Rhode Island Police Reports: State Police, Cities and Insurance
Who has your crash report, what drivers must report, insurance rules and traffic deaths in Rhode Island.
The Newport Pell Bridge carries a toll, collected by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority. The State Police patrol every state highway, and local police answer crashes in their own cities and towns. Who has your report depends on which officers came to your crash.
Who Has Your Rhode Island Crash Report
The Rhode Island State Police Patrol Bureau polices all state highways, plus the Town of Exeter, and investigates the crashes on those roads. City and town police departments release reports on the crashes their own officers worked. Before you leave the scene, the trooper gives you a report number, and you will need it to request a copy.
Online. The State Police sell crash reports through BuyCrash.com. A single report can be paid by major credit card or a prepaid account, and buying several takes a subscriber account. The State Police records page does not post the online price.
By mail. Send a written request with the driver’s name, the crash date and the report number, a stamped self-addressed envelope, and a $15 check or money order payable to “The State of Rhode Island.” Mail it to Rhode Island State Police, Accident Bureau, 311 Danielson Pike, North Scituate, RI 02857. Requests are handled in the order they arrive, and the fee is set under R.I. Gen. Laws 42-28-37.
Timing. In most cases a report is available 72 hours after the trooper takes it. A crash still under investigation isn’t released until the investigation is complete, and fatal crash reports come only from the Accident Bureau.
Who can ask. Individuals request in writing and name the records they want. Insurers and attorneys write on letterhead stating their involvement or the person they represent, and agencies use agency letterhead. The State Police records page has the full rules, and headquarters answers at (401) 444-1000.
Don’t want to mail a check, or not sure which department took your report? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.
Police Reports From Rhode Island Cities
Start with the department that responded to your crash. Here is how seven city departments release crash reports:
| Department | How to request | Fee |
| Providence Police | Online through LexisNexis Police Reports, or the Records Office, 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., (401) 243-6416 | Not posted |
| Warwick Police | Online through BuyCrash, or by mail to Warwick Police Dept., Attn: Records Division, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, Warwick 02886 (call 401-468-4200 for the cost first); no walk-ins for crash reports; allow up to 72 hours | $20 on BuyCrash; $0.15 per page by mail |
| Cranston Police | Online through LexisNexis, or the Records Division, 5 Garfield Ave., Mon. to Fri. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., (401) 477-5020 | Not posted |
| Pawtucket Police | Online through CrashDocs, or the Records Division by mail (legal-size self-addressed stamped envelope and a check) or in person; 1 to 3 days | $5 per report by mail; $0.15 per page in person |
| East Providence Police | Records Unit, 750 Waterman Ave., Mon. to Fri. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or online through CrashDocs; usually ready within 3 business days | $0.15 per page |
| Woonsocket Police | Online through CrashDocs, available after 24 hours | Not posted |
| Newport Police | Online through BuyCrash, or a written request with a check to the Records Office, 120 Broadway, Newport 02840, by mail or in person; no faxed copies | $1.50 per report |
Warwick and Newport use BuyCrash, the same site that sells State Police reports. Pawtucket, East Providence and Woonsocket use CrashDocs, and Providence and Cranston use LexisNexis.
What Rhode Island Drivers Must Report
Rhode Island gives drivers two separate duties. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 31-26-3.2, a driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone, or that leaves a vehicle disabled, must notify the nearest police office right away by the quickest means available.
The second duty is a written report to the Division of Motor Vehicles. Under 31-26-6, a driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone, or that causes more than $1,000 in property damage to any one person (the driver included), must send that report to the DMV within 21 days, on the DMV’s form. The DMV is at 600 New London Ave., Cranston, RI 02920, (401) 462-4368.
If the report isn’t filed, the DMV suspends the driver’s license until it is (31-26-11).
Rhode Island Insurance Rules After a Crash
Rhode Island requires auto insurance to drive legally, according to the Department of Business Regulation. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 31-47-2, a policy must carry at least $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property damage, or a $75,000 combined single limit.
Uninsured motorist coverage, which includes underinsured motorist coverage, must be part of every policy for bodily injury, at no less than those minimums (27-7-2.1). Insurers must offer it at your liability limits, and you can choose lower limits in writing, down to the minimums. On a policy with only minimum liability limits, you can drop it to zero after signing an advisory notice approved by the Department of Business Regulation. For a crash with an uninsured driver, the DMV’s Financial Responsibility Unit is at (401) 462-5709.
