Iowa Accident Reports: State Patrol, DOT and Local Police
Who has your crash report, what drivers must report, insurance rules and traffic deaths in Iowa.
With so much traffic moving along these routes, crashes happen on interstates, local roads, and everywhere in between. The Iowa State Patrol handles crash reports across the state, but city police departments and county sheriffs investigate crashes within their own jurisdictions, too. So, if you need a copy of an accident report, where the crash happened and which agency responded will determine where you need to request it.
Who Has Your Iowa State Patrol Accident Report
The agency whose officer worked your crash wrote the report: the Iowa State Patrol, a city police department, or a county sheriff’s office. Every one of those reports also ends up at the Iowa Department of Transportation, because Iowa Code 321.266 requires investigating officers to send their reports to Iowa DOT within 24 hours of finishing an investigation.
Iowa State Patrol crash reports are posted on the State Patrol’s crash report site, which carries reports the patrol produces anywhere in Iowa. Viewing a posted report costs nothing. You can search by date, by county (from a list or a map), or by crash type: non-injury, injury, or fatality, and a blank search shows every State Patrol crash report from the past 15 days.
Reports stay on the site for 15 days. For an older one, contact the Iowa State Patrol district office during normal business hours; no fee is posted for those copies.
Iowa DOT copies work for a report from any agency. Mail the signed Request for Copy of Investigating Officer’s Report of an Accident Form with $4 to Iowa DOT, P.O. Box 9204, Des Moines, IA 50306-9204.
State law releases these reports only to people involved in the crash, their attorneys, and insurance companies or agents, and Iowa DOT keeps the $4 even when no report is on file. Drivers can also order copies of their own driver-filed accident reports from the past 10 years for $0.50 each, with the Privacy Act Agreement form and a copy of their license or ID.
Not sure which agency took your report, or would you rather skip the forms? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.
Police Reports From Iowa Cities and Sheriffs
The State Patrol site posts the patrol’s own reports. A crash worked by city police or a sheriff’s deputy goes through that agency’s records office, so start with the department that responded:
| Agency | How to request | Fee |
| Des Moines Police | CrashDocs online with the report number, last name and crash date, or in person at 25 E. 1st St.; ready in 5 to 7 business days; fatal crash reports in person only | Set at request |
| Cedar Rapids Police | Records Division online request form, or call 319-286-5350; full reports go to drivers, owners and their insurers or attorneys | $5 |
| Davenport Police | LexisNexis online, any time | $15 |
| Sioux City Police | Front desk at 601 Douglas St., or CrashDocs online; driver exchange reports are free | $10 |
| Council Bluffs Police | Police Records, ready the next business day; online ordering also offered | $10 |
| Polk County Sheriff | Call 515-286-3313, or visit or write to 5995 NE 14th St., Des Moines; you are invoiced before release | $5, plus $0.25 a page over 10 pages |
| Scott County Sheriff | CrashDocs online (5 to 7 business days), or in person or by mail with a stamped return envelope at 400 W. 4th St., Davenport | Paper copy free to people involved; $5 for attorneys, insurers and others |
| Johnson County Sheriff | In person at 511 S. Capitol St., Iowa City, or in writing with a stamped return envelope, for crashes the Sheriff investigated | $5, cash or check |
Des Moines, Sioux City and the Scott County Sheriff sell reports through CrashDocs, and Davenport uses LexisNexis. Des Moines does not put fatal crash reports or reports still under investigation online.
What Iowa Drivers Must Report
Under Iowa Code 321.266, the driver in a crash that injures or kills someone must give notice immediately, by the quickest means available, to the county sheriff, the nearest State Patrol office, or another peace officer near the scene.
When no law enforcement agency investigates, the driver must also send Iowa DOT a written report within 72 hours if the crash caused injury, death, or at least $1,500 in total property damage. That report is the Iowa Accident Report Form (Form 433002).
Mail pages 3 and 4 to the Iowa DOT P.O. Box above, with the insurance section on page four filled in. Iowa DOT says a form not returned within 72 hours can lead to suspension of your driving privileges, and a blank insurance section can cost both driving and registration privileges.
Iowa Insurance Rules After a Crash
Iowa Code 321A.1 sets minimum liability coverage at $20,000 for injury or death of one person, $40,000 for two or more people, and $15,000 for property damage in one crash. Under Iowa Code 321.20B, nobody may drive on Iowa highways without liability coverage in effect, and drivers must carry proof of it on paper or electronically. Driving without it can bring a citation, removal of the plates and registration, or impoundment.
