Arlington crash reports come from the Arlington Police Records Unit at 620 W. Division St., which routes requests to TxDOT’s C.R.I.S. system. A copy costs $6, or $8 certified. Allow up to 14 days after the crash for the report to appear. Officers must file within 10 days when there is injury, death, or $1,000 or more in damage.
Where the Report Actually Lives
The Arlington Police Department Records Unit is located at 620 W. Division St., Arlington, TX 76011. It is the local point of contact, but it is not the archive. Arlington routes crash reports to the state — TxDOT’s Crash Records Information System, C.R.I.S. — and that is where copies are issued.
This trips people up constantly. Someone drives to the Records Unit two days after a collision, is told the report is not available, and assumes the officer never wrote one. In most cases the report exists and simply has not been processed into the state system yet.
You can request through the state system directly. You will need details you may not have memorized at the scene: the crash date, the location, and the name of a person involved. The report number, if the officer gave you one, makes the search far easier.
What It Costs and Which Version to Order
A standard crash report is $6. A certified copy is $8. Certification means the state attests the copy is authentic, which matters when a document has to be presented as official rather than informational.
The redaction question is the more important one. Texas restricts full unredacted reports to people “directly concerned” in the crash — which generally covers those involved, their representatives, and their insurers. Anyone else can obtain a redacted version with personal information removed.
Order the certified version if you expect the report to be attached to anything formal. For simply reading what the officer wrote and confirming the other driver’s insurance information, the $6 copy does the job.
Version
Cost
Who can get it
Regular (uncertified) copy
$6
Redacted for the general public; unredacted for those directly concerned
Certified copy
$8
Same access rules, with state certification of authenticity
Redacted version
Standard fee
Available to the public; personal information removed
Non-redacted version
Standard fee
Only persons ‘directly concerned’ in the crash
Source: TxDOT Crash Records Information System (C.R.I.S.) fee and access rules.
When It Appears, and the 10-Day Rule
Two different clocks matter here. Under Transportation Code §550.062, an investigating officer must file a crash report with TxDOT within 10 days when the crash resulted in injury, death, or $1,000 or more in property damage.
Separately, allow up to 14 days after the crash for the report to become available through C.R.I.S. Nothing is wrong if it is not there on day three. If more than two weeks have passed and you still cannot find it, that is the point to call the Records Unit and ask whether a report was filed and under what number.
The $1,000 damage threshold is low. In modern vehicles, almost any collision that leaves visible damage clears it, which means most Arlington crashes with police response generate a report.
Read It for Errors, Not for a Verdict
The crash report is a factual record with an officer’s opinion inside it. It captures date, time, location, vehicles, drivers, insurance information, witnesses, a diagram, a narrative, and coded contributing factors.
What it is not is a legal determination of fault. An officer arriving after the fact records an assessment; a jury decides responsibility. Insurers lean heavily on the report anyway, so an inaccurate one causes real damage — and adjusters often set a liability percentage from it within days.
Check it line by line as soon as you have it. The errors worth catching are mundane: a reversed direction of travel, a wrong lane, a misspelled name, a missing witness, an insurance policy number that does not match. Ask the investigating agency about a correction or supplement if something material is wrong, and do it early, while the officer still remembers the call.
No Officer, No Report, and the Form That No Longer Exists
Sometimes police never come, or they come and do not write a report. The CR-2 driver self-report form no longer exists in Texas — you cannot file your own crash report to fill the gap. That option is gone, and pages still telling you to download it are out of date.
Build the record yourself instead. Photograph both vehicles, the scene, the traffic controls, and the other driver’s license and insurance card. Get witness names and phone numbers on the spot. See a doctor promptly, because medical records dated close to the crash become the strongest evidence you have when there is no police narrative.
If the other driver had no insurance, the Arlington Police Department accepts a notarized No Insurance Complaint Affidavit. It is a sworn statement about the uninsured driver, and it is worth completing — a lack of insurance does not bar your recovery in Texas, and documentation supports both an uninsured motorist claim and any enforcement action.
If you need help getting a report or reading what the officer wrote, Jim Ross Law Group offers a free consultation at 817-275-4100, and there is no fee unless we win.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a copy of my Arlington accident report?
Start with the Arlington Police Department Records Unit at 620 W. Division St., Arlington, TX 76011, which routes crash reports to TxDOT’s C.R.I.S. system, or request directly through C.R.I.S. You will need the crash date, the location, and the name of someone involved. A report number from the officer makes the search much faster.
How much does an Arlington crash report cost?
Six dollars for a regular copy and eight dollars for a certified copy through TxDOT’s Crash Records Information System. Certification means the state attests the document is authentic. For simply reading the narrative and confirming the other driver’s insurance information, the regular copy is enough.
How long does it take for a crash report to become available?
Allow up to 14 days after the crash. Separately, Transportation Code §550.062 requires the investigating officer to file the report with TxDOT within 10 days when the crash involved injury, death, or at least $1,000 in property damage. If two weeks pass and nothing appears, call the Records Unit and ask whether a report was filed.
Why is information blacked out on the report I received?
You received the redacted public version. Texas limits unredacted crash reports to persons ‘directly concerned’ in the crash, which generally includes those involved, their representatives, and their insurers. If you were in the collision, you can request the non-redacted version and should, since it contains the other driver’s contact and insurance details.
The police never came to my crash. Do I still have a case?
Yes. A police report is helpful evidence, not a requirement for a claim. Without one, your photos, witness names, the other driver’s insurance information, and prompt medical records carry the weight. Get medical attention quickly, because treatment dated close to the crash is what connects your injuries to it.
Can I fill out my own crash report in Texas?
No. The CR-2 driver self-report form no longer exists, so there is no way to file your own crash report with the state. Websites still telling you to download one are outdated. Document the crash yourself with photos, witness contacts, and prompt medical care instead.
What do I do if the other driver had no insurance?
Arlington Police accept a notarized No Insurance Complaint Affidavit, a sworn statement about the uninsured driver. File it, and then look at your own uninsured motorist coverage, which exists for exactly this situation. Texas has no ‘no pay, no play’ law, so your recovery is not barred even if you were uninsured yourself.
Does the crash report decide who was at fault?
No. The officer records an opinion and coded contributing factors, usually after arriving to a scene already in motion. Legal responsibility is decided by a jury, or negotiated between the parties. Insurers still rely on the report heavily, so an error in it is worth correcting quickly through the investigating agency.
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different and past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Jim Ross Law Group, P.C., 2201 E Lamar Blvd #110, Arlington, TX 76006.