Dover, New Hampshire local guide: This city page applies the state and national guidance and official resources below to people looking for accident information in Dover, New Hampshire. The agency responsible for a police report or records request can depend on where the incident occurred and which agency investigated it. Confirm the agency shown on the report or incident information before requesting a record.
Short answer
For a reportable New Hampshire motor-vehicle motorcycle accident, request the state-level report from the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles (NH DMV), Department of Safety. The DMV directs requesters to the Release of Motor Vehicle Records (DSMV 505) form. Its stated copy fee is $1 per page, with a $5 minimum. NH DMV accident-report instructions
DMV says an agency may take several weeks to submit a police accident report. If the investigating local agency’s report is not at DMV, ask that agency for the report it prepared. State law permits a political-subdivision law-enforcement agency to release its own reports to eligible participants, insurers, and authorized representatives. RSA 260:14, VII-a
Immediate checklist
- Gather the motorcycle accident date, street or route, and city or town; DSMV 505 asks for the date and location.
- Keep the case number, investigating agency, and officer name if known.
- Have the record holder’s name and address plus any available driver-license/ID number, plate, or VIN.
- Complete and sign DSMV 505, selecting “An accident report” and the requester category that fits.
- Confirm the current submission method and total cost with DMV.
- If the report is not at DMV, ask the local investigating agency for its copy.
Who reports what after a motorcycle accident
A request for a copy is different from filing a report. The official sources distinguish the following duties and records.
| Category | Official rule or process | Practical distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Calling or notifying police | A driver must stop and exchange specified information after a motorcycle accident involving death, injury, or property damage. If a recipient cannot receive it, give it to an officer who arrives or immediately to the nearest police station. RSA 264:25 | The reviewed sources do not say police must be called for every motorcycle accident. |
| Investigating officer report | An investigator handling a reportable motorcycle accident must forward the uniform report within five days after completing the investigation. RSA 264:26 | This is not a five-day public-availability promise. |
| Driver/operator report | A driver, or owner of an illegally parked involved vehicle, must report in writing within 15 days if someone was injured or killed or property damage exceeds $1,000—unless police investigated, in which case the officer report satisfies the requirement. RSA 264:25 | When police did not investigate, DMV directs the operator to file the DSMV 400 Operator’s Report. |
| DMV record request | DMV says an investigating officer submits the DSMV 159 Uniform Police Traffic Accident Report, while the operator report is used where police did not investigate. NH DMV instructions | Use DSMV 505 to ask for a copy; do not confuse it with DSMV 400, which is a filing form. |
| Insurance verification or insurer notice | DMV describes insurance verification when police responded or investigated and insurance information is unavailable. NH DMV instructions | This is separate from a report-copy request. The reviewed sources do not state a general deadline for notifying a private insurer. |
| Public-entity notice and lawsuit deadlines | The official DMV pages and motorcycle accident-report statutes cited here do not state a public-entity claim-notice deadline or civil lawsuit deadline. | A report-request or filing timeframe should not be used as a deadline for another type of claim. |
How to request the state-level record
Begin at the NH DMV Accident Reports page, which links to the current DSMV 505, Release of Motor Vehicle Records form. Mark “An accident report,” provide the date and location, and complete the requester and record-holder information that applies.
A record holder or vehicle owner can identify that status. A requester with another record holder’s approval needs notarized authorization. The form also names limited organizational requester types, including insurers or agents, licensed private investigators, banks or lienholders, tow companies, certain employers, public utilities, and law firms/lawyers; they must identify an authorized use and may need a certificate of authority. DSMV 505 Under the statute, a person has access to motor-vehicle records relating to that person upon proof of identity; other release routes have statutory conditions. RSA 260:14
The Accident Reports page says DSMV 505 is submitted through the Concord Drop Box only and says a mailed request may include a $5 check. DSMV 505 separately lists mail to NH DMV, 23 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03305, and in-person submission with qualifying photo identification. Because the official sources differ, follow the current Accident Reports page or confirm the method before sending an original request. DMV lists NH.DMVHelp@dos.nh.gov and (603) 227-4010 for report-cost or release questions. NH DMV accident-report instructions
The stated fee is $1 per page, $5 minimum. No routine fixed waiting period is stated for every report, and the DMV cautions that police submission can take several weeks. For a fatal motorcycle accident, the DMV FAQ says that, if the report has been released, the requester should receive it within 30 working days. It also says the report may not be available for several months while it is completed or while a county attorney has not released it pending litigation. NH DMV Accident Records FAQs
Documents and identifiers to gather
Have your name, mailing address, phone number, signature, motorcycle accident date and location, record holder’s name and address, and any available driver-license/ID number, plate, or VIN/HIN. State your relationship or authorized purpose. A request for another record holder requires the form’s notarized authorization. The form says checks are payable to “State of NH – DMV” when using its listed mail option and warns against false representations. DSMV 505
If the report is unavailable or held elsewhere
First determine whether the report is delayed or whether no police report was created. If police did not investigate and the motorcycle accident met the injury, death, or property-damage threshold, the relevant state filing route is the DMV Operator’s Report (DSMV 400), not a DSMV 505 copy request.
For a locally investigated motorcycle accident, contact the investigating agency’s records unit. RSA 260:14 permits it to release its report to an owner, operator, passenger, pedestrian hit by a vehicle, damaged-property owner, an insurer, or an authorized legal representative; it may charge a reasonable fee. RSA 260:14, VII-a Ask about its request form, identification, fee, and release status; no single procedure applies to every agency.
For a fatal-motorcycle accident report, ask DMV whether it has been released before expecting a copy. For document-preservation steps, see the motorcycle accident evidence checklist and the site’s guides.
Official resources
- NH DMV: Accident Reports
- NH DMV: Release of Motor Vehicle Records (DSMV 505)
- NH DMV: Accident Records FAQs
- New Hampshire RSA 264:25: Conduct After Accident
- New Hampshire RSA 264:26: Uniform Police Investigation Report of Accident
- New Hampshire RSA 260:14: Records and Certification
What changes when a motorcycle is involved
Use this version when a motorcycle is involved. The police or state report procedure below remains controlled by jurisdiction and crash facts, but the evidence and insurance file should identify the motorcycle, riding equipment, rider and passenger roles, and motorcycle-specific damage.
Motorcycle insurance is written for motorcycle risks. Required and optional coverage, claim handling, and proof-of-insurance rules vary by state and policy.
- Preserve motorcycle VIN, plate, tow or storage location, and photographs from multiple angles.
- Keep damaged helmet and protective-gear information with the event records when relevant.
- Use the state insurance department for current coverage questions or complaints.
Browse the Motorcycle Accident Guides collection for related pages.
Accident-type official sources
- Motorcycles — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- State Insurance Departments — National Association of Insurance Commissioners
Sources
- New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles, “Accidents Reports”.
- New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles, “Release of Motor Vehicle Records,” DSMV 505 (Rev. 6/26).
- New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles, “Accident Records FAQs”.
- New Hampshire General Court, RSA 264:25, “Conduct After Accident”.
- New Hampshire General Court, RSA 264:26, “Uniform Police Investigation Report of Accident”.
- New Hampshire General Court, RSA 260:14, “Records and Certification”.