After an accident, the police officer will give you an exchange slip with the report number and other driver’s insurance information. Here’s how to get the actual police report for a Hickory, NC accident.
Of course, as an experienced personal injury firm, we can get the report for you. However, if you want to get it yourself, here are several ways to go about it.
The first thing to know about getting your police report following an accident in Hickory, NC, is that the reports are not available online. Suppose you were in the wreck as a driver or passenger. In that case, you can physically pick up your police report with valid identification by going to the Hickory Police Department Records Division located at 347 2nd Avenue SW, Hickory, NC 28602. The report is free to you as a person involved in the wreck.
The only alternative to picking up the police report in person is to contact your own insurance company/your own insurance agent and ask them to call the Hickory Police Department Records Division. The help desk will give your agent the email or fax number, and they can request on your behalf. The help desk number for your agent to call is 828 324-2060. Your agent will need to send something on insurance company letterhead to the records division, and the Hickory Police Department will email or fax the report to your agent. Next, ask your agent to forward the report to you.
Keep in mind that the Hickory Police Department investigates all traffic accidents within the city limits of Hickory, NC. If your accident happens outside of the Hickory city limits, you will likely deal with another local police department or the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. The Catawba County Sheriff’s Department does not complete accident reports and usually calls either the highway patrol or local police department when they encounter a traffic accident.
If the Highway Patrol has investigated your wreck, your report will generally be available online within 7-10 business days. All accident reports completed by the highway patrol must receive supervisor approval, so this can cause these reports to take a little longer than other local police departments. You can check and access all State Highway Patrol reports at the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
All accident reports are completed on form DMV-349. Unless you are familiar with this DMV form, you will likely need the code manual to understand what all the numbers and markings mean on your report. North Carolina requires that all accident reports across the state be electronically filed or submitted in paper form to the DMV Crash Reports Unit to collect collision data. The Crash Report Unit makes all reports available to any person involved in the wreck for $5.50. There are two ways to obtain a copy of your accident report from the DMV.
First, you can physically pick up a copy of your report with proper identification at the DMV Crash Report Unit office located at 4121 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27697.
Second, if you do not live near Raleigh, you can fill out a Crash Report Request Form TR-67A and mail it to the DMV at 3105 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-3105. There is no option to have the accident report faxed or emailed to you by DMV. This process can take a couple of weeks as the accident reports are generally unavailable to DMV for at least ten days after an accident.
In conclusion, if you have been in an accident in Hickory, NC, your fastest option for getting a copy of your accident report is to go to the Hickory Police Department with your identification and pick it up for free. The second fastest option is to request your insurance agent to request it and email it to you when they receive it. You always have the fallback option to order your accident report from the North Carolina DMV if it has been two weeks since your accident. Finally, if the North Carolina State Highway Patrol investigated your accident, then you can obtain it directly from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety for free. Remember, if you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence, call our attorneys in Hickory to help fight for your rights.
