances, consider whether the following records exist:

• 911 recordings;
• Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) records;
• Denver Police body-worn camera video;
• Police photographs;
• Officer audio or video recordings;
• Witness statements;
• Investigation reports;
• HALO camera video; and
• Denver traffic-camera footage.

Denver 911 Recordings

A 911 recording is the actual audio of the emergency call. It is different from the standard Denver traffic accident report.

DPD currently lists an initial fee of $20 for a 911 recording. Release may be restricted depending on the circumstances of the case, and additional confidentiality requirements can apply.

Denver CAD Reports

CAD stands for Computer Aided Dispatch.

Denver describes a CAD report as a typed synopsis of the 911 calls associated with an incident. It is not a verbatim transcript of the telephone call.

A CAD report can help establish the timeline of the collision, when emergency services were contacted, how the accident was initially characterized, and what units were dispatched.

Denver Police Body Camera Footage

Body-worn camera footage may contain statements made by drivers and witnesses shortly after the collision, observations by responding officers, the condition and location of the vehicles, visible injuries, and other information that may not appear in the written accident report.

DPD permits requests for body-camera footage and other audio, video, and photographs through its Civil Liability records process, subject to applicable restrictions.

Denver Traffic Camera and HALO Video

Traffic-camera footage may be extremely time-sensitive.

The Denver Police Department currently warns that, unless previously preserved, video captured by HALO cameras or recording traffic cameras is generally overwritten within approximately 15 to 30 days.

That means someone seriously injured in a Denver collision should not assume that requesting the written accident report automatically preserves available video evidence.

Our Denver car accident lawyer resource discusses why traffic-camera footage, vehicle event data, surveillance footage, and other evidence frequently need to be identified immediately after a serious crash.

What If My Denver Police Accident Report Is Not on CrashDocs?

If your Denver Police accident report cannot be found online, several explanations are possible.

1. The accident happened too recently

DPD states that a closed report generally takes approximately 5 to 7 days to become available.

2. The accident is still being investigated

An actively investigated accident can take longer and may ultimately need to be requested through Civil Liability.

3. The accident involved serious bodily injury or a fatality

These accidents require an Investigation Report rather than the ordinary CrashDocs report.

4. A juvenile was involved

DPD directs crashes involving a juvenile driver or passenger through the Investigation Report process.

5. A City vehicle was involved

These crashes are also handled through Civil Liability.

6. You filed the crash report online yourself

A self-reported crash must be obtained through Colorado’s crash-reporting system rather than DPD.

7. Another police agency investigated the crash

For example, a collision investigated by Colorado State Patrol must be requested from CSP rather than Denver Police.

8. You entered incorrect search information

Verify the accident date, driver name, case number, and other identifying information before assuming that the report does not exist.

How Much Does a Denver Police Accident Report Cost?

For a standard DPD crash report requested by mail, Denver’s current report-request form lists a $10 fee.

Civil Liability records have different charges. DPD currently lists:

• Investigation Report: $20 initial research fee;
• CAD Report: $20;
• 911 Recording: $20;
• Audio, video, bodycam, and photographs: $20 initial fee, with additional fees potentially applying;
• HALO/traffic camera research: $20 initial fee, with additional charges potentially applying for preservation or production; and
• Additional Civil Liability research: currently $41.37 per hour when applicable.

Because government fees and procedures can change, verify the current amount on the official Denver Police Department records page before submitting your request.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Denver Police Accident Report?

For a routine Denver Police crash report, DPD currently states that the report generally becomes available approximately 5 to 7 days after it has been closed.

The Records Unit states that it generally responds to submitted records requests within approximately 5 to 10 business days.

A Civil Liability Investigation Report can take substantially longer. DPD currently estimates approximately 6 to 8 weeks after receiving everything necessary to process the request.

What Information Is Included in a Denver Police Accident Report?

The exact information depends on the accident and the report prepared, but a Denver traffic accident report may identify:

• The drivers involved;
• Vehicle owners;
• Vehicles involved;
• Insurance information;
• Accident date and time;
• Accident location;
• Roadway information;
• Witnesses;
• Citations or alleged traffic violations;
• Officer observations;
• Driver statements;
• Collision information; and
• Other information recorded by the investigating officer.

Do not assume that everything collected during an investigation will necessarily appear in the standard crash report. Separate requests may be necessary for photographs, videos, witness statements, 911 recordings, dispatch information, and other evidence.

Does a Denver Police Accident Report Determine Who Was at Fault?

No. A police report can be important evidence, but it does not make the final legal determination of civil liability.

An officer may document statements, physical observations, contributing factors, apparent traffic violations, or citations. An insurance carrier may rely heavily on that information when evaluating its initial liability position.

