Mississippi Crash Reports: Highway Patrol, Insurance and Deadlines
Who has your crash report, what drivers must report, insurance rules and traffic deaths in Mississippi.
I-55 runs north and south through Jackson all the way to the Tennessee line near Southaven, while I-20 crosses east from the Vicksburg bridge through Jackson toward Alabama. Down along the Gulf Coast, I-10 carries traffic between Louisiana and Alabama, with I-110 branching off into Biloxi.
With so many drivers traveling these routes every day, crashes can happen anywhere, and figuring out where one occurred is important when you need a copy of the report. The Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) handles traffic enforcement on state roads and highways, while city police departments and county sheriffs investigate crashes within their own jurisdictions.
Thus, the location of your accident determines which agency handled it and where you will need to go to get your crash report.
Who Has Your Mississippi Crash Report
Under Mississippi Code section 63-3-411, a crash inside a city is reported to that city’s police department, and a crash outside city limits goes to the county sheriff or the Mississippi Highway Patrol. The Highway Patrol is a division of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and assists counties and cities when they ask. Its headquarters is at 209 Allen Stuart Drive in Pearl, (601) 987-1212.
MHP crash reports are sold online through the state’s crash report site, which is where the Highway Patrol’s own crash report link leads. The document you buy is the Mississippi Uniform Crash Report. Before buying, you must declare that you are a party to the crash, a representative of an involved person’s estate, an involved person’s next of kin, their legal representative, or their insurer.
The site limits sales to these buyers under Mississippi Code section 63-3-417, which keeps crash reports confidential, and obtaining one by fraud is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $2,500, up to six months in county jail, or both.
The purchased report is emailed to you and stays available for only 24 hours, so download and save it right away. The state site shows no price before checkout. A separate Department of Public Safety page on accident investigation lists a $15 fee for a copy and a $20 online fee.
Don’t want to sort through the purchase steps, or not sure which agency took your report? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.
Police Reports From Mississippi Cities
City police departments release their own crash reports, and each sets its own route. Meridian and Gulfport police send online buyers to the same state crash report site the Highway Patrol uses. Start with the department that responded to your crash:
| Department | How to request | Fee |
| Southaven Police | In person at the Records Department, 8691 Northwest Dr., weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | $10, cash only |
| Gulfport Police | In person at the Records Division, or online through ECrash, the state crash report site | $20 online; from $7.50 at the Records Division, depending on page count |
| Hattiesburg Police | In person at 300 Klondyke St., weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or email the public records request form to [email protected] | Free for 25 pages or fewer; larger requests cost 15 cents a page from page one |
| Meridian Police | Online through the state crash report site, linked from the department’s page | Set at request |
| Biloxi Police | The police department’s page links to BuyCrash | Not posted |
Gulfport sells reports on crashes in parking lots in person only, starting at $3, or $5.50 when the crash caused serious damage or an injury. Hattiesburg delivers records within seven working days, or 14 working days for time-consuming requests.
What Mississippi Drivers Must Report
Under Mississippi Code section 63-3-411, the driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone, or causes $500 or more in property damage, must immediately notify the police: the city police inside a city, or the sheriff’s office or Highway Patrol outside one.
Drivers and witnesses must give the officer their phone numbers, and the Department of Public Safety may require supplemental reports. The investigating officer has six days to forward the written report.
Mississippi Insurance Rules After a Crash
Mississippi Code section 63-15-3 sets minimum liability coverage at $25,000 for injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more people, and $25,000 for property damage. Every vehicle driven in the state must be insured, and proof of insurance, on paper or electronic, must stay in the vehicle, according to The Mississippi Bar. Uninsured motorist coverage comes with every policy unless a named insured rejects it in writing under section 83-11-101.
That required coverage is liability insurance, which pays for injuries and damage the policyholder causes to other people. After a crash, a claim for your losses goes to the driver who caused it and that driver’s insurer.
Under section 11-7-15, your own share of the blame never bars recovery: a jury cuts the damages in proportion to it, in injury, wrongful death and property damage cases alike.
