If the Dallas Police Department (DPD) handled your car accident, start with DPD’s Records Section. DPD says accident reports can be requested by mail or in person, and you should have the name of someone involved plus the car accident location or date; a police service number is helpful. DPD says reports are usually available five to seven working days after the car accident. [2]
There is no DPD car accident-report download in the Dallas Police Public Data Viewer. The City’s viewer says vehicle car accident reports must be obtained by mail or in person. [3] You may also be able to purchase the Texas Peace Officer’s Car accident Report (CR-3) through TxDOT’s official Car accident Report Online Purchase System. TxDOT is the statewide custodian of Texas car accident records and sends reports bought through that system by email. [5]
Important correction note: Official sources reviewed for this guide do not publish a Dallas public form or step-by-step procedure for a person to change a completed car accident report. TxDOT’s instructions say that when a previously sent report must be amended or supplemented, the investigator submits a new report marked as a supplemental report; the CR-3 is for law-enforcement and TxDOT use. [6][7] This guide therefore replaces the proposed “Dallas car accident-report correction” article with the verified procedure for getting the report and seeking the correct agency’s guidance about a possible error.
This guide applies only when Dallas Police Department handled the car accident. A Dallas address, mailing address, or Census place identifier does not establish which agency investigated a particular car accident. For a car accident handled by a different agency, ask that agency for its record and error procedure. [1][4]
Quick checklist
- Confirm that DPD took the report. Keep the police service number if you have it. If you do not, gather the name of a person involved and the car accident date and location. [2]
- Allow for processing. DPD says accident reports are usually available five to seven working days after the car accident. [2]
- Use DPD’s stated access route. Request the report by mail or in person; do not expect it to appear in the Dallas Police Public Data Viewer. [2][3]
- Consider TxDOT’s official purchase system. TxDOT is the state custodian for car accident records and provides an online purchase link for CR-3 copies. [5]
- Read the report before asking about an error. Mark the exact item you believe is wrong and preserve the copy you received. Do not alter the report yourself.
The verified Dallas and Texas procedures
1. Request the report from Dallas Police Records
DPD’s current Types of Records page says an accident report may be requested through the mail or in person at its customer-service window. It lists the name of a person involved and either the car accident location or car accident date as the information needed; a police service number is helpful. The page states that reports are usually available five to seven working days after the car accident and lists a $6 fee for a mail or in-person accident-report request. Use DPD’s official page for the current instructions before you travel or mail a request. [2]
The Dallas Police Public Data Viewer has a different purpose: it makes certain offense and arrest information available, but it expressly says there are no car accident reports online and directs people to obtain them by mail or in person. [3]
DPD describes its Records Section as the unit that maintains, processes, and releases official police records, including accident (CR-3) reports and insurance-related copies. [4]
2. Use TxDOT’s official CR-3 purchase route when it fits
TxDOT says it is the custodian of Texas car accident records. Its Car accident Report Online Purchase System is the official state route to obtain a Texas Peace Officer’s Car accident Report (CR-3); TxDOT says customers receive a purchased report by email. Car accident reports are not available for the general public to view online because they are confidential. [5]
TxDOT’s page identifies people and entities who may receive a report on written request and payment, including people involved in the car accident, vehicle owners, certain insurers, and other listed parties. It says a customer who does not meet the listed criteria may receive a redacted copy. The same page currently lists $6 for a regular copy and $8 for a certified copy, with possible additional credit-card processing fees. Confirm the current options and charges on TxDOT’s page before purchase. [5]
3. If you need an existing City record beyond the ordinary report request
The City of Dallas says a public-information request must be in writing, include enough detail for the City to identify and locate the record, and include the requester’s contact information. The City’s open-records material says the process is for copies of existing records and does not require the City to create a record that does not exist. [8]
This is a route for an existing City record, not a way to create a car accident report or rewrite one. The City directs requests to its Open Records Manager or City Secretary’s Office and says a requester should cooperate with reasonable clarification requests. [9]
If you believe the car accident report has an error
First, obtain and keep a readable copy. Identify the report or service number, the exact field or statement you question, and the information you believe supports your concern. This is a practical way to make a focused inquiry; it is not an official Dallas correction-form requirement.
