On this page
- Step 1: Find out who investigated your crash
- Columbia Police Department: how to request
- SCDMV: how to request a collision report
- County sheriffs
- Who may request a report, and one South Carolina rule
- Two different reports: the officer's and yours
- What if the report has a mistake?
- Related guides
- Questions
- Sources
Last verified November 9, 2026 against the official pages listed under Sources. Fees, addresses and hours change; confirm with the agency before you pay. General information, not legal advice.
Step 1: Find out who investigated your crash
The officer at the scene should give you a card or slip with an agency name and a report number. If you did not get one, call the agency you think responded.
| If the crash was investigated by | Request it from | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Police Department (city streets inside Columbia) | CPD Records Unit | columbiapd.net Records Unit |
| South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCDPS) | SCDMV collision reports | SCDMV: Collision Reports; SCDPS's Resources page lists a "Request a Collision Report" [4] link to SCDMV under Traffic Collision Resources |
| Richland County Sheriff's Department or Lexington County Sheriff's Department | That sheriff's office | Richland County Sheriff / Lexington County Sheriff: Request Incident Report |
Which agency responds depends on where the crash happened. South Carolina law (§ 56-5-1260) says the driver of a vehicle in a crash with injury or death gives notice "to the local police department if such accident occurs within a municipality, otherwise to the office of the county sheriff or the nearest office of the South Carolina Highway Patrol." [7] Which agency covers a given road varies, so go by the agency named on the officer's card or call the agency.
Non-emergency number for City of Columbia dispatch: (803) 252-2911 (the number CPD's collision-reporting page gives; Richland County Sheriff's home page lists the same number). In an emergency, call 911 [2] [5].
Columbia Police Department: how to request
| Details | |
|---|---|
| In person | CPD Records Unit, 1 Justice Square (corner of Lincoln and Washington Streets), Columbia. Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except holidays. Bring a federal or state issued photo ID [1] [1] [1]. |
| By mail | CPD says that if you are out of town or unable to pick up in person, it will "mail the report to the address on the report (verification needed for processing)." [1] The page does not give a mailing address for requests, so call first. |
| Phone | 803-545-3577 (Records Unit main number) [1]. |
| Email or fax | CPD says it does not email or fax reports "due to privacy issues." [1] |
| Fee | Accident reports: $3.00 per report "(Regardless of Involvement)" [1] |
| Payment | Cash, check, or debit/credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover) [1] |
| Online | The Records Unit page does not list an online purchase portal for accident reports. |
| How long it takes | CPD does not give a time frame: "Once they have been submitted, reports must be approved by appropriate supervisors and if any changes must be made, the reports are sent back to the officer for correction." [1] Ask the Records Unit when yours will be ready. |
| Media | Media requests must go through CPD's Public Information Officer. |
| Redactions | CPD says all reports follow FOIA guidelines for privacy and "may be redacted and/or not releasable at this time." [1] |
SCDMV: how to request a collision report
SCDMV says: "If you were involved in a collision, you may request a copy of the collision report" [3] online or with its Request for Copy of Collision Report (Form FR-50) taken to any SCDMV branch office or mailed to the address on the form [3]. It also says the official copy "will not be available until it has been received and processed by the SCDMV." [3]
| Online | SCDMV branch | By mail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How | SCDMV online collision report request: enter your personal information to authenticate you, then information that identifies the collision | Complete the FR-50, sign both pages, and take it to any branch (find a branch) | Mail two copies of the FR-50 and a check or money order for $10 (no cash) to: SCDMV, Titles Mail-in Unit FR-50, PO Box 1498, Blythewood, SC 29016-0050 |
| Fee | The page does not state an online fee | You pay "the required research fee" [3] with cash, card, check or money order; the page does not state the amount | $10 per report |
| Limits | Collisions before March 22, 2012 cannot be requested online [3] |
If you have an out-of-state license or do not know your customer number, SCDMV says to call 803-896-5000; you may not be able to request online, but you can still request one "at any SCDMV branch office or through the mail with a check or money order for $10 per collision report." [3]
County sheriffs
- Richland County Sheriff's Department: 5623 Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC 29223; 803-576-3000; non-emergency 803-252-2911. Its Make or Request a Report page lists the kinds of incidents that can be reported by phone or online. For collision reports, call the department's non-emergency line and ask.
- Lexington County Sheriff's Department: Records Unit at headquarters, 521 Gibson Road, Lexington; (803) 785-8230. The Request Incident Report page says crime victims can receive a free incident report using an online form; other people "must do so by visiting the Sheriff's Department, and a small fee will be charged." [6] Online requests "may take up to three business days to process," [6] and the page does not mention collision reports specifically.
Call the sheriff's office to ask whether a collision report was written and how to get it.
Who may request a report, and one South Carolina rule
CPD says "Can anyone get a report? Yes per certain guidelines." [1] SCDMV's page is written for people "involved in a collision." [3] State law also says (S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1275) that "No person shall request any law enforcement agency to permit examination or to furnish a copy of any such report for commercial solicitation purposes," [7] and that a requester who is not law enforcement or a person named in the report must submit "a separate written request" [7] that states "the requestor's name, address, and the intended use of the report." [7] A person who knowingly makes a false statement in the request is subject to § 56-3-2520.
