Changes to the process of obtaining an accident report in Virginia are in effect today, July 1, as Virginia State Police will no longer be providing them to Virginia citizens.
The Virginia DMV is taking over the process, and those looking to obtain an accident report must contact them. The procedure is now expected to take longer, and currently the DMV cannot supply electronic copies to citizens.
The change only affects State Police accident reports; the process for obtaining reports from local police officials will not change.
The DMV is attempting to streamline the process of providing accident reports by accepting faxed requests and setting up accounts for citizens so they can pay in advance and expedite their request.
However, the process is expected to take much longer than when the Virginia State Police was handling it. Reports will not even enter into the DMV database until three days after Virginia State Police have electrically transmitted it to them. Further, it is still unclear how the DMV will manage to meet the anticipated increase in demand for accident reports considering the resources they have at hand.
How To Request a Crash Report after July 1
To order a Crash Report, you must fill out an Information Request form and submit it to the Virginia DMV. To access the form, click here.
The form must then be presented to the DMV’s main headquarters in Richmond, VA. You can submit requests via fax and the DMV has said they will respond via fax in return. You can also set up an account with the DMV as to pay in advance and speed up the process.
As with all transitions there may be some speed bumps along the way. We will keep you updated as this story unfolds. If you have any questions or are looking to claim damages in a Virginia motor-vehicle accident, contact us via email or call us at 703-906-4229.
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