Georgia Crash Reports: State Patrol, BuyCrash and Insurance Rules
Who has your crash report, what drivers must report, insurance rules and traffic deaths in Georgia.
That means one trip can take you through a city, into a county with its own police department, and onto a highway patrolled by state troopers. So, if you are trying to track down a crash report, it is essential to know where the collision happened. The agency that handled the crash, and where you need to request the report, can change depending on which part of the trip went wrong.
Who Has Your Georgia Crash Report
The agency that answered the call has your report. City police take crashes inside city limits, and outside them the Georgia State Patrol or the county sheriff responds. In Gwinnett and DeKalb counties, the county police department patrols the unincorporated areas and takes those reports.
Reports are also in one statewide database. The Georgia Department of Transportation stores the state’s crash reports and sends people to BuyCrash to buy police crash reports online, where the search lets you pick all Georgia agencies at once. To find yours, enter a last name from the report and the crash date, plus the report number, a VIN, or a driver’s license number.
State Patrol reports. Troopers have three days to complete a crash report under State Patrol policy, and the report is released only after a supervisor approves it. Ask the State Patrol post that worked the crash, or send an Open Records Request form to the Department of Public Safety’s Open Records Unit, 959 United Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30316. The department may bill you for the copy under the Open Records Act.
By mail from GDOT. Send the GDOT crash report request form to the Crash Reporting Unit, 935 United Ave. SE, Building 24, Atlanta, GA 30316. A report costs $5, or $7 certified, paid by money order or cashier’s check. Mailed requests for a GDOT crash report take at least two weeks to process.
Georgia limits crash reports to people with a need under the Open Records Act section 50-18-72: the drivers and anyone with a personal or business connection to them, owners of damaged property, injured people, witnesses, insurers, people accused of causing the crash, prosecutors and police, government agencies and the news media.
Researchers can get reports older than 60 days with names, addresses, phone numbers, and license numbers removed.
Don’t want to deal with the forms, or not sure which agency took your report? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.
Police Reports From Major Georgia Departments
City and county departments release their own copies at the counter, and seven of the eight below also point to BuyCrash for online copies:
| Agency | How to request | Fee |
| Atlanta Police Department | Public Safety Annex, 3493 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy NW, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., or BuyCrash | $0.10 per page in person; $11 online |
| Gwinnett County Police | Any of seven police locations, usually four business days after the report is taken, or BuyCrash | $5 in person |
| Cobb County Police | Police 2 Citizen online for people involved; people involved at any precinct or headquarters, others at headquarters; or by mail to Central Records, 545 S. Fairground St., Marietta | Free for involved parties; $5 for people not involved |
| DeKalb County Police | Police Records, 1960 W. Exchange Place, Tucker, in person or by mail, or BuyCrash; ready in 3 to 5 business days | $5 in person or by mail |
| Fulton County Police | 130 Peachtree Street SW, Atlanta, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or BuyCrash | Set at request |
| Savannah Police Department | Records Unit, Northwest Precinct, 602 East Lathrop Ave., weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or BuyCrash; up to 3 business days | Set at request; email delivery adds no cost |
| Richmond County Sheriff (Augusta) | 400 Walton Way, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or BuyCrash; usually 3 to 5 days | $11 online; 10 cents a page in person |
| Columbus Police Department | Desk Services in the Public Safety Building lobby (mail: 510 10th Street), or BuyCrash | $11 online |
Cobb County’s own page sends people involved in a crash to its Police 2 Citizen portal for online copies.
What Georgia Drivers Must Report
Under the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) section 40-6-273, the driver in any crash that injures or kills someone, or causes apparent property damage of $500 or more, must report it immediately by the quickest means available. Inside a city, that call goes to the city police. Outside a city, it goes to the county sheriff or the nearest State Patrol office.
Georgia Insurance Rules After a Crash
Every Georgia policy must carry at least $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 per crash, and $25,000 for property damage, according to the Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner. Georgia is an at-fault state with no personal injury protection requirement, so the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other side’s losses.
Uninsured motorist coverage comes with every policy unless you turn it down in writing under O.C.G.A. section 33-7-11. It is “added-on” coverage, paying on top of the other driver’s insurance, unless you pick the “reduced-by” version in writing, which pays only the amount above it.
Fault can be split. Under O.C.G.A. section 51-12-33, your damages shrink by your share of the blame, and a person found 50% or more at fault recovers nothing. Since April 21, 2025, when the tort reform law SB 68 was signed, a jury may also hear whether you were wearing a seat belt when it weighs fault, and the change reached cases already pending that day.
