18. What information do I need to request my report?

To request your crash report, you only need a few basic details about the accident—nothing complicated or technical. These pieces of information help identify the correct law‑enforcement agency and allow an advocate to locate the report quickly, even if you’re unsure which department responded. Most victims can provide everything needed in just a minute or two, even if they’re still shaken or don’t remember every detail perfectly.

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The most helpful information includes the date of the accident, the general location (such as the street name, intersection, or city), and the names of the people involved. If you know which police department or highway patrol agency responded, that’s useful—but it’s not required. Even partial details, like “a sheriff’s deputy came” or “it happened near the mall,” can help narrow things down. If you were given an incident card or reference number at the scene, you can share that too, but it’s completely optional.

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Advocates understand that victims often don’t have perfect recall after a crash, so they work with whatever information you can provide. As long as you can describe when and where the accident happened, they can take it from there. The goal is to make the process simple, stress‑free, and accessible, even if you’re still trying to piece everything together.