Louisiana Crash Reports: State Police, Fees and Insurance Rules
Who has your crash report, what drivers must report, insurance rules and traffic deaths in Louisiana.
I-10 runs along the southern part of the state, connecting Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans between the Texas and Mississippi lines. Meanwhile, I-12 connects Baton Rouge to Slidell through Hammond, while I-20 carries traffic between Shreveport and Monroe in the north. I-49 also provides a route from Lafayette to Shreveport, passing through Alexandria along the way.
Beyond the interstate system, two toll routes stand out: the 24-mile Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which has its own police department, and the LA 1 expressway leading toward Grand Isle and Port Fourchon.
With so many roads and agencies involved, figuring out where to get a crash report can depend on exactly where the accident happened. State troopers, city police, parish sheriffs, and Causeway Police all respond to crashes in their respective jurisdictions, so knowing which agency handled yours is the first step toward getting a copy of the report.
Who Has Your Louisiana Crash Report
The agency that worked your crash keeps the report, and the Louisiana State Police (LSP) online system carries only crashes LSP troopers worked.
LSP reports for crashes on non-toll roads from August 31, 2018, onward are sold through the LSP crash report portal. Each report costs $11.50 plus a processing fee of $2.50 and 2.5%, paid by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover, and you print the PDF. Search with the 8- or 11-digit crash report number, or with a driver’s first and last name, the parish, and the crash date. The portal says reports appear 10 to 15 business days after the crash or once approved, and LSP’s Traffic Records Unit asks you to wait 15 working days before you request one.
At a Troop office, a report costs $16.50 by certified check, company check, or money order, or by card with the same $2.50 plus a 2.5% processing fee. Troop offices take no personal checks or cash. Fatal crash reports are sold only in person at the local Troop office. LSP’s request form is DPSSP 3125, and Troop office addresses are on lsp.org.
Louisiana law keeps crash reports confidential. Under R.S. 32:398(I), copies go only to the people in the crash, parents or guardians of a minor involved, insurers and certain insurance support organizations, treating health care providers, the representative of a deceased party’s succession, the parties’ attorneys, and news organizations asking about a specific crash.
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway reports come from the Causeway Police, a department of the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission. An electronic copy costs $11 through LexisNexis BuyCrash, and paper copies are $5 for one or two pages and $20 for three or more. The LSP portal leaves out toll roads, so for a crash on the LA 1 toll expressway, ask the agency that responded.
Not sure whether a trooper, a deputy, or city police took your report, or don’t want to sort out the fees? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.
Police Reports From Louisiana Cities and Parish Sheriffs
City police and parish sheriffs release their own crash reports, and LexisNexis BuyCrash is the online vendor for most of the departments we checked. Start with the department that responded to your crash:
| Department | How to request | Fee |
| New Orleans Police | Online through BuyCrash, from the city’s police reports page | $5 per copy; $15 processing fee |
| Baton Rouge Police | In person at Police Headquarters, 9000 Airline Hwy., weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., or by mail to Attn.: Traffic Records at that address (Baton Rouge, LA 70815) with the report number; ready 10 working days after the crash | $7.50 |
| Shreveport Police | Online through LexisNexis, or in person at the Information Services Bureau, 1234 Texas Ave.; allow about 48 hours | $10 |
| Lafayette Police | Online through BuyCrash, or in person at 900 East University Ave. or 1820 Moss St. | $7.50 |
| Lake Charles Police | In person at 1028 Enterprise Blvd. with a state photo ID; by mail to Traffic Records, 830 Enterprise Blvd., Lake Charles, LA 70601; or online through BuyCrash | $7.50 in person (money order or business check only); 50-cent online processing fee |
| Caddo Parish Sheriff | Online through BuyCrash, or the Criminal Records Division at the Caddo Parish Courthouse, 501 Texas St., Shreveport | $5 for two pages or fewer; $8.50 for more; $15 for a fatality report |
| East Baton Rouge Sheriff | Online through BuyCrash, from the sheriff’s site | $7.50 |
| St. Tammany Sheriff | Online crash report request form on the sheriff’s website | $15 up to 20 pages; $0.50 per additional page |
Lake Charles releases reports in person only to the people involved or their insurer.
What Louisiana Drivers Must Report
Louisiana Revised Statutes (La. R.S.) section 32:398 covers any crash that injures or kills someone or causes more than $500 in property damage. The driver must immediately notify the local police department if the crash happened inside a city or town, or the nearest sheriff’s office or State Police station outside one. Drivers must also give their information to anyone injured, to the owner of damaged property and to the investigating officer.
The law sets no written report for drivers, and Louisiana has no crash report form for drivers to file. The investigating agency writes the report and sends it to the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) within 48 hours of finishing its investigation.
Louisiana Insurance Rules After a Crash
Louisiana policies must carry at least $15,000 for injury to one person, $30,000 for two or more people and $25,000 for property damage (R.S. 32:900). The Louisiana Department of Insurance says state law requires only that minimum liability coverage, so there is no personal injury protection (PIP) requirement. Crash losses are claimed from the liability insurance of the driver at fault.
