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New York Accident Reports Become Easily Accessible

Consumers seeking copies of motor vehicle accident reports investigated by the New York State Police can now obtain them more quickly than ever, under a new process developed by the State Police and the State Department of Motor Vehicles. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) has provided over $12 Million over the past several years to the State Police, local law enforcement and the Department of Motor Vehicles to help implement this innovative system. At the core of the new process is TraCS, which stands for “Traffic and Criminal Software.” TraCS is an electronic ticket and accident reporting program that dramatically decreases the time it takes for an accident report to be completed, reviewed, transmitted to other agencies, and stored.

Using the new system, motor vehicle accident reports are sent electronically to DMV. Report copies generally are available to motorists within two weeks of the crash date. It is important to note that accident reports sent to DMV by other police agencies may not be available as quickly, since some departments are not yet employing the electronic reporting system. Effective immediately, requests for copies of accident reports filed by the New York State Police should be made as follows: If the crash occurred on a road or highway other than the Thruway or its arterials, the request must be made to DMV’s Certified Documents Section. The form used to request an accident report (MV-198-C) may be obtained from any DMV field office, or downloaded from the DMV website.

If the crash was investigated by a police agency other than the New York State Police, motorists should follow the guidelines set out in DMV form MV-198-C, or contact the investigating agency directly. If the crash occurred on the New York State Thruway (Interstate Route 87 south of Albany and Interstate Route 90 west of Albany) or one of its subsidiary arterials (Interstate Route 84 or 190), the request must be made to the New York State Thruway Authority by U.S. mail or phone using the information listed below:
New York State Thruway Authority
Attention: Traffic and Engineering
P.O. Box 189
Albany, N.Y. 12201-0189
(518) 471-4450