Massachusetts Crash Reports: RMV Requests and the Operator Form
Who has your crash report, what drivers must report, insurance rules and traffic deaths in Massachusetts.
The Mass Pike (I-90) runs across the state from the New York line to East Boston near Logan Airport, while I-95 connects Rhode Island to New Hampshire and loops around Boston as Route 128. Meanwhile, I-93 cuts through downtown Boston, I-91 follows the Pioneer Valley through Springfield, and I-495 circles the outer suburbs from Wareham to Salisbury.
With so many major routes carrying commuters, travelers, and commercial traffic, crashes can happen anywhere from busy city streets to long stretches of highway. Who responds depends on where the collision occurs: state troopers patrol the Pike and Boston tunnels, while local police handle crashes on city and town streets. That distinction is key when you need a copy of your crash report. You can, however, request the report through one office regardless of which agency responded.
Who Has Your Massachusetts Crash Report
The Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) releases police crash reports filed by the Massachusetts State Police and by city and town police departments, so an RMV crash report request is the main route in this state. That covers crashes on the Mass Pike and in the Boston tunnels, which MassDOT runs and the State Police patrol.
Online through myRMV. Request a copy in the myRMV Online Service Center. Each request carries a $20 non-refundable search fee. You’ll need your license or permit number, name, date of birth, Social Security number, and an email address.
Timing. Wait at least four weeks after the crash before you request, then allow about four weeks for the RMV to process it. If the report is not on file yet, the RMV keeps searching for 90 days from the crash date.
Who may request. The people involved can ask: drivers, vehicle owners, occupants, vulnerable users involved in the crash (formerly called non-motorists), witnesses, and owners of property that was damaged, along with Massachusetts-registered businesses whose vehicle was in the crash and authorized recipients acting for someone involved. Online requests need a Massachusetts license or permit, current or expired.
By mail. If you don’t hold a Massachusetts credential, including drivers with an out-of-state license, use form CRASH101, the Request for Copy of Police Crash Report. Send it with a copy of your ID and a $20 check or money order payable to MassDOT to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Crash Records, P.O. Box 55889, Boston, MA 02205-5889. Authorized recipients also use the mail form.
Don’t want to fill out the RMV forms, or not sure which department filed your report? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.
Police Reports From Massachusetts Cities
City and town departments also release their own reports, and the RMV route above works for any of them. How several city departments handle requests:
| Department | How to request | Fee |
| Boston Police | In person with a valid photo ID at Boston Police Department Headquarters, 1st floor, One Schroeder Plaza; or by email | Set at request |
| Worcester Police | Public Records Portal online, or the Records Bureau, 9-11 Lincoln Square, by mail or drop-off | Set at request |
| Springfield Police | Clerk’s Office at police headquarters, 130 Pearl St.; 413-787-6310 | Set at request |
| Cambridge Police | Email [email protected], mail the public records form to the Records Unit, 125 Sixth St., or ask in person; up to 10 days | Most records are free |
| Somerville Police | Online through LexisNexis, or the Records Bureau, Tuesday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 10 business days | Set at request |
| Fall River Police | Online through Carfax or LexisNexis | Set at request |
| Brockton Police | Records Department in person, by phone, mail or email ([email protected], 508-941-0208) | Set at request |
What Massachusetts Drivers Must Report
Under Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.) chapter 90, section 26, a driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone, or causes more than $1,000 in damage to any one vehicle or other property, must file a written report within five days. If the driver is unable to file, the vehicle’s owner files it.
That report is the Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report, form CRASH102. Mail one copy each to the police department in the town where the crash happened, to your insurance company, and to the RMV at Crash Records, P.O. Box 55889, Boston, MA 02205-5889. There is no fee. The registrar may suspend or revoke the license of a driver who doesn’t comply.
If another driver hit your vehicle and left the scene, the police must accept your report even when the damage is $1,000 or less.
How No-Fault Insurance Works in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is a no-fault state. Personal injury protection (PIP) pays medical bills, up to 75% of lost wages, and replacement services, up to $8,000 in all, regardless of who caused the crash. It covers you, anyone you let drive your car, people in your household, your passengers, and pedestrians you hit.
For policies written or renewed on or after July 1, 2025, the Division of Insurance sets these minimums:
- Bodily injury to others: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash
- Bodily injury caused by an uninsured driver, including hit-and-run: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash
- Damage to someone else’s property: $30,000
- PIP: $8,000, unchanged
The increase comes from Chapter 275 of the Acts of 2024. Underinsured motorist coverage is optional.
