Who holds your South Carolina collision report
| If the crash was investigated by | Where to ask | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| SC Highway Patrol, a sheriff or a police department | The SCDMV, which receives the officer's report | SCDMV collision reports |
| City police (for example Columbia) | The department's records unit, and the SCDMV | Columbia guide |
| A county sheriff | The sheriff's office, and the SCDMV | Call the number on the officer's card |
By law the officer must forward a written report to the SCDMV within 24 hours of finishing the investigation, for crashes with injury, death or apparent property damage of $1,000 or more [3].
Request it from the SCDMV
| What the SCDMV says | |
|---|---|
| Online | Enter your personal information, then the collision details. Not available for collisions before March 22, 2012 [1]. |
| Out-of-state license or no customer number | Call 803-896-5000; "You may not be able to request a collision report 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." [1] |
| In person | Any SCDMV branch; pay the research fee "with cash, credit/debit card, check, or money order." [1] |
| By mail | Two copies of Form FR-50 and a check or money order for $10 (do not mail cash), to SCDMV, Titles Mail-in Unit FR-50, PO Box 1498, Blythewood, SC 29016-0050 [1]. |
| Fee | $10.00 per report by mail or at a branch (Form FR-50). The online price is shown on the SCDMV online request page [2]. |
| Wait | The SCDMV lists no turnaround. An official copy is not available "until it has been received and processed by the SCDMV." [1] |
Form FR-50 asks for the date of the collision, county, driver names and license numbers, your own license number and contact details; the FR-10 number, case number, claim or file number are given "if known" or "if applicable." [2] The SCDMV suggests that "the driver's names, driver license numbers, and the date of the collision be reviewed for accuracy." [2]
Rules on who may request a report
Under § 56-5-1275, "no employee of any law enforcement agency shall allow any person to examine or obtain a copy of any accident report or related investigative report when the employee knows or should reasonably know that the request for access to the report is for commercial solicitation purposes." [3] CrashFirst does not request or use accident reports.
Before you go or mail it
- For the online price, see the SCDMV online request page.
- To find out which agency covers a road, go by the agency named on the officer's card.
- The TR-310 instruction manual cited here is dated August 2012, so the form an agency uses today may differ.
Sources
- SCDMV: Collision Reports (South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“you must enter your personal information first”“You may not be able to request a collision report 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”“You may take your request into any SCDMV branch office and pay the required research fee with cash, credit/debit card, check, or money order”“and a check or money order for $10 (do not mail cash)”“The official copy will not be available until it has been received and processed by the SCDMV”“If you were involved in a collision, you may request a copy of the collision report”“If you were in a collision before March 22, 2012”“The collision report is more detailed than the report you received the day of the collision”
- SCDMV Form FR-50, Request for Copy of Collision Report (Rev. 01/2026) (checked November 9, 2026)Official sourceWhere: Form FR-50, Rev. 01/2026, instructionsWhere: Form FR-50, Collision, Driver and Requestor informationWhere: Form FR-50, Rev. 01/2026, opening paragraphWhere: Form FR-50, Report Information
- S.C. Code §§ 56-5-1260 to 56-5-1290, accident reports (South Carolina Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“within twenty-four hours after completing the investigation, must forward a written report of the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles”“no employee of any law enforcement agency shall allow any person to examine or obtain a copy of any accident report or related investigative report when the employee knows or should reasonably know that the request for access to the report is for commercial solicitation purposes”“All persons, except law enforcement personnel and persons named in the report, shall be required to submit a separate written request to the law enforcement agency for each report”
- S.C. Code § 30-4-30, Freedom of Information Act: right to inspect or copy public records (South Carolina Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“A person has a right to inspect, copy, or receive an electronic transmission of any public record of a public body, except as otherwise provided by Section 30-4-40, or other state and federal laws”
- SCDPS Traffic Collision Report Form (TR-310) Instruction Manual, Rev. 8/2012 (hosted by NHTSA) (checked November 9, 2026)Official sourceWhere: TR-310 manual Rev. 8/2012, item (22) FR-10 NumberWhere: TR-310 manual Rev. 8/2012, item (60) Internal Agency Code
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 my South Carolina crash report online?
The SCDMV says "If you were involved in a collision, you may request a copy of the collision report online" or on Form FR-50 at a branch or by mail [1]. Online, you enter your personal information first so the SCDMV can confirm who is asking, then information that identifies the collision [1]. Collisions before March 22, 2012 cannot be requested online [1].
How much does a South Carolina crash report cost and how long does it take?
$10.00 per report: Form FR-50 says "The request fee is $10.00 per report," and the SCDMV page gives "$10 per collision report" by check or money order [2]. The SCDMV lists no turnaround time. It says an official copy is available only once the report "has been received and processed by the SCDMV." [1] The online price is shown on the SCDMV online request page. Columbia Police Department charges its own $3.00 (see the Columbia guide).
Which agency (city, county or state) holds my report?
The investigating officer's agency writes it, then sends it to the SCDMV: an officer who investigates a crash with injury, death or apparent property damage of $1,000 or more must, within 24 hours, "forward a written report of the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles." [3] So the SCDMV is the statewide place to ask, and the city police, county sheriff or Highway Patrol that investigated may also give you a copy. The SCDMV notes the collision report "is more detailed than the report you received the day of the collision." [1]
Where is the report number on a South Carolina police report, and what if I don't have it?
Form FR-50 asks for the collision date, county and driver names and license numbers, and the FR-10 number and case number only "if known." [2] The SCDPS manual says the FR-10 numbers are in the top left of the unit section of each report, printed in red and prefaced with a letter and a hyphen (paper form, Rev. 8/2012) [5]. Some agencies also give their own internal case number [5].
Who can get an accident report in South Carolina?
The SCDMV page is addressed to people involved in the collision. Section 56-5-1275 adds that no one may request an accident report for commercial solicitation, and "All persons, except law enforcement personnel and persons named in the report, shall be required to submit a separate written request to the law enforcement agency for each report," stating the requestor's name, address and intended use [3]. South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act separately says "A person has a right to inspect, copy, or receive an electronic transmission of any public record of a public body, except as otherwise provided by Section 30-4-40, or other state and federal laws." [4] See are police reports public record.
Keep reading
- City guide
How to get a Columbia, SC police crash report
How to get a Columbia, South Carolina police or Highway Patrol crash report: CPD Records ($3.00), SCDMV online, branch or mail (FR-50). Checked Nov 2026.
Open - State reference
Do you have to report a car accident in South Carolina?
South Carolina requires you to stop, give information, and notify police if anyone is hurt, plus a written DMV report in some cases. Statute text and penalties.
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.
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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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South Carolina statute of limitations for car accident injury claims
South Carolina gives three years for most injury claims after a crash, counted from when you knew of the claim. Exact statute text, wrongful death and government claims.
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