Every auto liability policy issued in Iowa must include uninsured, hit-and-run and underinsured motorist coverage at limits at least equal to the $20,000 and $40,000 minimums, unless the named insured rejects it in writing under Iowa Code 516A.1. A policyholder can reject all of it, only the uninsured and hit-and-run part, or only the underinsured part.
Iowa Code 668.3 sets how fault affects a damage claim. A person who was partly at fault can still recover, with damages cut by their own share of the fault. Recovery is barred only when that person’s share is greater than the combined share of the defendants, third-party defendants and released parties, so someone found exactly 50% at fault is not barred.
Iowa Traffic Deaths by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 259 | 2025 | Iowa DOT |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 357 | 2024 | Iowa DOT |
| Pedestrians killed | 30, against 31 in 2024 | 2025 | Iowa DOT |
| Motorcyclists killed | 37, against 64 in 2024 | 2025 | Iowa DOT |
| Traffic deaths so far this year | 224 through Oct. 14, against 217 at the same point in 2025 | 2026 | Iowa DOT |
| Deaths in crashes with an alcohol-impaired driver | 119 (33%) | 2024 | NHTSA |
Iowa DOT called the 2025 total the lowest on record for the state. More than half of the people killed in 2025 were not wearing seat belts, and lane departure is the top cause of traffic deaths in Iowa, according to the department.
Iowa 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.
Iowa is no exception. With 99 counties and 947 cities, 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 Iowa’s counties and communities, along with guides to some of the state’s most important cities.
City crash guides: Cedar Rapids, IA · Des Moines, IA
County accident news: Polk County · Linn County · Pottawattamie County · Des Moines County · Scott County · Black Hawk County · Dubuque County · Cerro Gordo County
Compare nearby states: Midwest 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.
Specific intersections and road stretches are covered on our Iowa 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.
- Iowa Crime Victim Compensation Program Run by the Victim Assistance Section of the Iowa Attorney General’s office, it helps pay medical, funeral, counseling, and lost-wage costs for people hurt by drunk, hit-and-run, or reckless drivers and for families in vehicular homicide cases. The crash must be reported to police within 72 hours unless there is good cause, and you apply within two years; no charges need to be filed. 800-373-5044.
- Trauma centers. Iowa has 121 verified trauma centers. Level I centers include UnityPoint Health Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines and University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City, per Iowa HHS.
Iowa Crash Questions
How do I get an Iowa State Patrol accident report?
Look it up on the State Patrol’s crash report site, accidentreports.iowa.gov, where viewing a report is free. Search by date, county, or crash type. Reports stay posted for 15 days; after that, contact the Iowa State Patrol district office, or order a copy from Iowa DOT by mail for $4 if you were involved in the crash.
How do I get an accident report from Iowa DOT?
Mail the signed Request for Copy of Investigating Officer’s Report of an Accident Form and $4 to Iowa DOT, P.O. Box 9204, Des Moines, IA 50306-9204. It covers a report from any police agency, but only people involved in the crash, their attorneys, and insurers may get one. The fee is kept even if no report exists.
How does fault work after an Iowa car crash?
Under Iowa Code 668.3, a person who shares the blame for a crash can still recover damages, reduced by their own percentage of fault. They lose the claim only if their share is greater than the combined fault of the defendants, third-party defendants, and released parties. Iowa drivers must carry at least $20,000, $40,000, and $15,000 in liability coverage.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Iowa?
Two years for injury claims under Iowa Code 614.1(2), and five years for property damage under 614.1(4). A claim against the State of Iowa must be filed in writing with the Department of Management within two years under Iowa Code 669.13. A lawsuit against a city or county must start within two years under Iowa Code 670.5.
Recent Iowa Crash Coverage
Fatal Rear-End Crash on Hwy 2 in Bloomfield, IA
Two Killed in Small Plane Crash North of Hamburg, IA
Woman Dies After Car Crash on E. University Ave in Des Moines, IA
Motorcyclist Injured in Crash on N Broadway in Council Bluffs, IA
One Hurt in Two-Vehicle Crash on 76th Ave SW Near Cedar Rapids, IA
The full archive is at Iowa accident news, and recent accident alerts track new crashes nationwide as they come in.
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.