However, a Colorado automobile liability claim may also depend upon photographs, video, vehicle damage, witness testimony, traffic laws, crash reconstruction, electronic vehicle data, physical evidence, and Colorado’s comparative negligence law.

If fault is disputed, read our Colorado and Denver car accident resource for a more detailed discussion of accident evidence and liability.

What Should I Do After I Download the Denver Accident Report?

1. Save the original PDF.
2. Confirm the names and vehicles are correct.
3. Check the insurance information.
4. Review the accident location and description.
5. Determine whether witnesses are identified.
6. Review any citations or contributing factors.
7. Compare the report with your photographs and recollection.
8. Determine whether additional evidence should be requested.
9. Keep the report with your insurance-claim records.

If an injury claim is involved, the police report is often one of the first records an insurance adjuster reviews. You may also want to read how long a Colorado car accident settlement takes to understand what generally happens after the initial investigation and insurance claim are underway.

Denver Police Department Accident Report Contact Information

Denver Police Department Records Unit

Case number assistance: 720-913-6755

Records Unit email: DPDRecords@denvergov.org

Civil Liability: DPD-CLB@denvergov.org

Official Denver Police Records website: Denver Police Department Police Records

Frequently Asked Questions About Denver Police Accident Reports

Where do I get a Denver Police Department accident report?

For a routine accident investigated by a Denver Police Department officer, start with the official Denver Police Records page and select “Order Crash Report Online.” Denver currently directs standard online crash-report requests to CrashDocs.org.

Can I get a Denver accident report online?

Yes. Most routine Denver Police Department traffic accident reports can be requested online through the CrashDocs system linked from DPD’s official Police Records page.

What website does Denver Police use for accident reports?

Denver currently directs standard online crash-report requests to CrashDocs.org. Begin at Denver’s official Police Records page to make sure the procedure has not changed.

How long does a Denver Police accident report take?

DPD currently states that a standard crash report typically becomes available approximately 5 to 7 days after the report is closed.

How do I find my Denver Police case number?

The Denver Police Department’s report-request instructions direct people seeking a case number to contact the Records Unit at 720-913-6755.

Why can’t I find my Denver accident report online?

The report may be too new, may still be under investigation, may involve serious bodily injury or another category requiring an Investigation Report, may have been self-reported online, or may have been investigated by another police agency.

Can I request a Denver Police accident report by mail?

Yes. DPD provides a mail-in crash-report request form. The current form lists a $10 fee and directs requests to the Denver Police Department Records Unit at 1331 Cherokee Street, Room 420, Denver, Colorado 80204-2787.

Where do I get an accident report that I filed online myself?

DPD states that crashes originally submitted through the online crash-reporting system are not available through the Denver Police Department. Those reports must be obtained through Colorado’s crash-reporting system.

How do I obtain a Denver Police report for a serious car accident?

Crashes involving serious bodily injury or fatalities must be requested as Investigation Reports through the Denver Police Department Civil Liability Section. The same process applies to certain crashes involving juveniles, City vehicles, active investigations, and sealed records.

Can I obtain Denver traffic-camera footage from my accident?

Potentially. DPD accepts requests for HALO and recording traffic-camera footage. Denver warns that video that has not already been preserved is generally overwritten within approximately 15 to 30 days, making prompt action important.

Can I obtain Denver Police body-camera footage?

Potentially. DPD’s Civil Liability process permits requests for body-worn camera footage, audio, video, and photographs, subject to applicable disclosure restrictions.

Can I get the 911 call from a Denver car accident?

Potentially. A 911 recording requires a separate records request and may be subject to disclosure restrictions. The Denver Police Department currently lists an initial $20 fee for a 911 recording.

Is a Denver Police crash report the same as a CAD report?

No. A crash report documents the accident investigation. A CAD report is a Computer Aided Dispatch record containing a typed synopsis of calls associated with the incident.

Does the police report determine who is legally responsible for the accident?

No. The report may contain important evidence about the collision, but legal liability can depend upon additional evidence and Colorado law.

Do I need a lawyer to obtain a Denver Police traffic accident report?

No. You can request the report yourself. An attorney may become important where the accident caused significant injuries, liability is disputed, insurance coverage is uncertain, or evidence such as traffic video or electronic vehicle data needs to be preserved.

Additional Resources After a Denver Car Accident

• Denver Car Accident Lawyer and Colorado Auto Accident Claims Guide
• How Long Does a Car Accident Settlement Take in Colorado?
• What to Do After a Car Accident in Denver
• About Steven T. Mandelaris
• Denver Police Department Police Records

This article is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Government procedures, fees, and record-retention policies may change. Check the Denver Police Department’s official records page for the current procedure applicable to your request.