New York Accident Reports: DMV, State Police and the MV-104
Who has your crash report, what drivers must report, insurance rules and traffic deaths in New York.
Elsewhere, State Police troopers, city, town, and village police departments, and county sheriffs share responsibility for the roads. If you have been in a crash, knowing where it happened matters because that determines which agency prepared your report and how you can get a copy.
Who Has Your New York Crash Report
The agency that responded to your crash holds the report: the NYPD inside New York City, the State Police on the Thruway and the other roads troopers patrol, and city, town, village or county police everywhere else.
State Police reports from anywhere off the Thruway are sold by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The State Police say their reports are generally ready within 30 days, though some take as little as three weeks and others up to six. The DMV also sells police reports filed by departments around the state, along with drivers’ own MV-104 reports.
DMV copies can be ordered online with a NY.gov ID for a $7 search fee plus $15 per report, and you have seven days to view a report once you buy it. Through the DMV’s Records Request Navigator or by mail on form MV-198C, the charge is a $10 search fee plus $15 per report.
Mail the form with a copy of your ID and a check or money order payable to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to NYS DMV, MV-198C Processing, 6 Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12228. You certify on the form that you have a permitted reason to see the record under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act.
Electronically filed New York City reports reach the DMV at least 14 days after a crash, paper reports at least 30 days after, and drivers’ reports at least 60 days after. Reports on crashes with no injuries and $1,000 or less in damage, and on e-bike and e-scooter crashes, are not sold online; order those through the Records Request Navigator or by mail.
Thruway reports come from the Thruway Authority on its form TA-W4310, for crashes that troopers investigated on I-87 south of Albany, I-90 west of Albany, the Berkshire Spur, I-190 and the Thruway’s stretches of I-287 and I-95 in Westchester County. The Authority’s accident report line is 518-471-4450.
Don’t want to deal with 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 New York City, Long Island and Upstate Counties
Each local department releases its own reports, so start with the department that responded. A few examples of how major departments handle it:
| Agency | How to request | Fee |
| New York City Police Department | Collision Report Retrieval Portal online, which can take up to seven business days after the crash; or the precinct where the crash happened, in person or by mail, for the first 30 days | Free if requested within 30 days of the crash; set at request after 30 days |
| Nassau County Police | Online at Motor Vehicle Accident Reports Online or in person at Police Headquarters at 1490 Franklin Avenue, Mineola, NY | $27 online; $25 in person |
| Suffolk County Police | BuyCrash online, or in person at Police Headquarters, 30 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank; reports are ready 7 to 10 business days after the crash | Set at request |
| Monroe County Sheriff | Crashdocs online for crashes since July 2, 2020, or in person at 130 South Plymouth Avenue, Rochester, with photo ID | $2 online |
| Onondaga County Sheriff | Crashdocs online, or by mail with the case number, the fee, a copy of photo ID and a stamped return envelope; reports on open cases are held | Set at request |
After 30 days, the precinct forwards its reports to the state, and all requests go to the DMV on form MV-198C. Reports on fatal crashes in the city are requested by mail from the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad, 198-15 Grand Central Parkway, Hollis, NY 11423.
What New York Drivers Must Report
At the scene, Vehicle and Traffic Law 600 requires you to stop and show your license and insurance card. If someone is hurt, you give your details to a police officer, or report to the nearest police station as soon as you physically can if no officer is nearby. If you damage property and the owner is not there, you report it to the nearest police station.
Within 10 days, every driver in a crash that kills or injures anyone, or does more than $1,000 in damage to any one person’s property, must file a written report with the DMV under Vehicle and Traffic Law 605.
That report is the MV-104, mailed to the Crash Records Center, 6 Empire State Plaza, PO Box 2925, Albany, NY 12220-0925. Missing the deadline is a misdemeanor, and the DMV can suspend your license or registration until the report is filed.