Two different reports: the officer's and yours
South Carolina has a separate written report that drivers and owners may have to file themselves. Under § 56-5-1270, when a crash causes injury, death, or apparent property damage of $1,000 or more and no officer investigated it, the operator or owner must send a written report and proof of liability insurance to the DMV within 15 days. CPD's collision-reporting page calls the form the FR-309. See Do you have to report a car accident in South Carolina?.
What if the report has a mistake?
CPD's Records Unit page says: "The person requesting the changes must go to the Telephone Response Unit (TRU) for any additions/changes to reports. Depending on what type of report, an officer at TRU may be able to update the report at that time or the requester may have to be put in contact with the original officer for such additions/changes." [1] The SCDMV pages do not post a correction process. What people can do:
- Write down exactly what is wrong and keep your own photos and notes.
- Contact the agency that wrote the report and ask how corrections are handled.
- Tell your insurer what you believe is inaccurate.
A person who disagrees with an officer's description of fault is a person to ask an attorney about. We cannot advise you on that. Note also that under § 56-5-1290, the reports required by §§ 56-5-1260 to 56-5-1280 may not be "evidence of the negligence or due care of either party at the trial of any action at law to recover damages." [7]
Sources
- Columbia Police Department: Records Unit (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“Location: 1 Justice Square (corner of Lincoln & Washington Streets)”“Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday – 8:30am – 5:00pm (except Holidays)”“must have Federal or State issued Photo ID”“mail the report to the address on the report (verification needed for processing)”“Main Numbers: 803-545-3577”“due to privacy issues”“Accident Reports $3.00 per report (Regardless of Involvement)”“Payment Methods: Cash, Check, Debit/Credit Card (Visa/MC/Amex/Discover)”“Once they have been submitted, reports must be approved by appropriate supervisors and if any changes must be made, the reports are sent back to the officer for correction”“may be redacted and/or not releasable at this time”“Can anyone get a report? Yes per certain guidelines”“The person requesting the changes must go to the Telephone Response Unit (TRU) for any additions/changes to reports. Depending on what type of report, an officer at TRU may be able to update the report at that time or the requester may have to be put in contact with the original officer for such additions/changes”“$3.00 per report (Regardless of Involvement)”
- Columbia Police Department: Private Property Collision Reporting (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“Call the City of Columbia's Non-Emergency Dispatch Center at (803) 252-2911”
- South Carolina DMV: Collision Reports (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“If you were involved in a collision, you may request a copy of the collision report”“will not be available until it has been received and processed by the SCDMV”“the required research fee”Where: Limitations for Requesting a Collision Report Online, first bullet“at any SCDMV branch office or through the mail with a check or money order for $10 per collision report”“involved in a collision”
- South Carolina Department of Public Safety: Resources (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“Request a Collision Report”“Request a Collision Report | SCDMV”
- Richland County Sheriff's Department (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER: 803-252-2911”
- Lexington County Sheriff's Department: Request Incident Report (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“must do so by visiting the Sheriff's Department, and a small fee will be charged”“may take up to three business days to process”
- S.C. Code of Laws, Title 56, Chapter 5 (§§ 56-5-1260, 56-5-1270, 56-5-1275, 56-5-1290), South Carolina Legislature (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“to the local police department if such accident occurs within a municipality, otherwise to the office of the county sheriff or the nearest office of the South Carolina Highway Patrol”“No person shall request any law enforcement agency to permit examination or to furnish a copy of any such report for commercial solicitation purposes”“a separate written request”“the requestor's name, address, and the intended use of the report”“evidence of the negligence or due care of either party at the trial of any action at law to recover damages”
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 much does a Columbia police accident report cost?
CPD lists "$3.00 per report (Regardless of Involvement)" [1] for accident reports. SCDMV charges $10 per report by mail (check or money order, no cash); the online price and the branch research fee are on the SCDMV collision reports page.
Can I get a Columbia crash report online?
SCDMV has an online request for collision reports (you enter personal information to authenticate, then information that identifies the collision). CPD's Records Unit page lists in-person and mail options, not an online store for accident reports.
How long does a crash report take?
CPD gives no time frame. SCDMV says the official copy "will not be available until it has been received and processed by the SCDMV." [3]
Can CPD email or fax my report?
No. CPD says it does not email or fax reports "due to privacy issues." [1] In person you need a federal or state issued photo ID; CPD will mail a report to the address on the report with verification.
What if the Highway Patrol wrote my report?
Use the SCDMV collision-report request; the SCDPS Resources page lists "Request a Collision Report | SCDMV." [4]
Who can get a report?
South Carolina law (§ 56-5-1275) says "No person shall request any law enforcement agency to permit examination or to furnish a copy of any such report for commercial solicitation purposes," [7] and a requester other than law enforcement or a person named in the report must submit "a separate written request" [7] stating "the requestor's name, address, and the intended use of the report." [7] CPD says reports "may be redacted and/or not releasable at this time." [1]
The state rules
Deadlines, fault and reports for all of South Carolina are in the South Carolina reference.
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