Adjusters want it. Lawyers want it. Your own insurer wants it. The crash report ends up at the center of nearly every claim. In Birmingham, getting it is easy once you know which agency worked the wreck. The hard part is that three or four different agencies patrol roads within a few miles of each other, and the officer’s card you got at the scene may be the only clue.
Step one. Figure out who responded
Look at the slip of paper or card from the officer, which should show the agency and a case or report number. If you didn’t get one, think about where the crash happened.
- Surface streets inside Birmingham city limits, like Highland Avenue, 20th Street South, Third Avenue North or Green Springs Highway, are usually handled by the Birmingham Police Department.
- Interstates such as I-20/59, I-65, I-459 and I-22 are often worked by Alabama state troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, though city officers do respond to some interstate wrecks inside the city.
- Unincorporated parts of Jefferson County fall to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
- Suburban cities such as Hoover, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Trussville and Bessemer have their own police departments, and each sells its own reports.
Birmingham Police Department
BPD sells accident reports online and in person. The department’s reports office page lists the details. The office is at police headquarters, 1710 1st Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203, and the phone number is (205) 254-6308. It’s open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays, and no reports are sold after 4:30.
- An accident report costs $10.
- Accident reports from before January 2015 are archived and cost $25.
- Online orders need a separate transaction for each report.
- In person, the office takes cash, debit cards, money orders and company checks. Personal checks aren’t accepted.
The department suggests calling first, with your case number handy, to make sure the report is ready before you pay. Reports often take several business days to be approved and released.
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (state troopers)
If a trooper worked your crash, the report is an Alabama Uniform Traffic Crash Report held by ALEA. ALEA’s driver history and crash reports page lists the fee for a copy at $15 and says reports can be bought online or in person at any ALEA Driver License Office. Online orders may carry a small processing charge, so check the amount at checkout. ALEA doesn’t take personal checks in person.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
For a wreck in an unincorporated area worked by deputies, contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 2200 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35203, or by phone at (205) 325-5700. Ask how they release crash reports and what they charge. Have the date, location and any report number ready.
Who’s allowed to get a copy
Alabama doesn’t hand crash reports to just anyone. Ala. Code § 32-10-7 controls who can buy one. Eligible people include anyone involved in the crash, the parent or guardian of a minor who was involved, the representative of a deceased person’s estate (or an heir if there isn’t one), insurers, an attorney who has the written consent of the person they represent, certain government agencies, and the owner or lienholder of a vehicle involved. Expect to show ID in person, and expect the online form to ask how you’re connected to the crash.
Going over the report
Once the copy is in hand, read it slowly, then read it again. Look for these things.
- The narrative and diagram. Does the officer’s description match what happened? A wrong lane or direction of travel can make a big difference in Alabama, where any fault on your part can block recovery. Our contributory negligence guide explains why.
- Contributing circumstances. Codes for speeding, following too closely, failure to yield or distraction.
- Insurance information for every driver and vehicle owner.
- Witnesses. Names and numbers aren’t always included, but when they are they’re gold.
- Citations. A ticket isn’t proof of fault in a civil case, but it tells you how the officer saw it.
If something is plainly wrong, like a misspelled name or the wrong plate, contact the agency and ask what it takes to fix the error or attach a supplement. Officers can’t always change their opinion of who caused a crash, but factual errors can often be fixed.
What if there was no report?
Minor wrecks without injuries sometimes don’t get a full report, especially when traffic is heavy and officers are stretched. If no officer came, write your own account right away, photograph everything and swap information with the other driver. Your insurer will want to hear about it promptly too.
Other things worth requesting
- 911 audio and dispatch logs, which can show the time of the call and what callers reported.
- Traffic camera or business video. Ask nearby businesses fast, because many systems overwrite footage within days.
- Photos the officer took, if the department will release them.
The operator’s 30-day report to the director
The officer’s crash report is not the only paperwork Alabama requires. Under Ala. Code § 32-7-5, the operator of every motor vehicle involved in a crash in this state that kills or injures someone, or that causes more than $250 in property damage to any one person, including the operator, has to report the matter in writing to the director within 30 days. The report is supposed to contain only the information needed to decide whether security has to be deposited under the Safety-Responsibility Act. If the operator is physically incapable of making it, the owner of the vehicle has 10 days after learning of the crash to file it, and either person must furnish added information the director later requires. This is a separate duty from buying a copy of the police report, and a recorded statement to an insurer does not take its place.
Our police report request page keeps the agency addresses and steps in one place. If you’d rather have a lawyer handle the paperwork, an attorney with your written consent can request the report for you.