Southeast 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 12 Southeast states.
This page compares Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, with links to the full guide for each state.
Who Has Your Crash Report in the Southeast
In every Southeast 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 |
| Alabama | ALEA, online or at any ALEA driver license office ($15) |
| Arkansas | Arkansas State Police online ($10 if involved, $25 if not) |
| Florida | Florida Crash Portal, any agency ($10 plus fee) |
| Georgia | BuyCrash, searchable across all Georgia agencies |
| Kentucky | Kentucky State Police through BuyCrash ($10) |
| Louisiana | LSP crash report portal ($11.50 plus fees) |
| Mississippi | The state’s online crash report site |
| North Carolina | NCDMV, certified copies for any agency ($6.50) |
| South Carolina | SCDMV collision report request |
| Tennessee | PurchaseTNCrash portal ($10) |
| Virginia | Department of Motor Vehicles ($8) |
| West Virginia | The agency that investigated, including the State Police |
Florida, Georgia and North Carolina each offer one route that covers reports from many agencies: the Florida Crash Portal sells reports filed by agencies across the state, Georgia’s statewide database is searched through BuyCrash, and NCDMV issues certified copies of any agency’s report. In Virginia, the State Police send crash report requests to the DMV.
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.
Southeast Insurance and Fault Rules by State
Two of the 12 states on this page use no-fault insurance (Florida and Kentucky), 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 |
| Alabama | Fault-based | 25/50/25 | Any share of fault can bar recovery |
| Arkansas | Fault-based | 25/50/25 | Barred at 50% or more |
| Florida | No-fault | $10,000 property damage; bodily injury not required for most cars | Barred above 50% |
| Georgia | Fault-based | 25/50/25 | Barred at 50% or more |
| Kentucky | No-fault, with a lawsuit choice | 25/50/25 | Never bars recovery; award cut by your share |
| Louisiana | Fault-based | 15/30/25 | Barred at 51% or more (since Jan. 1, 2026) |
| Mississippi | Fault-based | 25/50/25 | Never bars recovery; award cut by your share |
| North Carolina | Fault-based | 50/100/50 | Any share of fault can bar recovery |
| South Carolina | Fault-based | 25/50/25 | Barred above 50% |
| Tennessee | Fault-based | 25/50/25 | Barred at 50% or more |
| Virginia | Fault-based | 50/100/25 | Any share of fault can bar recovery |
| West Virginia | Fault-based | 25/50/25 | 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.
Southeast Traffic Deaths by State
In 2024, 13,345 people died in crashes in the 12 Southeast states, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s analysis of federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System data. That works out to 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people, against 11.5 for the country as a whole. Mississippi had the region’s highest rate, 25.6, and Virginia the lowest, 10.4. 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 |
| Florida | 3,138 | 13.4 | 1.26 | 3,047 (2025, early estimate) |
| North Carolina | 1,619 | 14.7 | 1.24 | 1,410 (2025, early estimate) |
| Georgia | 1,403 | 12.5 | 1.15 | 1,307 (2025, early estimate) |
| Tennessee | 1,197 | 16.6 | 1.52 | 1,059 (2025) |
| South Carolina | 1,038 | 18.9 | 1.67 | 946 (2025, preliminary) |
| Alabama | 962 | 18.7 | 1.32 | 851 (2025, early estimate) |
| Virginia | 917 | 10.4 | 1.04 | 825 (2025) |
| Mississippi | 753 | 25.6 | 1.81 | 639 (2025, early estimate) |
| Louisiana | 752 | 16.4 | 1.36 | 766 (2025) |
| Kentucky | 707 | 15.4 | 1.44 | 664 (2025) |
| Arkansas | 603 | 19.5 | 1.53 | 569 (2025) |
| West Virginia | 256 | 14.5 | 1.49 | 229 (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.
Southeast Crash Guides by City and State
Dangerous roads and intersections: Alabama crash hot spots · Arkansas crash hot spots · Florida crash hot spots · Georgia crash hot spots · Kentucky crash hot spots · Louisiana crash hot spots · Mississippi crash hot spots · North Carolina crash hot spots · South Carolina crash hot spots · Tennessee crash hot spots · Virginia crash hot spots · West Virginia crash hot spots
Accident news by state: Alabama accident news · Arkansas accident news · Florida accident news · Georgia accident news · Kentucky accident news · Louisiana accident news · Mississippi accident news · North Carolina accident news · South Carolina accident news · Tennessee accident news · Virginia accident news · West Virginia accident news, plus our recent accident alerts.
General questions about getting, reading or correcting a police report are answered in our accident report FAQ.
Other regions: Northeast crash reports and laws · Midwest crash reports and laws · Southwest crash reports and laws · West crash reports and laws · All 50 states compared
Southeast Crash Questions
Which Southeast states are no-fault states?
Florida and Kentucky 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 Kentucky, you can keep the full right to sue by filing a rejection form with the Department of Insurance before a crash. The other Southeast states on this page are fault-based.
Which Southeast state has the most traffic deaths?
Florida had the most in 2024, with 3,138 deaths, according to IIHS analysis of federal crash data. Measured against population, Mississippi had the highest rate in the region, 25.6 deaths per 100,000 people, and Virginia had the lowest, 10.4. The U.S. rate was 11.5.
What happens if I was partly at fault for a crash in the Southeast?
It depends on the state. Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia still follow contributory negligence, so a driver found even partly at fault can be barred from recovering; Kentucky and Mississippi never bar recovery for shared fault and only reduce the award; Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee bar recovery at 50% or more; Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and West Virginia bar recovery only above 50%. In most of these states, the award shrinks by your own share of the fault.
Which Southeast state has the deadliest roads by miles driven?
Mississippi. It had 1.81 traffic deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2024, according to IIHS, the highest rate in the country. South Carolina, at 1.67, had the third highest. The U.S. rate was 1.19, and Virginia had the lowest rate in the Southeast, 1.04.
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.