How to Get a Crash Report in Alaska

Law enforcement officers complete Crash Report Form 12-200. You can request a copy from the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with DMV Form 440, the Request for Crash Report Form.¹

When a law enforcement officer investigates a crash that requires a report, the officer must send an electronic report to the Alaska Department of Administration. In some cases, the officer may send a written report instead. The Department of Administration provides driver licensing and vehicle registration through the DMV.^4,5

The Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) keeps public records that can include State Trooper Collision Reports.²

If you filed a driver self-report (Form 12-209), you can request a copy in writing from DMV Driver Services using Form 440.^1,3

Send your request to the agency that holds the report. An Alaska agency can respond only about records it has or controls. It does not have to get records from other agencies or forward your request to them.⁶

By email: Fill out and sign DMV Form 440, the Request for Crash Report Form. Then email the signed form to the DMV at the email address listed on the form.^1,3

By mail: Mail the printed, signed original of Form 440 to Division of Motor Vehicles, Attn: Driver Services, 4001 Ingra Street, Ste 101, Anchorage, AK 99503.^1,3

Online, for a State Trooper Collision Report: Start a request on the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) public records portal at dpsalaska.justfoia.com. Fill out the request form, then click Submit to file it electronically.²

For a DMV request, Form 440 requires the date of the crash and the name of the driver.¹

Include the crash report or incident number if you have it. You can also give the region or city where the crash happened, but that is optional.¹

The form has a field for your Alaska driver's license number.¹

Sign the form. By signing, you acknowledge that improper release of information, and false statements made to get DMV record information, are prohibited.¹

For a DPS request, include enough detail for the DPS employee handling it to find the specific records you want.²

The DMV charges $10 for each crash report you request.¹

You can pay by check or money order made out to the State of Alaska. You can also pay by Visa, MasterCard or American Express if you provide an email address.¹

If you pay by card, the DMV emails you an invoice. It mails the crash report once you have paid.¹

DPS says most requests for police reports have no cost. Most requests for video, photos or audio cost $36.49 each. If a charge applies, DPS contacts you before it processes the request.²

The Alaska Department of Law says state agencies charge for searching for and copying records when that work will take more than five person-hours in a calendar month. The charge is the hourly rate of the most cost-effective employee who can do the work.⁶

An officer who investigates a crash that requires a report must send it to the Department of Administration within 24 hours after completing the investigation.⁴

Under Alaska's public records rules, an agency must respond to a public records request that follows the rules as soon as practical. It must respond no later than the 10th working day after it receives the request.⁷

The agency can extend that by up to 10 more working days if it tells you within the first 10. It can do this only when certain circumstances listed in the rules apply, and only for the documents those circumstances affect.⁷

If your request will involve fees, the time between the agency's notice about the fees and your arrangement to pay them does not count toward the 10 working days.⁷

The agency must grant or deny a written request in writing within the time limit. If you get no answer by then, you may consider the request denied.⁷

The Alaska Department of Law says you can appeal a denial to the head of the agency within 60 working days from the date the denial was issued.⁶

Form 440 says all motor vehicle records are covered by federal driver privacy protection law and are confidential under Alaska law (AS 28.10.505).¹

Personal information from these records can be released only to people or organizations that qualify under one of the exceptions listed on the back of Form 440.¹

You can qualify if you are getting the information as part of your own personal record.¹

Written consent from the person the information is about is also a listed exception.¹

Insurers, insurance support organizations and self-insured entities can qualify when they use the information for claims investigation, anti-fraud activities, rating or underwriting.¹

Use in connection with a civil, criminal, administrative or arbitration proceeding in a court or government agency is also a listed exception.¹

Government agencies, including courts and law enforcement agencies, can qualify when carrying out their functions. So can a private person or entity acting on a government agency's behalf.¹

As quoted on Form 440, AS 28.10.505 defines personal information as information that identifies a person, such as a name, address, telephone number, or medical or disability information. The definition does not include information on vehicle accidents.¹

The Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) says public information requests are subject to certain exceptions and reasonable fees.²

The Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) does not hold the records of local police departments or federal law enforcement agencies.²

The state duty to send a crash report to the Department of Administration applies to every law enforcement officer who investigates a crash that requires a report.⁴

Alaska's Public Records Act applies to all state and local government agencies in Alaska. The federal Freedom of Information Act does not apply.⁶

Under Alaska law, if you were driving in a crash that caused injury, death, or total property damage that appears to be $2,000 or more, you must file a report within 10 days after the crash.^3,4

You do not need to file this report if a peace officer investigated the crash. The driver self-report, Form 12-209, is for crashes where law enforcement did not respond to the scene, or where a responding officer told you to self-report.^3,4,8

For these crashes, Alaska law also requires you to notify the local police department right away if the crash happened within a municipality. If it did not, notify the Department of Public Safety.⁴

You can make your report in writing or electronically. It goes to the Department of Administration, and also to the local police department if the crash happened within a municipality. Under DMV rules, the person who prepared the report must submit it directly to the DMV's main office. A mailed report must be postmarked within 10 days from the date of the crash.^4,8

Form 12-209 lets you report a crash yourself and provide documentation to your insurance company. You can get the report form online, from any local police department, or from the Department of Public Safety.^3,4

If the crash caused injury, death, or more than $501 in property damage to a person, Alaska law (AS 28.22.021) requires proof of motor vehicle liability insurance. Under DMV rules, you must send a completed certificate of insurance to the DMV within 15 days from the date of the crash.^3,8,9

For a crash with no personal injury, or with property damage between $501 and $2,000, completing Form 12-209 still meets the DMV's proof of liability insurance requirement.³

If an officer investigated, told you to provide proof of insurance and gave you a case number, use DMV Form 466, the Certificate of Insurance. A paper Form 466 must be filled out completely and mailed or faxed to the DMV within 15 days from the date of the crash. The form says Alaska's mandatory insurance laws require you to file proof of insurance with the state, and that failing to do so will result in suspension of your driver's license.^3,9

If you don't make a required crash report, your driver's license, permit and nonresident operating privileges must be suspended until the report is filed. Not making the report is also a misdemeanor. If you are convicted, the penalty can be a fine of up to $200, up to 90 days in jail, or both.¹⁰

If the driver is physically unable to make the written report and is not the vehicle's owner, the owner must make the report within five days after learning of the crash.¹⁰

To get a copy of a self-report you already filed, send a written request to DMV Driver Services using Form 440.^1,3