Nebraska Accident Reports: NDOT, State Patrol and Rules
Who has your crash report, what drivers must report, insurance rules and traffic deaths in Nebraska.
Who Has Your Nebraska Accident Report
The Nebraska State Patrol’s report request page says accident reports are kept by the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) and sends callers to NDOT’s records line. NDOT sells a copy of the officer’s report, called the Investigator’s Crash Report, for $13 plus tax. The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office in Lincoln also sends people to NDOT to buy its crash reports.
NDOT crash reports can be ordered four ways:
- By email to [email protected] – By phone at (402) 479-4645, which is also the number to call to confirm the tax – In person at 1500 Nebraska Parkway, Room 14B, Lincoln – By mail to Highway Safety, PO Box 94759, Lincoln, NE 68509
A mail request needs the crash date, the location including the county, a driver’s name and payment. NDOT treats the officer’s report as public information, and its crash reporting page covers both the officer’s report and the driver form. The reports drivers file about their own crashes are confidential by law, so NDOT will not release another driver’s account.
Don’t want to sort out 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 Nebraska Cities and Counties
For a crash worked by a city police department or a sheriff’s office, start with the department that responded and ask how it releases reports. If it sends you to NDOT, the $13 officer’s report above is the one you need. Two sheriff’s offices post their processes:
| Department | How to request | Fee |
| Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office (Lincoln) | Crash reports: buy from NDOT. Other incident reports where the Sheriff’s Office was the primary agency: the county’s online report lookup, or the Administrative Support Division service desk, Hall of Justice, 575 S. 10th Street, Lincoln | Crash reports $13 plus tax through NDOT; other copies not posted |
| Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office (Papillion) | Crash reports: online through CrashDocs.org. Reports on active investigations are not released | Not posted |
What Nebraska Drivers Must Report
Under Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-699, a driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone, or causes $2,000 or more in apparent damage to the property of any one person, the driver included, must report it to NDOT within 10 days. No driver report is needed when a peace officer investigated the crash and completed an Investigator’s Crash Report. If the driver is physically unable to report, the vehicle’s owner must file within 10 days of learning of the crash.
The form is the Driver’s Motor Vehicle Crash Report (Form NDOT 41). NDOT prefers online filing through its Driver Crash Reporting site, and a paper form can be mailed to Highway Safety, Nebraska Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 94759, Lincoln, NE 68509-4759. Paper forms come from the investigating officer, a police or sheriff’s office, an insurance agent, or a call to (402) 479-4645. Failing to report, or failing to give correct information, is a Class V misdemeanor.
Nebraska Insurance Rules After a Crash
Every Nebraska auto policy must carry at least $25,000 for the injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more people in one crash and $25,000 for property damage (Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-310).
No policy on a vehicle principally garaged in Nebraska can be issued or renewed without uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash (Neb. Rev. Stat. 44-6408). Insurers must offer higher limits, up to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per crash, if you ask in writing.
Nebraska splits damages by fault under Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-21,185.09. A person who was partly at fault can still recover, and the award shrinks in proportion to their own share. A person whose negligence is equal to or greater than the combined negligence of everyone they are suing recovers nothing, so a driver found 50% at fault gets no damages.
Nebraska Traffic Deaths by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 231, down 8% | 2025 | NDOT |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 252 | 2024 | NDOT |
| Pedestrians killed | 33, up from 19 | 2025 | NDOT |
| Motorcyclists killed | 21, down from 32 | 2025 | NDOT |
| Deaths on rural roads / urban roads | 156 / 75 | 2025 | NDOT |
All five rows come from NDOT’s year-end fatality comparison for January 1 through December 31, 2025. Pedestrian deaths rose while deaths among motorcyclists and bicyclists, and on both rural and urban roads, fell.
Nebraska Crash Guides by City and County
Local guides and day-to-day crash coverage for Nebraska, sorted by city and county:
County accident news: Douglas County · Lincoln County · Lancaster County · Sarpy County · Stanton County · Dodge County · Madison County · Otoe County
Compare nearby states: Midwest crash reports and car accident laws by state · No-fault states and insurance minimums in all 50 states
Intersection and road-stretch lists for the state are on our Nebraska dangerous 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.
- Nebraska Crime Victims’ Reparations. Run by the Nebraska Crime Commission, the program helps crime victims with costs, within monetary limits, and its claim application lists DUI/DWI as a crime type. File within two years of the crime, which must have been reported to law enforcement within five days. 402-471-2828. Claim application
- MADD. Free support for victims and survivors of drunk and drugged driving crashes. 24-hour help line: 877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435).
- 988. Call or text 988 any time for crisis support.
- Trauma centers. Nebraska’s Level I trauma centers are CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center Bergan and Nebraska Medicine, both in Omaha. Level II centers include Bryan Medical Center West in Lincoln, CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney and Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, per the Department of Health and Human Services’ trauma hospital list.
Nebraska Crash Questions
How do I get a Nebraska State Patrol accident report?
The State Patrol refers report requests to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, which sells the officer’s Investigator’s Crash Report for $13 plus tax. Order it by email at [email protected], by phone at (402) 479-4645, in person at 1500 Nebraska Parkway, Room 14B, Lincoln, or by mail to Highway Safety, PO Box 94759, Lincoln, NE 68509.
Do Nebraska drivers have to file their own crash report?
Yes, within 10 days, when a crash injures or kills anyone or causes $2,000 or more in apparent damage to one person’s property, unless a peace officer investigated and completed a report. The form is the Driver’s Motor Vehicle Crash Report (Form NDOT 41), filed online or mailed to NDOT. Skipping it is a Class V misdemeanor under Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-699.
How does fault affect a Nebraska car accident claim?
Under Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-21,185.09, your damages are cut by your own share of the fault, and you recover nothing if your negligence equals or exceeds the combined negligence of everyone you are suing. Nebraska policies must carry at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property damage, plus uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Nebraska?
Four years for injury and property damage claims (Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-207) and two years from the death for wrongful death (30-810). A claim against a city, county or other political subdivision needs a written claim within one year and a lawsuit within two years (13-919). A claim against the State needs a written claim to the Risk Manager within two years (81-8,227).
Recent Nebraska Crash Coverage
Injury Crash at 56th St and Leavenworth St in Omaha, NE
Three-Vehicle Crash Closes Hwy 77 at W Van Dorn St in Lincoln, NE
Fatal Pedestrian Crash on Hwy 30 East of Fremont, NE
Fatal Hit-and-Run Truck Crash on Rd E in Schuyler, NE
Three-Vehicle Crash Shuts Down Hwy 77 in Lincoln, NE
Older stories are in the Nebraska accident news archive, 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.