How do you get a copy of your Georgia crash report?

You can get a copy of your Georgia crash report. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 exempts individual accident reports from general public records requests, but anyone named in the report, or their lawyer, can obtain it without any special showing. Others need a written statement of need, such as an insurer, a witness, or a property owner.

What does O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 say?

This section is part of Georgia’s Open Records Act. Its heading is “When public disclosure not required,” and it lists records that are exempt. Paragraph (a)(5) covers crash reports. It exempts individual Georgia Uniform Motor Vehicle Accident Reports from disclosure:

except upon the submission of a written statement of need by the requesting party

The same paragraph says a person whose name or identifying information appears in the report may obtain it, personally or through a lawyer or other representative, without a statement of need. It then lists who has a qualifying need: people with a relationship to a party, owners of damaged property, injured people and witnesses, insurers, people who may be liable, attorneys in related criminal cases or road defect claims, news media, researchers (for reports older than 60 days, with personal details redacted), and government agencies. The section was amended twice in 2026 (HB 297, effective May 12, 2026, and HB 1302, effective July 1, 2026). Neither amendment changed paragraph (a)(5).

What does it mean for you?

The crash report is the first document an insurance adjuster reads and the one they weigh most heavily, because it was written by a neutral officer on the day. It has the diagram, the officer’s narrative, the citations issued, witness names, and insurance information for both drivers. You want it in your hands before you talk to anyone’s insurer.

If you were a driver, passenger, or pedestrian named in the report, you are entitled to it. Most Georgia agencies release it through an online service for a small fee, or in person at the records window. Which agency has it depends on where the crash happened: city police inside city limits, the county sheriff or county police in unincorporated areas, and the Georgia State Patrol on interstates and state routes. Our office pages list the right agency for each area we serve.

Why does the law restrict it at all? Because crash reports contain addresses, phone numbers, and insurance details, and solicitation from the report was a real problem. The restriction protects you from that. It does not stand between you and your own report.

Related Georgia laws

• O.C.G.A. § 40-6-270: the hit and run law, and why the report should say hit and run from the start
• O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33: the two year deadline to file an injury lawsuit
• O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11: uninsured motorist coverage

Sources

• Official Code of Georgia Annotated on legis.ga.gov (official text)
• O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 on Justia (2025 Georgia Code)
• Text verified against the published code on 2026-10-16. Statute text is public record. Nothing on this page is legal advice about your specific case.

What should you do next?

If you would rather not chase the report yourself, tell us where the crash happened and we will pull it. Then nobody talks to the insurer before we have read it.

Call Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. at 770-820-0711, any hour, any day. The call is free, the case review is free, and there is zero fee unless we win. Nine offices across Georgia, and we come to you if you cannot come to us.

One more thing. Don’t sign anything from an insurance company before you talk to a lawyer. A signature on the wrong form can give away rights you did not know you had.