Columbia, Maryland Car Accident Reports

If the state police do not have a record of your car crash, you may need to contact another local law enforcement agency to locate the agency responsible for filing your report so you can obtain copies of accident reports as soon as possible.

Columbia and Germantown accident reports have a fee of $4 per copy. Accepted forms of payment include check or money order. The check or money order should be made payable to the Maryland State Police.

A Columbia police officer will document the accident scene and include the following information:

• Names and contact information for all parties involved
• Time of incident
• Location of accident
• Diagram of the accident scene
• License plate numbers and VIN
• Insurance information
• Description of personal injuries and property damage
• Crash narrative, which includes the Columbia police officer’s opinion regarding who they believe was at fault for the accident.

Traffic crash reports are typically not available until ten days after the date of the collision. This allows the Central Records Division to process requests in a timely manner. However, if your accident involved a fatality, crime, or personal injury, your Columbia police report will be unavailable if there is an ongoing investigation. Accident investigations can prevent you from obtaining a copy of your report for several weeks or months until the Columbia police officer has closed the investigation.

If you were involved in an accident and sustained injuries and vehicle damage, you can pursue compensation by filing an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. An MD accident report includes important information that can prove the other driver was negligent and should be held liable for your damages. This includes the responding police officer’s opinion concerning who they believe was responsible for the accident. This important document also includes the time of the incident, the location where the accident occurred, a description of property and vehicle damage, personal injuries, and witness statements, in addition to other helpful information that can strengthen an insurance claim or lawsuit.