How to Find a Car Accident Report in Tennessee
Quick answer: You can obtain an official Tennessee crash report online through the state’s Purchase TN Crash portal, from a Tennessee Highway Patrol District Office if THP investigated the crash, from the local law enforcement agency that investigated the crash, or by mail for a THP report. The state currently charges $10 for an online report and $4 for a THP report purchased in person or by mail. For online searches, you need the last name of an involved party, the crash date, the reporting agency, the involved driver’s license number, and either the VIN, license plate number, or case/tracking number.
After a car accident, the police or crash report can become an important piece of the record. It may help you identify the investigating agency, confirm basic crash details, communicate with an insurance company, and give an attorney a starting point for reviewing what happened.
Tennessee now provides several ways to obtain a crash report, but the correct method depends partly on which law enforcement agency investigated the collision. The steps are also different for a Nashville crash that was self-reported rather than investigated by an officer.
What Is a Tennessee Crash Report?
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security describes a crash report as an official copy of a crash investigated by the Tennessee Highway Patrol or another law enforcement agency. Depending on the circumstances, the report may contain information about the drivers and vehicles involved, the location and time of the collision, statements or observations recorded by the investigating officer, citations, and a crash diagram.
A crash report can be useful during an insurance claim or personal injury investigation, but it should not be treated as a final legal determination of fault. Liability can depend on evidence beyond the report, including photographs, video, witness statements, medical records, vehicle data, and other facts.
How to Get a Tennessee Accident Report
There are three main ways to obtain a report through the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security system. If a city police department or county sheriff’s office investigated the collision, you may also be able to request the report directly from that agency.
1. Purchase a Tennessee Crash Report Online
The state’s Purchase TN Crash portal is usually the most convenient option when the report is available electronically.
The current online fee is $10 per crash report. The portal accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover, but Tennessee says prepaid cards cannot be used.
For an online search, Tennessee currently requires:
- Last name
- Date of the accident
- Reporting agency
- Driver’s license number of an involved driver
- One of the following: VIN, license plate number, or case/tracking number
The portal also requires the requester to verify their connection to the crash and certify the request as required by Tennessee law.
Once you purchase the report, save the PDF promptly. Tennessee’s online retrieval system states that a purchased report remains available to download for 48 hours after payment.
2. Get a THP Crash Report in Person
If the Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated the crash, a driver, owner, passenger, or their agent or legal representative may purchase the report from a THP District Office for $4.
The state says THP reports are generally available at the district office approximately seven days after the crash.
For crashes in Nashville and much of Middle Tennessee, THP District 3 is located at:
Nashville Highway Patrol Office
1603 Murfreesboro Road
Nashville, TN 37217
(615) 741-3181
District 3 serves Davidson County as well as Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Stewart, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson counties.
If a city police department or county sheriff’s office investigated the crash instead of THP, Tennessee directs requesters to contact that investigating agency about obtaining a copy. The agency may use its own request process and fee schedule.
3. Request a THP Crash Report by Mail
Tennessee also allows THP crash reports to be requested by mail. A $4 cashier’s check, money order, or personal/business check must accompany the request.
The state recommends providing:
- Date of the crash
- County where the crash occurred
- Names of the drivers involved
- Agency tracking number
- The address where you want the report mailed
Mail the request to:
Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security
Financial Responsibility Division
P.O. Box 945
Nashville, TN 37202-0945
The state’s current crash-report page does not publish a specific mail turnaround time, so allow additional time for processing and delivery rather than relying on a fixed one- or two-week estimate.
What If the Crash Happened in Nashville?
Most officer-investigated Nashville vehicle crash reports can be obtained through PurchaseTNCrash.gov. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department directs people looking for those reports to the state portal.
There is an important exception: crashes self-reported through Metro Nashville Police Department’s Report Minor Vehicle Crash portal are not available through Purchase TN Crash. Tennessee and MNPD both direct people who self-reported a minor crash to contact MNPD directly for that record.
This distinction matters because a person searching the state portal may assume that a missing report has not been processed when, in fact, the report is maintained through Metro Nashville’s separate self-reporting system.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Tennessee Accident Report?
There is no guaranteed availability date for every Tennessee crash report. Tennessee’s Purchase TN Crash Help and FAQs says investigating law enforcement agencies have seven days from the crash date to submit their reports to the state, although some investigations take longer to complete.
For crashes investigated by THP, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security says the report is generally available at the appropriate THP District Office approximately seven days after the crash. Reports from municipal police departments or county sheriff’s offices may follow different processing schedules.
If an online search does not locate the report, confirm that you selected the correct reporting agency and entered the required information accurately. If the crash was handled by a local agency, contacting that agency directly may be the best next step.
Do You Also Need to File an Owner Operator Report?
Possibly. An Owner Operator Report is different from the police crash report you purchase after an accident.
According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, an owner or driver must file an Owner Operator Report when a crash results in death or injury, more than $1,500 in property damage, or more than $400 in damage to state or local government property.
The report must be submitted within 20 days of the crash and is required regardless of fault. Tennessee specifically states that this filing is in addition to a report completed by an investigating officer.
The Owner Operator Report can currently be submitted through Tennessee’s Driver Services e-Services system or by mail.
Why Is a Car Accident Report Important?
A crash report can help establish a contemporaneous record of the collision and provide details that may be useful to insurers, attorneys, and the people involved. It may identify the drivers, vehicles, reporting agency, crash location, citations, and other information recorded during the investigation.
However, the report is only one part of a potential injury claim. A police officer may not have witnessed the collision, and the report does not automatically decide who is legally responsible or what an injury claim is worth.
If you were injured, preserving other evidence can be just as important. Photographs, video, witness information, medical documentation, repair records, and communications with insurers may all become relevant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find my accident report in Tennessee?
Start with Tennessee’s Purchase TN Crash portal for an online report. If THP investigated the collision, you can also request the report from the appropriate THP District Office or by mail. If another police department or sheriff’s office investigated the crash, you can contact that agency directly.
How much does a Tennessee crash report cost?
Tennessee currently charges $10 for a report purchased online. A THP report purchased at a district office or requested by mail costs $4. Local law enforcement agencies may have their own fees.
What information do I need to purchase a Tennessee crash report online?
The state currently requires the last name, accident date, reporting agency, and driver’s license number of an involved driver, plus either a VIN, license plate number, or case/tracking number.
How soon is a Tennessee crash report available?
For a THP-investigated crash, Tennessee says reports are generally available at the district office approximately seven days after the crash. Processing times for other agencies can differ.
Can I get a Nashville crash report through Purchase TN Crash?
Usually, if the crash was investigated by law enforcement. However, a crash self-reported through MNPD’s Report Minor Vehicle Crash portal will not appear in Purchase TN Crash. Contact MNPD directly for a self-reported crash record.
Is an Owner Operator Report the same as a police crash report?
No. The Owner Operator Report is a separate filing that Tennessee may require from a vehicle owner or driver after crashes involving injury, death, certain levels of property damage, or damage to government property. It does not replace the law enforcement crash report.
Talk to a Nashville Car Accident Attorney
Getting the crash report is often one of the first administrative steps after a collision, but understanding the report and protecting an injury claim can involve much more.
If you were injured in a Nashville or Middle Tennessee car accident, the car accident attorneys at Bill Easterly & Associates can review the circumstances of the crash, help identify relevant evidence, and explain your legal options. Contact Bill Easterly & Associates to discuss your case.
