The flashing lights have cleared, the tow truck has left, and you are finally home after a car crash. As you begin to process what happened, the reality of insurance claims, vehicle repairs, and medical bills sets in. To navigate all of this, you are going to need one crucial piece of paper: your traffic collision report.
If you were involved in an accident in Murray, Salt Lake City, or the surrounding valley, tracking down this document can feel like a maze of different police departments and government websites. Here is a practical, step-by-step guide to locating and requesting your police report in Salt Lake County so you can keep your recovery moving forward.
The first step to getting your report is knowing who wrote it. In Salt Lake County, the agency that holds your report depends entirely on exactly where the crash occurred.
Summary: To get a crash report in Salt Lake County, you must request it from the specific law enforcement agency that responded to the scene, such as the Utah Highway Patrol for freeways, or local city police (like Murray PD) for city surface streets.
For most drivers, requesting the report online is the quickest and easiest route. The State of Utah utilizes a centralized database for many traffic collisions.
If UHP or a major local department handled your crash, you can typically purchase and download your report through the state-approved third-party portal, often managed by LexisNexis (BuyCrash) or directly through the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) website.
What you will need to access it:
If you prefer not to use an online portal, or if a specific local precinct does not upload minor crash reports to the state database, you can request them directly from the police records division.
For Murray Residents: If the Murray City Police Department handled your collision, you can visit their records division in person.
Your traffic collision report is the foundational document for your insurance claim. It contains the responding officer’s narrative, a diagram of the crash, weather conditions, witness contact information, and, most importantly, the officer’s assessment of who violated traffic laws.
If you are dealing with severe injuries from a car accident, insurance adjusters will use this report to determine fault. Any delay in obtaining this report can delay your claim, so it is vital to secure it quickly and avoid gaps in your medical treatment timeline while you wait.
How long does it take for a police report to be ready in Utah? In Salt Lake County, standard traffic collision reports usually take between 5 and 10 business days to be processed, approved by a supervisor, and made available to the public. If the crash involved a fatality or severe criminal charges (like a DUI), the report may take weeks or months to be released.
How much does a Utah crash report cost? Fees vary slightly by municipality, but you should expect to pay a nominal fee of $10 to $15 to obtain a copy of your report, whether online or in person.
What if the police report is wrong? Officers are human and can make mistakes. If you notice a factual error on your report (like an incorrect birthdate, license plate, or insurance policy number), you can usually contact the responding officer to request a supplemental amendment. However, officers will rarely change their subjective opinion on who was at fault once the report is filed.
Getting the police report is just the first step. Understanding how to use it to negotiate with aggressive insurance adjusters is a battle entirely different.
If you were injured in an accident in Murray or the greater Salt Lake area, you don’t have to handle the paperwork alone. Contact The Law Offices of Roberto Hernandez today for a free consultation. We can help you track down your report, build your case, and fight for the compensation you deserve.