Who holds your Alabama crash report
| If the crash was investigated by | Where the report is | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| ALEA Highway Patrol (state troopers) | ALEA crash report portal | alabamainteractive.org/dps_crash_report |
| A city police department (for example Birmingham) | The department, which may keep copies; the state portal is also worth checking | Birmingham police report guide |
| A county sheriff | The sheriff's office; also check the state portal | Call the number on the officer's card |
Alabama law says an officer who investigates a crash must, "within 24 hours after completing such investigation, forward the necessary completed written report or copy thereof of such accident to the director on the uniform accident report form," [2] and that local police departments "may retain copies." [2] If a search finds nothing, ask the agency that wrote the report.
Get it online
The ALEA portal's start screen says you will need a personal email address, a valid credit card and the crash information, and it estimates 1-5 minutes to complete [1].
| What the portal says | |
|---|---|
| Wait before it appears | "It can take up to 15 business days from the date of a crash for the crash report to be available online." [1] |
| How long you can download | "Crash reports will be available to view and download for up to 5 days after your submission." [1] |
| How far back | "Crashes that occurred 10 or more years ago are not available for purchase." [1] |
What it costs
ALEA's driver-records page lists a copy of a crash report at $15 and says reports may be bought online or "in person at any ALEA Driver License Office." [7] The law behind the fee is § 32-2-8, which says the Director of Public Safety "shall set and collect a fee not to exceed the sum of fifteen dollars ($15) for each record or report, unless a different fee is otherwise prescribed by law." [3] A 2016 portal support page listed a $2.00 online processing fee on top of that; confirm the total on the portal before you pay [4]. Local departments set their own fees; see the Birmingham guide for BPD.
Who can request an Alabama crash report
Section 32-10-7(b)(3) lists the people who may request a report. It includes drivers, passengers and pedestrians involved in the crash; a parent or guardian of an involved minor; a personal representative or other legal representative of a person who died (or, if none has been appointed, an heir); an insurer or its written designee for insurance business purposes; a government entity responsible for the road or for law enforcement investigations; and "An owner or lienholder of an automobile in the accident that is the subject of the report." [2]
An attorney of a person involved, or the attorney's employee, must provide "written signed consent by the represented person to request the report." [2]
Disclosure is also allowed "when the identity of a person involved in an accident is not otherwise known or when he or she denies his or her presence at an accident" and "when disclosure is directed by a properly executed subpoena or court order." [2] The same section sets separate rules for news-gathering organizations, covered in are police reports public record.
Before you buy or request
- Search the online portal first; if it finds nothing, call the city police department or sheriff that wrote the report.
- You can also buy a report in person at any ALEA Driver License Office.
- City and county agencies set their own fees and waits. For Birmingham police reports, see the Birmingham guide.
Sources
- ALEA crash report portal (Alabama Interactive, ALEA) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“Valid credit card for payment”“It can take up to 15 business days from the date of a crash for the crash report to be available online”“Crash reports will be available to view and download for up to 5 days after your submission”“Crashes that occurred 10 or more years ago are not available for purchase”
- Ala. Code § 32-10-7, written reports of accidents; release of information (Alabama Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“within 24 hours after completing such investigation, forward the necessary completed written report or copy thereof of such accident to the director on the uniform accident report form”“Local police departments, and their contracted agents, may retain copies of the written reports”“An owner or lienholder of an automobile in the accident that is the subject of the report”“The attorney or employee of the attorney shall provide written signed consent by the represented person to request the report”“When disclosure is directed by a properly executed subpoena or court order”“A person involved in the accident made the basis of the accident report, including, but not limited to, drivers of and passengers in the automobiles and pedestrians involved in the accident that is the subject of the report”“disclosure of accident reports shall be made only under the following circumstances”
- Ala. Code § 32-2-8, fees for copies of records and reports (Alabama Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“shall set and collect a fee not to exceed the sum of fifteen dollars ($15) for each record or report”
- Alabama Interactive support wiki: ALEA crash/accident reports (page dated 2016) (checked November 9, 2026)Vendor support page (2016)“The fee/cost/price for a PDF copy of an accident report is $17.00 ($15.00 per report as directed by Alabama statute, plus a $2.00 per report processing fee)”
- Ala. Code § 36-12-40, rights of citizens to inspect public writings (Alabama Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“Every resident has a right to inspect and take a copy of any public record of this state, except as otherwise expressly provided by applicable law”
- Ala. Code § 32-10-11, accident reports confidential (Alabama Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source
- ALEA: Driver Records, Crash Reports, and Driver License Reinstatements (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“or in person at any ALEA Driver License Office”“Copy of Crash Report - $15”
Page last updated November 9, 2026. Attorney review pending. General information, not legal advice. Fees, hours and rules change; confirm on the official page. How we source.