Mississippi Traffic Deaths by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| People killed in traffic crashes (early estimate) | 639 | 2025 | NHTSA early estimate, April 2026 |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 753 | 2024 | Mississippi FY2025 highway safety annual report (NHTSA FARS data) |
| Deaths per 100,000 people | 25.6, highest of any state | 2024 | IIHS, from NHTSA FARS data |
| Pedestrians killed | 104 | 2024 | Mississippi FY2025 highway safety annual report (NHTSA FARS data) |
| Deaths in crashes with a driver at.08 BAC or higher | 171 | 2024 | Mississippi FY2025 highway safety annual report (NHTSA FARS data) |
| Motorcyclists killed | 55 | 2024 | Mississippi FY2025 highway safety annual report (NHTSA FARS data) |
Pedestrians accounted for about one in seven of the state’s traffic deaths in 2024.
Mississippi Crash Guides by City and County
At Local Accident Reports, we cover accidents 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 the incidents happening in communities all across the nation.
Mississippi is no exception. With 82 counties and 110 cities, there are accidents to report every day, and we work to keep up with them. But our coverage goes beyond simply telling drivers and commuters when and where a crash happened. We also help people get to know the areas they travel through, highlighting important roads, busy routes, and dangerous intersections so they can better understand what to expect on the road.
Here, you can find the latest accident reports from communities across Mississippi, along with guides to some of the state’s most important cities and the roads that connect them.
County accident news: Jackson County · Hinds County · Rankin County · Pearl River County · Harrison County · Forrest County · Jones County · Covington 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 around the state are covered on our Mississippi intersections page.
Help After a Crash
- Local Accident Reports. We can put you in touch with local help after a crash, from doctors and body shops to injury attorneys. Contact our team.
- Victim Compensation, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Helps pay costs for people hurt in DUI crashes and hit-and-runs, up to $20,000. The application must arrive within 36 months of the crash, and the crash must have been reported to police within 72 hours unless there was good cause. 800-829-6766.
- MADD Mississippi. Free support for people hurt by drunk or drugged drivers and for families who lost someone. 601-982-5668, or the 24-hour help line at 877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435).
- 911. Call or text 911 after an accident for support.
Mississippi Crash Questions
How do I get an MHP crash report?
Buy it online on the state crash report site at ms.gov/dps/crash_reports, where the Highway Patrol’s report link leads. Only people involved in the crash, an estate representative, next of kin, a legal representative or an insurer may buy it. The emailed report can be downloaded for 24 hours, and the fee appears at checkout.
Do Mississippi drivers have to file their own accident report?
The duty is to notify police. Under Mississippi Code section 63-3-411, a driver must immediately notify police after a crash that causes injury, death, or $500 or more in property damage: city police inside a city, or the nearest sheriff’s office or Highway Patrol station outside one. The Department of Public Safety may require drivers to file supplemental reports.
Is Mississippi a no-fault state?
Mississippi requires liability insurance of at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property damage. An injured person claims against the driver who caused the crash, usually through that driver’s insurer. A person partly at fault can still recover, with damages reduced by their own share of the blame.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Mississippi?
Injury claims fall under Mississippi’s general three-year limit in Mississippi Code section 15-1-49. A claim against the state, a city, or a county works differently: under section 11-46-11, a written notice of claim must go to the agency’s chief executive at least 90 days before suit, and the suit is due within one year of the crash.
Recent Mississippi Crash Coverage
13 Students Hurt in School Bus Crash on Hwy 51 in Ridgeland, MS
Fatal Crash at Dowdle Rd and Caledonia-Steens Rd in Caledonia, MS
Fatal Two-Vehicle Crash on Hwy 48 in Amite Co., MS
Fatal Three-Vehicle Crash Closes Hwy 26 Bridge in Pascagoula, MS
Fatal Motorcycle Crash on S 2nd St in Booneville, MS
The full archive is at Mississippi 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.