Getting a Michigan Traffic Crash Report

Report the collision before looking for its paperwork

Michigan separates notifying police about a crash from purchasing the resulting report. Under MCL 257.622, a driver must immediately report a collision involving an injury, death, or apparent property damage totaling at least $1,000 to the nearest or most convenient police station or officer (read October 21, 2026). The threshold concerns apparent total property damage, rather than only the amount the driver expects to pay personally. A collision involving an injury requires reporting even when visible vehicle damage seems minor.

At an active emergency, contact 911 and follow the dispatcher's directions about remaining at or moving away from the scene. For a report that was never started, contact law enforcement responsible for the place where the collision occurred. The Traffic Crash Reporting Unit maintains statewide crash information but cannot send an officer to investigate or create the initial UD-10 report for you. Write down the responding department and incident number while that information is available. A tow invoice, insurer's claim number, and police incident number identify different records and should remain separately labeled in your notes.

Back to the topics

Locate the report through the current state service

The State Police purchasing instructions explain a significant account change: TCPS moved to MiLogin on April 14, 2026. The published price is $15 for a traffic crash report (checked October 21, 2026). Begin at the Traffic Crash Purchasing System, then complete its MiLogin sign-in or registration process. Entering through TCPS matters because the service becomes associated with the account after that initial connection. Searching MiLogin's general service-discovery screen first can produce a misleading message that the service cannot be found.

An individual obtaining a report for personal use should select the citizen account path. Someone purchasing reports for an insurer or another organization should follow the business account instructions. Previous TCPS accounts do not automatically become MiLogin accounts. The state says purchases from the former service appear under the new arrangement only when the same email address is used for MiLogin registration. Before creating another account, compare the email on an earlier receipt with the one you intend to verify. This can prevent an otherwise successful login from appearing to have lost your purchase history.

Back to the topics

Assemble the search details and allow for submission time

For the current search, provide either a driver's license number or the police case or incident number, together with the required date of birth and crash date. These are complementary search fields; knowing the incident number does not remove the date requirements. Check transposed digits and confirm that you are entering the collision date, rather than the later date when an officer completed a supplement. If you lack the case number, ask the reporting agency. For an MSP investigation, the State Police post directory helps identify the appropriate local office.

The crash reporting questions and answers describe a typical processing period of 3-30 days, depending on the reporting department, and do not promise a mandatory completion date (reviewed October 21, 2026). An unsuccessful search shortly after the crash therefore does not establish that no report will exist. Confirm whether the agency has submitted its report before paying another service to conduct the same search. The published online availability extends to crashes within the previous ten years; requests for older records go through the applicable records-request process. An insurer may still need immediate notice under your policy even while the police document is pending.

Back to the topics

Check the purchased document and retain its receipt

After obtaining the report, compare the date, location, vehicle identification information, and involved drivers with your own records. Distinguish observations, identifying information, diagrams, and officer narrative rather than reading every entry as a final decision about legal responsibility. Save the complete file with all pages and a filename that identifies the crash date and department. A separate copy can be marked with questions for your insurer while the originally downloaded document remains intact.

Receipts are available in TCPS Purchase History under the MiLogin account used for the transaction. If a receipt appears missing, check that account before purchasing another copy. State Police does not provide the report's personal details, insurance information, or case number through an informal telephone or email inquiry to the statewide crash unit. When another person needs a copy, verify the correct recipient and use an appropriate secure channel because a report can contain identifying information about several people. Finding a public-record request route does not make indiscriminate redistribution a sensible step in handling a claim.

Back to the topics

Send corrections to the agency that investigated

The department named at the top of the UD-10 is the place to request a factual correction. Explain the specific entry at issue and provide supporting records, such as a registration document showing the correct plate or VIN. Ask how that department accepts supporting material and whether it will submit an amended report. The statewide crash unit cannot independently rewrite an officer's report, and the reporting agency determines whether a correction or supplement is appropriate.

A crash entry on a license history is a different issue. Consult the Secretary of State's driving record service for that record and its correction channels. State Police explains that reported crashes can appear regardless of fault, so appearance on the record alone does not establish that the driver caused the collision. Also review MCL 257.624 before assuming a statistical crash report can simply be introduced in court. That statute addresses limits on using reports required by the vehicle code; evidentiary questions depend on the document and proceeding involved.

Back to the topics

Choose a records request when the online search is insufficient

The MSP Freedom of Information Act service provides a separate request route. TCPS instructions direct people without the necessary search information toward FOIA. Additional material, such as an incident narrative, photographs, or recordings, may also require a records request instead of another purchase of the same UD-10. Identify who possesses those materials: an MSP request concerns MSP records, while a city police department or sheriff may hold its own investigative file. The MSP FOIA questions help distinguish record availability from the procedure for submitting a request.

Describe the event clearly, including its approximate time and location, known incident number, involved person, and the specific records sought. Supply the contact details requested by the agency so it can send notices and estimates. The online requestor guide explains the portal workflow. A focused request for the crash report and identified photographs is easier to evaluate than an unexplained demand for everything associated with a person's name.

Read the public FOIA procedure summary and the department's complete fee and response guidelines before treating this route as an instant substitute for TCPS. MSP describes an initial response within five business days and an available extension of ten additional business days; those periods concern the response determination and do not guarantee immediate production of every requested record (read October 21, 2026). Processing charges depend on the request rather than automatically matching the $15 TCPS purchase. Where the estimated FOIA charge exceeds $50, the guidelines provide for a good-faith deposit of no more than half the estimate. Review the written notice, including its payment instructions and any appeal information, before deciding how to proceed.

Back to the topics

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Michigan crash unit create a report for a collision I never reported?
Initial reporting belongs to the police agency responsible for the crash location. The statewide unit receives submitted reports and cannot investigate the event or create the missing police report on your behalf.

Does my former TCPS password work in the new purchasing system?
The April 2026 change requires access through MiLogin. Earlier TCPS accounts do not transfer automatically, and using the same email address is important when connecting purchases from the former system.

What if I know the police incident number but not the driver's birth date?
The current TCPS instructions require a birth date along with the crash date and either the incident number or driver's license number. Review the FOIA route if you cannot supply the required search information.

Who should I contact about an incorrect VIN on the UD-10?
Direct that correction request to the department identified on the report. Supply evidence of the correct VIN and ask how the agency handles amendments sent to State Police.

Does a crash on my Michigan driving record mean I was at fault?
Reported crashes may be listed regardless of responsibility for the event. Questions about the license record belong with the Secretary of State, while a disputed factual entry in the police report belongs with the investigating department.

Can the crash-report office tell me where my vehicle was towed?
The statewide reporting unit does not maintain the tow-location information described in its FAQ. Ask the officers' department or responding State Police post which towing company received the vehicle.

Back to the topics

More Michigan SOS guides

The other Michigan SOS guides, 52 of them:

The public records that sit beside this page, on SearchSystems: the Michigan public records law and looking up a Michigan court case.

Police reports in the largest Michigan counties, each with the local court and office that holds the file: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Kent, Genesee and Washtenaw.