Rhode Island uses pure comparative fault under R.I. Gen. Laws 9-20-4. Your own negligence doesn’t bar a recovery. Your damages shrink in proportion to your share of the fault. A driver found 30% at fault, for example, can still recover 70% of their damages.
Rhode Island Traffic Deaths by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| Traffic deaths so far this year | 36 in 32 crashes, Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 | 2026 | RIDOT |
| People killed in traffic crashes (preliminary) | 42 in 41 crashes | 2025 | RIDOT |
| Pedestrians killed (preliminary) | 10 | 2025 | RIDOT |
| Total reported crashes | 36,850 | 2025 | RIDOT |
| People killed in traffic crashes (preliminary) | 45 in 41 crashes | 2024 | RIDOT |
| Deaths in crashes with an alcohol-impaired driver | 19 (37% of FARS-counted deaths) | 2024 | NHTSA |
RIDOT’s Crash Facts reports mark fatal counts as preliminary and subject to revision. NHTSA’s federal FARS data counts 52 Rhode Island traffic deaths in 2024, the base for the alcohol row, so the federal and state totals for that year differ.
Rhode Island Crash Guides by City and County
Local guides and day-to-day crash coverage for Rhode Island, sorted by city and county:
County accident news: Providence County · Kent County · Washington County · Newport County · Bristol 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 with high crash counts from 2018 to 2022 are listed on our Rhode Island 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.
- Crime Victim Compensation Program. Run by the Office of the General Treasurer, it can award up to $25,000 to victims of covered crimes, which include driving under the influence, driving to endanger that results in a death, and leaving the scene of a crash that results in a death. Report the crime to police within 15 days and apply within three years; property losses aren’t covered, and you don’t need an attorney. (401) 462-7655. treasury.ri.gov/cvcp
- MADD Rhode Island. Free victim services after a drunk or drugged driving crash, including help with a victim compensation claim. 24-hour help line: 877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435). Warwick office: 401-421-0800.
- 988. Call or text 988 any time for crisis support.
- Trauma care. Rhode Island Hospital in Providence is an ACS-verified Level I trauma center for adults and children, and its pediatric trauma care is at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, per the hospital’s trauma center page.
Rhode Island Crash Questions
How do I get a Rhode Island State Police crash report?
Buy it online at BuyCrash.com, or mail a written request with the driver’s name, crash date and report number, a stamped self-addressed envelope and a $15 check or money order payable to The State of Rhode Island. Send it to the Accident Bureau, 311 Danielson Pike, North Scituate, RI 02857. Most reports are ready 72 hours after they’re taken, and fatal crash reports come only from the Accident Bureau.
Do Rhode Island drivers have to file their own crash report?
Yes, when a crash injures or kills anyone or causes more than $1,000 in property damage to any one person. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 31-26-6, the driver sends a written report to the Division of Motor Vehicles, on the DMV’s form, within 21 days. The DMV suspends the license of a driver who doesn’t file until the report is in.
How does fault work after a Rhode Island car accident?
Rhode Island follows pure comparative fault under R.I. Gen. Laws 9-20-4. A person who was partly to blame can still recover damages, reduced in proportion to their own share of the fault. Every policy must carry at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property damage, or a $75,000 single limit.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Rhode Island?
Three years for injury claims (R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-14) and three years from the death for wrongful death claims (10-7-2). Lawsuits against the state, a city or a town also have three years (9-1-25). A claim against a city or town must first go to its council, and a lawsuit can follow if the treasurer hasn’t paid within 40 days (45-15-5).
Recent Rhode Island Crash Coverage
E-Bike Rider Hurt in Vehicle Collision on Cranston St in Cranston, RI
Multi-Vehicle Crash on Union Ave in Providence, RI Injures Two
Two-Vehicle Crash Snarls Traffic on Taunton Ave in East Providence, RI
Fatal Pedestrian Crash on State St in Bristol, RI
Three-Vehicle Rollover Crash With Entrapment Closes Hartford Pike in Scituate, RI
The full archive is at Rhode Island 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.