How to Get a Police Report in Atlanta, Georgia

The fastest way to get your Atlanta police accident report is through LexisNexis BuyCrash at buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com. The Atlanta Police Department uses LexisNexis to make accident reports available to the public electronically. Reports are typically available 7 to 10 business days after the accident.

Go to buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com and select Georgia as the state. From the agency dropdown, select Atlanta Police Department. Search using your name, the date of the accident, or the report number if you have it. Once you find your report, pay with a credit or debit card (reports cost less than $20) and download the PDF immediately.

If you cannot find your report, it may not have been uploaded yet. Try again in a few days. You can also contact LexisNexis customer support at (866) 215-2771 or email support.buycrash@lexisnexisrisk.com for help locating your report.

The BuyCrash system also allows you to search for reports from other Georgia law enforcement agencies. If you are unsure which agency investigated your accident, try searching multiple jurisdictions — Georgia State Patrol, DeKalb County Police, Cobb County Police, or Gwinnett County Police may have responded depending on where the accident occurred.

You can request your accident report directly from the Atlanta Police Department through their Open Records Unit. Submit a request online at atlantapd.org using the Open Records Request Form, or call (404) 546-7448. Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71), the APD must respond to your request within 3 business days with either the records or an estimated time of completion and cost.

When submitting your request, include as much identifying information as possible: the date and approximate time of the accident, the location (street intersection or address), your name or the names of other parties involved, and the report number if you have it. The more specific your request, the faster the response.

The APD Open Records Unit will provide you with a cost estimate before processing the request. Payment is not required at the time of submission. Once you approve the cost and pay, the records will be provided. The cost depends on the volume of records — a single accident report typically costs less than $20.

If your request involves records beyond the standard accident report — dashcam footage, body camera video, or supplemental investigation files — expect a longer processing time and higher cost. Audio and video records may take several weeks to compile.

You can request an accident report in person at the Atlanta Police Department. The APD headquarters is located at 226 Peachtree Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303. Bring a valid photo ID and the details of your accident (date, location, and names of parties involved). The report number from the officer's business card or the receipt you received at the scene will speed up the process.

If the responding officer gave you a case number or report number at the scene, write it down and keep it safe. This number is the fastest way to locate your report in the system. Without it, staff will search by name, date, and location, which can take longer.

In-person requests are processed during normal business hours, Monday through Friday. Call (404) 546-7448 before visiting to confirm hours and availability, especially around holidays.

A Georgia police accident report contains several sections that matter for your personal injury claim. The header section identifies the responding agency, report number, and date. The vehicle and driver sections list each party's name, address, insurance information, and vehicle details. The narrative section is the investigating officer's description of what happened — this is often the most important part of the report.

Georgia officers assign contributing factors to each driver involved. Common contributing factors include following too closely, failure to yield, improper lane change, and distracted driving. While these designations are not binding in court, insurance companies rely heavily on them when evaluating fault.

The report also includes a diagram of the accident scene, the location of damage to each vehicle, whether citations were issued, and whether anyone was transported to the hospital. Witness names and contact information, if available, are included in the report. Review your report carefully — if you find errors in the factual details (your name, vehicle information, or a description of the accident that contradicts what happened), you can request a supplement or correction through the investigating officer's precinct.

Your police report is the single most important document in the early stages of your personal injury claim. Insurance adjusters will request it immediately after you file a claim. The report establishes the basic facts: who was involved, where and when it happened, what the officer observed, and who the officer determined was at fault.

Georgia uses modified comparative negligence (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33), meaning your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, and you recover nothing if you are 50% or more at fault. The police report's contributing factor designations often set the starting point for the fault determination in your case.

If the other driver was cited at the scene, that citation supports your claim — though it is not conclusive proof of fault. If no report was filed at the scene, you can still file a self-report using the Georgia SR-13 form within 10 days of the accident if there was injury, death, or property damage exceeding $500 (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-273). However, a self-report does not carry the same weight as an officer's investigation.

Not every accident in the Atlanta area is investigated by the Atlanta Police Department. Georgia State Patrol handles accidents on interstate highways (I-75, I-85, I-285, I-20). DeKalb County Police handles accidents in unincorporated DeKalb County. Cobb County Police covers Cobb County, and Gwinnett County Police covers Gwinnett County. Each city within metro Atlanta — Decatur, Marietta, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven — has its own police department.

Georgia State Patrol reports are available through BuyCrash at buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com (select Georgia State Patrol as the agency) or through the Georgia Department of Public Safety Open Records Unit. For other metro Atlanta agencies, check their individual websites or call their records divisions. Most agencies in Georgia use the GEARS (Georgia Electronic Accident Reporting System) portal, and reports are often available through BuyCrash regardless of the investigating agency.

If you are unsure which agency responded to your accident, check the business card or report receipt the officer gave you, look at the case number prefix, or call Atlanta 311 at (404) 546-0311 for assistance.

If you were injured in an accident in Atlanta and have obtained your police report, take our free 2-minute assessment. You will answer a few quick questions about your accident and injuries, and we will give you a personalized report that includes Georgia's filing deadline for your specific claim, an explanation of how fault is determined under Georgia law, and whether connecting with a personal injury attorney makes sense for your situation.

Your police report is the first step. Understanding your legal options is the second. Our assessment is free, confidential, and gives you the information you need to make an informed decision about what comes next.