Information to have ready
For the ordinary DPD report request, have:
- the name of a person involved;
- the car accident location or date; and
- the police service number, if available. [2]
For a written City open-records request, the City says to provide enough detail to identify and locate the existing records and to include your name, address, and telephone number. [8][9]
For an error inquiry, keep your report copy and a short, dated explanation of the particular point you want the investigating agency to consider.
If the normal route fails
The report is not available yet. DPD says accident reports are usually available five to seven working days after the car accident. If that period has not passed, the report may still be processing. [2]
The Dallas Police Public Data Viewer has no report. That is expected for a car accident report. The City’s viewer says car accident reports are not online; use DPD’s mail/in-person process or the official TxDOT purchase system instead. [3][5]
You are unsure DPD was the investigating agency. Do not assume a Dallas address means DPD has the record. Confirm which agency investigated the car accident, then use that agency’s record route. This article does not establish jurisdiction for incidents outside DPD’s responsibility. [1][4]
You need more than the ordinary copy request. A written City open-records request can seek existing City records, but the City says that process does not require the City to create a record. It is not a substitute for an investigator’s supplemental-report process. [8][9]
You are challenging an officer’s factual account, contributing-factor entry, or narrative. The official sources reviewed do not supply a public Dallas appeal or correction procedure. Request guidance from the investigating agency, retain your own documents, and consider qualified legal advice if the issue materially affects an insurance claim or legal rights. Do not rely on this page to determine fault or a legal deadline.
More AccidentFiling.ai resources
Browse Accident Guides and Official Accident Resources. These are general starting points; use the cited agency or regulator for an official process.
What changes for a car accident
Use this version when a private passenger car is involved. The official reporting or record-request procedure below is still controlled by the crash location, investigating agency, and the facts of the event—not by the wording “car accident.”
For insurance, start with the applicable personal auto policy and the insurance rules of the crash state. Save the declarations page, insurance cards, claim number, repair estimates, and insurer communications.
- Confirm which agency investigated or holds the report.
- Keep the other vehicle and driver information with the report number.
- Keep police, motor-vehicle agency, and insurer tasks as separate checklist items.
Browse the Car Accident Guides collection for related pages.
Accident-type official sources
- Auto Insurance — National Association of Insurance Commissioners
Official sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau, Gazetteer Files and the 2026 National Places Gazetteer record for Dallas city, Texas, GEOID 4819000. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html and https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2026_Gazetteer/2026_Gaz_place_national.zip
[2] Dallas Police Department, Types of Records, “Accident.” https://www.dallaspolice.net/division/recordssection/types-of-reports
[3] Dallas Police Public Data, Access Arrest & Offense Reports Online, “Disclaimer and Restriction of Use.” https://www3.dallascityhall.com/publicdata/
[4] Dallas Police Department, Records Introduction, “Services” and “How to Request Records.” https://www.dallaspolice.net/division/recordssection
[5] Texas Department of Transportation, Crash reports and records, “Crash Report Online Purchase System,” “Required information,” and “Costs.” https://www.txdot.gov/data-maps/crash-reports-records.html
[6] Texas Department of Transportation, Crash records forms for law enforcement, “Crash reports” and “Texas crash report forms.” https://www.txdot.gov/data-maps/crash-reports-records/forms-law-enforcement.html
[7] Texas Department of Transportation, Instructions to Police for Reporting Crashes, CR-100, Version 29.0 (June 4, 2025), §5.0 “Supplement Reports.” https://www.txdot.gov/content/dam/docs/division/trf/crash-records/cr100-v29.pdf
[8] City of Dallas City Secretary’s Office, Open Records, “Open Records.” https://dallascityhall.com/government/citysecretary/Pages/OpenRecords.aspx
[9] City of Dallas City Secretary’s Office, Contacts & Complaints, “To request information from this governmental body.” https://dallascityhall.com/government/citysecretary/openrecords/Pages/contacts.aspx
Authorship, update, and review status
Authorship and update: Prepared by the AccidentFiling.ai editorial team from official U.S. Census Bureau, Dallas Police Department, City of Dallas, and TxDOT sources checked September 11, 2026. AccidentFiling.ai is an independent information resource; it is not Dallas Police, the City of Dallas, TxDOT, an insurer, or a government filing service. Public resources above are available without an AccidentFiling.ai form.