Questions
How do I get a copy of a police report in Alabama?
Online, use the ALEA crash report portal, where you search for the crash, pay by credit card and download the report. The portal says "It can take up to 15 business days from the date of a crash for the crash report to be available online." [1] If a city police department or sheriff investigated, you can also contact that agency; Alabama law lets local police departments keep copies of the reports they write [2]. For Birmingham, see the Birmingham police report guide.
How to obtain an accident report in Alabama?
You must be someone the law allows to request it. Alabama Code § 32-10-7 lists persons involved in the accident, a parent or guardian of an involved minor, a personal representative or heir of someone who died, an insurer, an attorney (with the client's written signed consent), a government entity responsible for the road or for law enforcement investigations, and an owner or lienholder of a vehicle in the crash [2]. The portal asks for a personal email address, a valid credit card and the crash details.
How much does an Alabama crash report cost?
ALEA's driver-records page lists a copy of a crash report at $15 and says reports may be bought online or in person at any ALEA Driver License Office [7]. State law caps the fee at fifteen dollars per record or report [3]. A 2016 portal support page listed a $2.00 online processing fee on top of that; confirm the total on the portal before you pay [4].
Are accident reports public record in Alabama?
Not in the way many people expect. Alabama's public-records law gives every resident a right to inspect public records "except as otherwise expressly provided by applicable law," [5] and § 32-10-7(b) says disclosure of accident reports "shall be made only under the following circumstances," which are the list of requesters above plus a subpoena or court order [2]. See are police reports public record.
How do I find a police report in Alabama if I don't have the number?
The portal lets you search for a specific crash; it asks for crash information. Know the crash date, county and drivers' names, and ask the officer's agency for the report number. Reports for crashes 10 or more years ago are not sold: "Crashes that occurred 10 or more years ago are not available for purchase." [1]
Keep reading
- City guide
Birmingham, AL police accident report: how to get yours
How to get a Birmingham, Alabama police or ALEA accident report: BPD Records Division, the ALEA portal, who can request one. Checked Nov 2026.
Open - State reference
Do you have to report a car accident in Alabama?
Alabama requires immediate notice to police when anyone is hurt and a written report to the state within 30 days. Exact statute text, penalties, who to call.
Open - Guide
How do I file a police report after a car accident?
How to file a police report after a car accident and get your copy: who to call, what to give, which agency holds the report, plus fees and waits in Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
Open - Guide
Are police reports public record? What each state says
Are police reports public record? Crash reports are open with personal details removed in Tennessee, limited to listed people in Alabama, and your own report in Oklahoma. Statutes quoted.
Open - Guide
How to read a police accident report: sections and codes
A section-by-section walk through a police accident report: injury codes, contributing circumstances, units, diagram and narrative, from the Alabama, Oklahoma and South Carolina state manuals.
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Alabama statute of limitations for car accident injury claims
Alabama gives two years for most car accident injury claims and two years for wrongful death. Exact statute text, exceptions and city-claim notice rules.
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