Northeast Crash Reports: Car Accident Laws and Crash Data by State
Where to get a crash report, which insurance and fault rules apply, and how many people die on the roads in each of the 11 Northeast states.
This page compares Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, with links to the full guide for each state.
Who Has Your Crash Report in the Northeast
In every Northeast state, the report belongs to the agency whose officer worked the crash. That is usually the state police or highway patrol on major highways, city police inside city limits, and the county sheriff in many rural areas. The table shows where each state’s own trooper reports come from. City and county reports usually come from that department’s records office, and each state guide lists the largest ones.
| State | Where state police crash reports come from |
| Connecticut | BuyCrash for simple State Police reports; DESPP portal for others |
| Delaware | Delaware State Police, by mail only |
| Maine | Maine Crash Reporting Online Search and Ordering Service ($10) |
| Maryland | Maryland State Police, online, by email, by mail or at a barracks |
| Massachusetts | Registry of Motor Vehicles through myRMV |
| New Hampshire | Division of Motor Vehicles, form DSMV 505 |
| New Jersey | NJSP crash report portal, including Turnpike and Parkway |
| New York | Department of Motor Vehicles (off the Thruway) |
| Pennsylvania | State Police crash report request site ($22) |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island State Police through BuyCrash |
| Vermont | Department of Motor Vehicles, form VG-116 |
In four Northeast states, a motor vehicle agency, not the State Police, is the place to start. The New Hampshire and Vermont DMVs sell crash reports, the Massachusetts RMV releases reports filed by the State Police and local departments, and New York’s DMV sells State Police reports from crashes off the Thruway. Delaware State Police reports are requested by mail only.
Not sure which agency took the report, or don’t want to deal with the forms? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.
Northeast Insurance and Fault Rules by State
Four of the 11 states on this page use no-fault insurance (Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania), and the rest are fault-based. Minimum liability limits are written as three numbers in thousands of dollars: injury to one person, injuries in one crash, and property damage, so 25/50/25 means $25,000, $50,000 and $25,000. The last column shows when your own share of the blame stops you from recovering damages from the other driver.
| State | Insurance system | Minimum liability | When shared fault bars recovery |
| Connecticut | Fault-based | 25/50/25 | Barred above 50% |
| Delaware | Fault-based | 25/50/10 | Barred above 50% |
| Maine | Fault-based | 50/100/25 | Barred at 50% or more |
| Maryland | Fault-based | 30/60/15 | Any share of fault can bar recovery |
| Massachusetts | No-fault | 25/50/30 | Barred above 50% |
| New Hampshire | Fault-based | None required; 25/50/25 if you buy a policy | Barred above 50% |
| New Jersey | No-fault, with a lawsuit choice | 35/70/25 on a Standard policy (from 2026) | Barred above 50% |
| New York | No-fault | 25/50/10 (50/100 for deaths) | Never bars recovery; award cut by your share |
| Pennsylvania | No-fault, with a lawsuit choice | 15/30/5 | Barred above 50% |
| Rhode Island | Fault-based | 25/50/25 | Never bars recovery; award cut by your share |
| Vermont | Fault-based | 25/50/10 | Barred above 50% |
Each state guide explains the details, including personal injury protection, uninsured motorist coverage and claim deadlines. To compare every state at once, see our no-fault states and insurance minimums for all 50 states.
Northeast Traffic Deaths by State
In 2024, 4,696 people died in crashes in the 11 Northeast states, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s analysis of federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System data. That works out to 7.2 deaths per 100,000 people, against 11.5 for the country as a whole. Maine had the region’s highest rate, 12.6, and Rhode Island the lowest, 4.7. The last column gives the newest count on each state guide, which comes from the state’s own agencies and can differ from the federal figure.
| State | 2024 deaths | Per 100,000 people | Per 100 million miles | Newest state count |
| Pennsylvania | 1,127 | 8.6 | 1.18 | 1,042 (2025) |
| New York | 1,101 | 5.5 | 0.91 | 1,011 (2025, early estimate) |
| New Jersey | 670 | 7.1 | 0.84 | 582 (2025) |
| Maryland | 578 | 9.2 | 1.01 | 480 (2025, preliminary) |
| Massachusetts | 363 | 5.1 | 0.59 | 354 (2025, preliminary) |
| Connecticut | 310 | 8.4 | 1.00 | 274 (2025, preliminary) |
| Maine | 177 | 12.6 | 1.17 | 174 (2025, early estimate) |
| New Hampshire | 133 | 9.4 | 0.96 | 139 (2025, preliminary) |
| Delaware | 126 | 12.0 | 1.27 | 116 (2025) |
| Vermont | 59 | 9.1 | 0.82 | 61 (2025, preliminary) |
| Rhode Island | 52 | 4.7 | 0.68 | 42 (2025, preliminary) |
Source: IIHS, Fatality Facts 2024: State by state. Newest state counts are from each state guide; preliminary and early estimate figures can change.
Northeast Crash Guides by City and State
Dangerous roads and intersections: Connecticut crash hot spots · Delaware crash hot spots · Maine crash hot spots · Maryland crash hot spots · Massachusetts crash hot spots · New Hampshire crash hot spots · New Jersey crash hot spots · New York crash hot spots · Pennsylvania crash hot spots · Rhode Island crash hot spots · Vermont crash hot spots
Accident news by state: Connecticut accident news · Delaware accident news · Maine accident news · Maryland accident news · Massachusetts accident news · New Hampshire accident news · New Jersey accident news · New York accident news · Pennsylvania accident news · Rhode Island accident news · Vermont accident news, plus our recent accident alerts.
Other regions: Southeast crash reports and laws · Midwest crash reports and laws · Southwest crash reports and laws · West crash reports and laws · All 50 states compared
Northeast Crash Questions
Which Northeast states are no-fault states?
Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are no-fault states: your own personal injury protection pays your medical bills first, whoever caused the crash, and suing the other driver for pain and suffering is limited. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, drivers make a choice on their policy that decides whether they can sue for pain and suffering after any injury or only a serious one. The other Northeast states on this page are fault-based.
Which Northeast state has the most traffic deaths?
Pennsylvania had the most in 2024, with 1,127 deaths, according to IIHS analysis of federal crash data. Measured against population, Maine had the highest rate in the region, 12.6 deaths per 100,000 people, and Rhode Island had the lowest, 4.7. The U.S. rate was 11.5.
What happens if I was partly at fault for a crash in the Northeast?
It depends on the state. Maryland still follows contributory negligence, so a driver found even partly at fault can be barred from recovering; New York and Rhode Island never bar recovery for shared fault and only reduce the award; Maine bars recovery at 50% or more; Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont bar recovery only above 50%. In most of these states, the award shrinks by your own share of the fault.
Why does the DMV have my crash report instead of the police?
In New Hampshire, officers file crash reports with the DMV, which sells the copies, and in Vermont the State Police send crash report requests to the DMV. In Massachusetts the RMV releases reports from the State Police and local departments. New York’s DMV sells State Police reports from crashes off the Thruway. In the other Northeast states, start with the police agency that responded.
After a crash anywhere in the country, Local Accident Reports can connect you with local help, from doctors and body shops to injury attorneys. Contact our team.
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.