After a crash in Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield or anywhere else in Hamilton County, the police crash report becomes one of the most useful papers you have. Insurance companies read it, attorneys ask for it, and it fixes the basic facts while they are fresh. Police reported 8,215 collisions in Hamilton County in 2024, according to the Indiana County Profiles prepared for the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, and each investigated crash produces a report like this. Here is how the report is made and how to get a copy.
Personal Injury Lawyer Carmel is a free attorney referral service, not a law firm. Calls and requests are connected to participating independent attorneys. Attorney listings are paid advertising.
This is general information from Indiana law and the Indiana State Police. Personal Injury Lawyer Carmel is a free attorney referral service, not a law firm.
Which police agency takes the report
If anyone is injured or killed, Indiana law requires a driver involved in the crash to notify police as soon as possible by the quickest means (Indiana Code 9-26-1-1.1):
- Inside a city or town: the local police. In Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville or Westfield, that is the city’s own police department.
- Outside a city or town: the county sheriff or the nearest state police post.
- Anywhere: a 911 operator, who can send the right agency.
The agency that responds is the one that writes the report. If you are not sure which one came, write down what you remember about the officer and the patrol car, and ask the agencies above.
When an officer must investigate
Under Indiana Code 9-26-2-1, a law enforcement officer must investigate every crash that results in injury or death, or total property damage to an apparent extent of at least $2,500. A small parking-lot scrape with no injuries may not meet that bar, which is one reason to take your own photos and notes at every crash.
What the report holds
The officer must forward a written report of each investigated crash to the Indiana State Police within 24 hours after finishing the investigation. By law it includes:
- Names and addresses of the vehicle owners and drivers.
- Names and addresses of injured people and witnesses.
- A description of the vehicles.
- The time and place of the crash.
Read your copy carefully when you get it. If a name, a plate, an insurance company or the place is wrong, ask the agency that wrote it how to request a correction.
Crash reports are public records
Indiana Code 9-26-2-3 says a crash report filed by a law enforcement officer is not a confidential record and must be made available for inspection and copying under Indiana’s public records law. You do not need a lawyer to get one.
How to get a copy: BuyCrash
The Indiana State Police maintains the central repository of all crash reports for the State of Indiana and makes electronic crash reports available for a nominal fee through the BuyCrash website, www.BuyCrash.com (Indiana State Police, crash reports). The state’s IN.gov help pages also point to the BuyCrash search.
- Have the crash date, the place, the drivers’ names and any report number the officer gave you ready.
- Search for the report on BuyCrash and check that the details match your crash.
- Pay the fee shown on the site and download the report.
- Save it with your photos, medical records and insurance letters.
The officer has 24 hours after finishing the investigation to send the report to the State Police. If yours is not there yet, try again later, or ask the agency that took it.
The report and your insurance
A crash report can also start paperwork with the Indiana BMV. After a crash for which the BMV receives an accident report, it may mail you a request to verify your insurance. Insurance details you gave the officer are not passed to the BMV. Your insurance agent files a Certificate of Compliance electronically, and the BMV must receive and process it within 90 days of mailing the request, or your driving privileges will be suspended.
Why the report matters for an injury claim
Insurers use the report to see who was involved, the vehicles, and the time and place. It is not the last word on fault. If you were hurt, a licensed Indiana attorney may ask for it early, along with your medical records. Injury lawsuits in Hamilton County are generally filed in the Hamilton Circuit or Superior Courts in Noblesville.
For the steps at the scene and the insurance rules, see the guides for a Carmel car accident lawyer and Carmel roundabouts. To find a firm yourself, open the law firm directory.
Have your report and want to talk with a lawyer? Call the free referral line and a participating independent attorney’s office can go over it with you.
Personal Injury Lawyer Carmel is a free attorney referral service, not a law firm. Calls and requests are connected to participating independent attorneys. Attorney listings are paid advertising.
Questions people ask
How much does a Hamilton County crash report cost?
The Indiana State Police makes electronic reports available for a nominal fee through BuyCrash. The current fee is shown on the BuyCrash site.
Is my crash report public?
Yes. Indiana law says a crash report filed by a law enforcement officer is not a confidential record and must be made available for inspection and copying.
Will police always write a report?
Indiana law requires an officer to investigate a crash with injury or death, or with apparent property damage of $2,500 or more. Smaller crashes may not be investigated, so take your own photos and notes.
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Personal Injury Lawyer Carmel is a free attorney referral service, not a law firm. Calls and requests are connected to participating independent attorneys. Attorney listings are paid advertising.
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Personal Injury Lawyer Carmel is a free attorney referral service, not a law firm. Calls and requests are connected to participating independent attorneys. Attorney listings are paid advertising.