Georgia Traffic Deaths by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 1,307 (early estimate), down 6.8% | 2025 | NHTSA |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 1,403 | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Pedestrians killed | 286 | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Deaths in crashes with an alcohol-impaired driver | 325 (23%) | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Motorcyclists killed | 182 | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Suspected serious injuries | 7,950, down 3% | 2024 | Governor’s Office of Highway Safety |
The 2025 count is NHTSA’s early estimate, published in April 2026, and it may change when final data comes out. Pedestrians made up about one in five Georgia traffic deaths in 2024.
Georgia Crash Guides by City and County
At Local Accident Reports, we cover crashes across the country. That means going county by county, and then city by city, focusing on car crashes, motorcycle wrecks, commercial and residential fires, and every other kind of accident happening in every corner of the nation.
Georgia is no exception. With 159 counties and 535 municipalities, there are crashes to report every single day, and that’s what we do. But we don’t stop there. We don’t just want to tell drivers and commuters when and where a crash happened. We also want to help people get to know the cities they drive in, including the most important roads and the most dangerous intersections, so they have a clear picture of what to expect behind the wheel.
Here you’ll find the latest accidents across Georgia’s counties and communities, along with guides to some of the state’s most important cities.
City crash guides: Newnan, GA
County accident news: Fulton County · Chatham County · Coweta County · Cobb County · DeKalb County · Bibb County · Richmond County · Gwinnett County
Compare nearby states: Southeast crash reports and car accident laws by state · No-fault states and insurance minimums in all 50 states
Questions about getting, reading or correcting a police report? See our accident report FAQ.
Intersections and road stretches with high crash counts from 2018 to 2022 are listed on our Georgia dangerous intersections page.
Help After a Crash
- Local Accident Reports. After a crash, we can connect you with local help, from doctors and body shops to injury attorneys. Contact our team.
- Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program Run by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, it pays up to $25,000 for expenses and lost income or support for victims of crimes. Covered crimes include hit and run, homicide by vehicle, serious injury by vehicle, and DUI, and the crime generally must be reported to police within 72 hours. (404) 657-1956 or toll-free (877) 231-6590.
- MADD Georgia Free support for people hurt by drunk or drugged drivers and for families who lost someone. 24-hour help line: 877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435).
- Georgia trauma centers The Department of Public Health’s 2026 list names six adult Level I trauma centers in Atlanta, Augusta, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, and Savannah.
- 911. Call 911 after a crash for support.
Georgia Crash Questions
How do I get a Georgia State Patrol accident report?
Contact the State Patrol post that worked the crash, or send an Open Records Request form to the Department of Public Safety’s Open Records Unit in Atlanta. Troopers have three days to complete the report, and it is released once a supervisor approves it. Georgia law limits who may get a copy, and the department may bill you for it under the Open Records Act.
Can I get any Georgia crash report on BuyCrash?
BuyCrash lets you search reports from all Georgia agencies at once, and GDOT, which stores the state’s crash reports, sends buyers there. You need a last name from the report, the crash date, and the report number, a VIN, or a driver’s license number. Only people with a legal need, such as drivers, injured people, owners, and insurers, can get a report.
Is Georgia a no-fault state?
No. Georgia is an at-fault state with no personal injury protection requirement. The at-fault driver’s liability insurance pays the other side’s losses, and a person found 50% or more at fault cannot recover.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Georgia?
Two years for injury claims under O.C.G.A. section 9-3-33, and two years from the date of death for wrongful death claims. A claim against a city needs written notice within six months (section 36-33-5), and claims against a county (section 36-11-1) or the state (section 50-21-26) need notice within 12 months.
Recent Georgia Crash Coverage
Fatal Crash on GA-20 at Woods Rd in Rome, GA
Pedestrian Critically Injured in Tractor-Trailer Crash in Rome, GA
Three Hospitalized, One Airlifted After Head-On Crash on Roosevelt Hwy in Atlanta, GA
Fatal Pedestrian Crash on Church St in Marietta, GA
Multi-Vehicle Crash on I-75 SB Involving MARTA Bus in Clayton Co, GA
The full archive is at Georgia accident news, and recent accident alerts follow new crashes nationwide as they are reported.
Local Accident Reports compiles this information from public agency sources and published reports for general reference. It is not legal advice and is not an official police record. Fees, forms and deadlines change, so confirm with the agency before you send a request. Last updated October 2026.