Injury guide
How to get a Dallas crash report
Reviewed by Nolan Ryan McConville, Texas attorney since 2016 · Updated October 2026
After a crash, the police report is one of the first documents an insurance adjuster looks at. In Texas, the official version is the Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report, known as the CR-3.
Here is how to get a copy after a crash in Dallas, what you will need to find it, and what to do if something in it is wrong.
The CR-3
What the CR-3 crash report is
The CR-3 is the standard form Texas law enforcement officers use to document crashes they investigate.
Basic details
It usually includes the date, time and location, the drivers and vehicles involved, and insurance information.
Diagram and narrative
It also has a diagram, a short narrative and the officer's notes on factors that may have contributed to the crash.
Not the final word
The report is not the final word on who was at fault. An insurer or a jury can reach a different conclusion.
Worth reading closely
Adjusters rely on it heavily, especially early in a claim, so it is worth getting and reading carefully.
Agencies
Who writes the report in Dallas
The agency that responded to your crash writes the report. Knowing which agency responded helps you find it.
Dallas Police
Inside the city limits, that is usually the Dallas Police Department.
State troopers
On some highways, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper may respond.
Other agencies
A Dallas County sheriff's deputy, DART Police or a suburban department may handle crashes in their areas.
If you are not sure
The officer's card or the paperwork you were handed at the scene usually says.
TxDOT CRIS
Option 1: Buy the report through TxDOT CRIS
The Texas Department of Transportation runs the Crash Report Online Purchase System, part of its Crash Records Information System (CRIS). You can search for and buy a copy of a CR-3 there for a small fee.
- The date of the crash.
- The county or city where it happened.
- The name of a driver or person involved.
- A crash ID, report number or vehicle identification number, if you have one.
Many agencies included
Reports from Dallas Police, DPS and many other Texas agencies are available through the system.
Once it is submitted
A report appears only after the agency has submitted it.
What to have ready
You will usually need some combination of the details listed below.
Records unit
Option 2: Ask the police department's records unit
You can also request the report directly from the agency that took it.
Dallas Police records
The Dallas Police Department has a records unit that handles crash report requests. Other departments have their own process.
When this route helps
It can help if you cannot find the report online or need something more than the CR-3 itself.
Check before you go
Check the department's website or call its non-emergency line for current instructions, hours and any fees.
Eligibility
Who can get a copy
Texas limits who can buy a crash report, especially soon after the crash.
People in the crash
People involved in the crash are generally among those who can get a copy.
Insurers and attorneys
Their insurers and their attorneys generally can as well.
Confirming eligibility
CRIS asks for information to confirm you are entitled to the report before you can buy it.
Timing
Why your report may not be ready yet
Reports are not always available right away. Each step takes time before a report reaches the state system.
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01First
Officer finishes it
The officer has to finish the report, and a supervisor may review it.
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02Then
Agency submits it
The agency then submits it to the state system.
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03A few days in
Search again later
If you search CRIS a few days after the crash and find nothing, try again later.
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04Several weeks
Contact records
If it has been several weeks, contact the agency's records unit.
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05Your part
If there is no CR-3
Some crashes never get one, usually because police did not respond or investigate. Write down your own account right away, keep your photos and the other driver's information, and give them to your insurer.
Review
Read the report carefully
When you get the report, check the basics first, then read the officer's account.
Check the basics
Names, vehicles, plates, insurance information and the location.
Narrative and diagram
Read the narrative and the diagram.
Contributing factors
Look at the contributing factors the officer listed and whether any were attributed to you.
Other driver's insurance
Look closely at this section. It is often how you or your attorney start a claim with the right company.
Corrections
What to do if the report is wrong
Officers often arrive after the crash and piece together what happened from the people at the scene. Mistakes happen.
Factual errors
For an error such as the wrong plate number, insurance company or direction of travel, contact the officer or the records unit and ask how it handles corrections.
Filed supplements
Officers sometimes file a supplement rather than changing the original.
Fault disagreements
Disagreements about fault are harder to change.
Other evidence
Even if the report does not say what you think it should, video, photos, vehicle data and witnesses can still support your claim.
More records
Other records that can help
The CR-3 is only one record. Depending on the crash, other records may exist that fill gaps it leaves out.
Calls and dispatch
911 call recordings and dispatch logs.
Video and photos
Officer body camera or dashcam video, and photos taken at the scene.
Citations and arrests
Records of any citations or arrests.
How they are requested
These are often requested from the agency through a public information request, and some may be withheld while an investigation is open.
Early requests
They can show what a driver said before they had time to think. Nolan requests them early on serious cases.
Your claim
Why the report matters to your claim
The crash report can shape how an insurer treats your claim from the first call.
Witnesses and insurer
It often names witnesses, lists the other driver's insurer and records the officer's first impressions.
Alcohol and citations
It may note whether alcohol was suspected or whether anyone was cited.
Two-year deadline
Getting it early helps with deadlines. Texas personal injury claims generally must be filed within two years.
Government notice
Claims involving government vehicles usually require written notice within six months.
Next step
Talk to Nolan
Getting the crash report is one of the first things Nolan does on a new case, along with preserving video and identifying every insurance policy.
Help with the report
If you were hurt in a Dallas crash, Nolan can help you sort out the report or the claim.
Free consultation
The consultation is free, and there is no attorney's fee unless money is recovered.
Call Nolan
Call Nolan at (214) 706-4031.
Related cases
Related practice areas
Car accidents
Truck accidents
Motorcycle accidents
Hit-and-run accidents
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