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage comes with every policy at no less than its bodily injury limits, unless a named insured rejects it, picks lower limits, or picks economic-only coverage under La. R.S. section 22:1295. That choice must be made on the insurance commissioner’s form.
Under Louisiana’s “no pay, no play” law, La. R.S. section 32:866, an owner or driver without the required insurance gets no recovery for the first $100,000 of bodily injury damages and no recovery for the first $100,000 of property damage. Act 16 of 2025 raised the figure to $100,000, effective August 1, 2025. The bar does not apply when the other driver is cited for drunk driving under section 14:98 and convicted or pleads no contest, caused the crash on purpose, fled the scene, or was carrying out a felony.
Fault is divided by percentage under Civil Code article 2323. Since January 1, 2026, under Act 15 of 2025, a person whose own negligence is 51% or more of the cause cannot recover damages. Under 51%, damages are reduced by the person’s own share of fault.
Louisiana Traffic Deaths by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 766 | 2025 | Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (CARTS data) |
| Pedestrians killed | 162 | 2025 | Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (CARTS data) |
| Motorcyclists killed | 96, up from 69 | 2025 | Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (CARTS data) |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 753 in 706 fatal crashes | 2024 | CARTS Traffic Records Data Report |
| People killed in DWI crashes (BAC 0.08 or higher) | 161 | 2024 | CARTS Traffic Records Data Report |
| Total crashes | 146,189 | 2024 | CARTS Traffic Records Data Report |
The Highway Safety Commission released the 2025 figures in September 2026, drawn from CARTS crash records. The same release counted 54,684 people injured in 2025, a figure it called a record low.
Louisiana Crash Guides by City and Parish
At Local Accident Reports, we cover crashes across the country, going county by county and then city by city. From car crashes and motorcycle wrecks to commercial and residential fires, we report on accidents of all kinds happening in communities across the nation.
Louisiana is no exception. With 305 municipalities, accidents happen every day, and we work to keep people informed about them. But we do more than just report when and where a crash occurred. We also help drivers and commuters get to know the places they travel through, highlighting important roads, busy routes, and dangerous intersections so they can better understand the driving conditions they may encounter.
Here, you can find the latest accident reports from communities across Louisiana, along with guides to some of the state’s most important cities and the roads that connect them.
County accident news: Caddo County · Jefferson County · Orleans County · East Baton Rouge Parish County · Ascension County · Lafayette County · St. Tammany County · Rapides County
Road and intersection hot spots across the state have their own Louisiana 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.
- Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund It covers crash victims only when the crash involved a drunk driver (DWI), a hit-and-run, a driver fleeing police, or a vehicle used to hurt someone on purpose. Apply through the sheriff’s office in the parish where the crash happened within one year; awards go up to $15,000, or $25,000 for total and permanent disability. (225) 342-1749 or 1-888-6-VICTIM.
- MADD Louisiana Free victim services after a drunk driving crash. 24-hour help line: 877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435); Baton Rouge office 225-926-0807.
- 911. Call or text 911 after an accident for support.
- Trauma centers. Louisiana’s Level I trauma centers are University Medical Center New Orleans, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Manning Family Children’s (pediatric), on the Louisiana Emergency Response Network’s trauma center list.
Louisiana Crash Questions
How do I get a Louisiana State Police crash report?
Buy it at crashreports.dps.louisiana.gov if troopers worked the crash on a non-toll road on or after August 31, 2018. A report costs $11.50 plus a $2.50 and 2.5% processing fee and appears 10 to 15 business days after the crash. Troop offices sell copies for $16.50, and fatal crash reports are sold only there.
How do I get a Lake Pontchartrain Causeway crash report?
The Causeway Police, a department of the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission, work crashes on the 24-mile Causeway and sell the reports. An electronic copy costs $11 through LexisNexis BuyCrash. Paper copies cost $5 for one or two pages and $20 for three or more. The Causeway Police number is (504) 835-3116.
Is Louisiana a no-fault state?
No. Louisiana requires only liability insurance, at least $15,000 per person, $30,000 per crash, and $25,000 for property damage, with no personal injury protection. Claims go against the liability insurance of the driver at fault. Since January 1, 2026, a person 51% or more at fault recovers nothing, and a person less at fault has damages cut by their share.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Louisiana?
Two years from the injury or damage, for claims arising after July 1, 2024 under Civil Code article 3493.1; earlier claims keep the old one-year period. Wrongful death claims have one year from the death or two years from the injury, whichever is longer under article 2315.2. In a suit against a state or local public body, service must be requested within 90 days of filing under La. R.S. section 13:5107.
Recent Louisiana Crash Coverage
Pedestrian Killed in Fatal Hit-and-Run on Mansfield Rd in Shreveport, LA
Three Pedestrians Hit by Vehicle on Hearne Ave in Shreveport, LA
Fatal Head-on Crash on US 80 East of Quebec Rd in Madison Parish, LA
Pedestrian Struck by Car on Florida Blvd in Baton Rouge, LA
Fatal Pedestrian Crash on Hwy 3040 in Houma, LA
Older stories stay in the Louisiana accident news archive, and recent accident alerts follow new crashes nationwide.
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.