To get a Phoenix car accident report, start with the agency that investigated the crash. If Phoenix Police wrote the report, use the city’s public records portal. If an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper investigated it, use the Arizona DPS records process. The crash location can help you narrow it down, but the agency name or report number on your paperwork is a better starting point.
Find out who wrote the report
Look for the agency name and report number on any exchange sheet, citation, or card an officer gave you. Keep those documents together. A report number can make it easier to locate the right record, particularly when there were several crashes on the same road that day.
If you have no paperwork, note the date, approximate time, intersection or nearest exit, direction of travel, and names of the people involved. Ask the agency whether it investigated the collision before paying for a record. A Phoenix mailing address does not mean Phoenix Police handled the scene.
Request a Phoenix Police crash report
Start at the Phoenix Police Public Records portal. The city’s Police Public Records and Services Bureau explains its request options. Follow the instructions for the type of record you need and save the confirmation number.
Provide the report number when available. If the form asks for identifying information, supply it through the official portal. Before submitting, check that the date and location match your notes and that you chose a traffic collision report rather than a different incident record. Fees and delivery options can vary by request.
Request an Arizona DPS report when a trooper investigated
Use the Arizona DPS records request page for crashes investigated by DPS. The agency explains who can request records and how to submit the request. If another city or county agency responded, ask that agency for its own process.
If the record has not appeared, ask the investigating agency whether the report is complete and what information it needs to find it. Keep a note of the date you called and any reference number you received. You can still notify your insurer that a crash occurred while you wait for the report.
Check the report before you rely on it
Compare the names, vehicles, insurance details, road names, and diagram with your own records. Read the narrative and check whether the officer describes something personally observed or summarizes what someone told them. Save a copy of the report as received so you can refer back to it.
If you spot a factual discrepancy, write down the page, field, and detail you believe is wrong. Ask the agency about its correction or supplement process. Provide supporting information if the agency requests it. A disagreement about how a crash happened is different from a misspelled name or incorrect plate number.
Save evidence while you wait
Keep original photos, dashcam clips, witness contact details, tow paperwork, and medical records in a folder you can back up. If you know of a camera near the collision, record its location and the time window. Footage can be overwritten while a report request is pending.
A crash report can help identify drivers and witnesses. It may leave questions about what happened before impact or how an injury developed afterward. If you were hurt, DIG’s Phoenix car accident injury team can review the report alongside the other records you collected.