How No-Fault Insurance Works in New York
New York is a no-fault state. Your own policy’s personal injury protection pays your economic losses after a crash, such as medical bills and lost earnings, up to $50,000 per person, regardless of who caused it. The Department of Financial Services says you must send the no-fault insurer a written notice of claim no more than 30 days after the crash.
Every New York policy must carry at least $25,000 for injury to one person and $50,000 for injury to two or more, $50,000 for the death of one person and $100,000 for two or more deaths, and $10,000 for property damage.
Uninsured motorist coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash is also required. You can add supplementary uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage up to your own liability limits, and your insurer must remind you each year that it is available.
No-fault also limits lawsuits. Under Insurance Law 5104, you can sue the other driver for pain and suffering only for a serious injury, which Insurance Law 5102(d) defines to include death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement, a fracture, loss of a fetus, and permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function or system.
New York Traffic Deaths by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 1,011 (early estimate), down 8.2% | 2025 | NHTSA |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 1,101 | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Pedestrians killed | 308 | 2024 | NYS DMV data via ITSMR |
| Motorcyclists killed | 189 | 2024 | NYS DMV data via ITSMR |
| Deaths in crashes with an alcohol-impaired driver | 300 (27%) | 2024 | NHTSA |
The 2025 count is NHTSA’s early estimate, published in April 2026, and may change when final data comes out. By the state’s own count, pedestrians made up 28% of New York’s traffic deaths in 2024.
New York 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.
New York is no exception. With 62 counties and 1,525 municipalities, 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 New York’s counties and communities, along with guides to some of the state’s most important cities.
City crash guides: Syracuse, NY
County accident news: Monroe County · Erie County · Onondaga County · Suffolk County · New York County · Albany County · Niagara County · Kings County
Compare nearby states: Northeast 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 highways flagged across the state are on our New York dangerous 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.
- Office of Victim Services Helps crime victims and their families with costs such as medical bills and counseling. OVS notes that when the crime involved a vehicle, you may also qualify for benefits through an auto insurance policy or MVAIC. Claims are due within three years of the crime or the victim’s death. 1-800-247-8035.
- MADD New York Free support for people hurt by drunk or drugged drivers and for families who lost someone. 24-hour help line: 877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435).
- 911. Call 911 after a crash for support.
- Trauma centers. The State Department of Health lists 23 New York hospitals with an adult Level I trauma designation, one of them provisional, on its trauma center list.
New York Crash Questions
How do I get a New York State Police accident report?
For crashes off the Thruway, order it from the DMV: online for $22 ($7 search fee plus $15 per report), or on form MV-198C by mail for $25. Thruway crash reports come from the Thruway Authority on form TA-W4310. State Police reports are generally ready within 30 days of the crash.
When do I have to file an MV-104 in New York?
Within 10 days of any crash that kills or injures someone or causes more than $1,000 in damage to one person’s property. Every driver involved files with the DMV, and missing the deadline can lead to a license or registration suspension.
Is New York a no-fault state?
Yes. Your own insurer pays up to $50,000 of your medical bills, lost earnings and other economic losses whoever caused the crash, and you must file the claim within 30 days. You can sue the other driver for pain and suffering only for a serious injury as defined in state law.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in New York?
Three years for injury claims under CPLR 214 and two years from the date of death for wrongful death claims under EPTL 5-4.1. A claim against a city, county, or other public body needs a notice of claim within 90 days under General Municipal Law 50-e, and the lawsuit within one year and 90 days under section 50-i.
Recent New York Crash Coverage
Pedestrian Struck and Injured on Thompson Rd in Clarence, NY
One Hospitalized After Three-Vehicle Chain-Reaction Crash on Mark Tree Rd in Centereach, NY
Woman Killed in Scooter Crash on North Salina St in Syracuse, NY
Pedestrian Injured in Crash at Horseblock Rd and Express Dr S in Medford, NY
Woman Killed in Three-Car Rollover Near Dingle Ridge Rd in Brewster, NY
The full archive is at New York 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.