No-fault limits who can sue for pain and suffering. Under M.G.L. c. 231, s. 6D, you can recover for it only if your reasonable medical bills top $2,000, or the injury causes death, the loss of a body part, permanent and serious disfigurement, loss of sight or hearing, or a broken bone.
When fault is shared, M.G.L. c. 231, s. 85 lets you recover as long as your share of the blame is not greater than that of the people you’re suing, combined. Your award shrinks by your percentage. A driver found more than 50% at fault recovers nothing.
Massachusetts Traffic Deaths by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| People killed in traffic crashes (preliminary) | 354 | 2025 | MassDOT |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 363 | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Pedestrians killed | 76 (20.9% of deaths) | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Deaths in crashes with an alcohol-impaired driver | 100 (27%) | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Motorcyclists killed | 70 | 2024 | NHTSA |
MassDOT’s 2025 count is preliminary, taken from its crash database in August 2026. About one in five people killed on Massachusetts roads in 2024 was on foot.
Massachusetts Crash Guides by City and County
At Local Accident Reports, we cover crashes nationwide. 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.
Massachusetts is no exception. With 14 counties and 351 municipalities, crashes happen every day, and we report them. 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 Massachusetts’ counties and communities, along with guides to some of the state’s biggest cities.
City crash guides: Boston, MA
County accident news: Suffolk County · Worcester County · Hampden County · Middlesex County · Bristol County · Essex County · Norfolk County · Plymouth County
Compare nearby states: Northeast crash reports and car accident laws by state · No-fault states and insurance minimums in all 50 states
Specific intersections and road stretches around the state are covered on our Massachusetts intersections page.
Help After a Crash
- Local Accident Reports. Once the report is sorted, we can connect you with local help, from doctors and body shops to injury attorneys. Contact our team.
- Victims of Violent Crime Compensation Run by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, it pays up to $25,000 per crime toward victims’ costs, and crashes caused by drunk or drugged drivers (OUI) and other vehicular crimes are covered. Apply within three years, and the crime must have been reported to police within five days unless there was good cause. (617) 586-1340.
- MADD Massachusetts Free support for people hurt by drunk or drugged drivers and for their families. 24-hour help line: 877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435).
- 911. Call 911 after a crash for support.
- Trauma centers. The Department of Public Health’s Office of Emergency Medical Services lists the state’s trauma hospitals by level on its trauma hospital destinations page.
Massachusetts Crash Questions
How do I get a Massachusetts crash report from the State Police or local police?
Request it from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which releases crash reports filed by the State Police and by city and town police. Use Request Crash Report in the Reports section of the myRMV Online Service Center and pay a $20 search fee. Wait at least four weeks after the crash, then allow about four weeks for processing. Drivers without a Massachusetts license can mail form CRASH101.
What is the Massachusetts Crash Operator Report?
It is form CRASH102, the report a driver must file within five days of a crash that injures or kills someone or causes more than $1,000 in damage to any one vehicle or other property. Mail copies to the local police department where the crash happened, your insurer, and the RMV. There is no fee, and the RMV may suspend or revoke the license of a driver who doesn’t file.
Is Massachusetts a no-fault state?
Yes. Your own personal injury protection pays up to $8,000 in medical bills and lost wages no matter who caused the crash. You can sue the other driver for pain and suffering only when medical bills pass $2,000, or the injury is on the law’s list, such as a broken bone or permanent and serious disfigurement. A driver more at fault than the other side combined recovers nothing.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Massachusetts?
Three years from the crash for injury and property damage claims under M.G.L. c. 260, s. 2A. Wrongful death claims have three years from the death under M.G.L. c. 229, s. 2. A claim against a city, town, or state agency needs a written claim within two years under M.G.L. c. 258, s. 4, and the lawsuit within three years.
Recent Massachusetts Crash Coverage
Scooter Rider Injured in Crash on Appleton St in Haverhill, MA
One Seriously Injured in Two-Car Crash on Rte 20 in Palmer, MA
Car, Box Truck Crash Jams Traffic on Rte 134 in Dennis, MA
Three Injured, One Seriously, in Crash on Rte 132 in Barnstable, MA
Three-Vehicle Crash on Rte 6 WB Near Union St Exit in Yarmouth, MA
The full archive is at Massachusetts 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.