Request a South Carolina Crash Report and Track Related Duties

Identify the document you need after the collision

South Carolina's collision-report service supplies the official report received and processed by the DMV. The department says this report contains more detail than the paperwork provided on the day of the crash. If an insurer, attorney, or another authorized recipient requests the official report, check that you are ordering that document rather than sending only the initial roadside information. Keep the incident date, county, driver names, and report identifiers together so the request can be matched accurately.

The official copy is available only after the DMV has received and processed it. A crash occurring recently may therefore not yet appear in the retrieval system. The absence of a processed copy does not by itself establish that no officer investigated or that the event was never reported. Retain the initial case information and follow the department's instructions for an unavailable report instead of repeatedly ordering with different guessed dates or names.

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Understand immediate and written reporting separately

Obtaining a copy is not the same as making a required accident report. Under Sections 56-5-1260 and 56-5-1270, an injury or fatality must be reported immediately by the quickest means to the appropriate law-enforcement agency. The statute identifies local police within a municipality and the sheriff or Highway Patrol outside one. It also describes the exchange of identifying information and reasonable assistance to injured people. Those duties arise from the collision itself, not from a later records request.

For a crash involving injury, death, or apparent total property damage of at least $1,000 that was not investigated by law enforcement, the operator or owner must send the required written report and liability-insurance verification within 15 days. The state's forms directory includes the accident and financial-responsibility forms used for the relevant process. Do not submit a request for a copy of an existing report and assume that it satisfies an obligation to report an uninvestigated accident. The two forms serve different purposes.

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Gather identifiers before using the online service

An online request begins by authenticating the requester through personal information, followed by information identifying the collision. Start from the DMV's report page or online-services directory. Review the spelling of driver names, license numbers and issuing states, the collision date, and any FR-10 or case number. These details are also reflected on Form FR-50, which provides a useful checklist even when the request itself will be made electronically.

The online service has published limits. Reports for collisions before March 22, 2012, cannot currently be requested online through this route. A person with an out-of-state license or who does not know the South Carolina customer number may also be unable to complete online ordering. The department directs those customers to call 803-896-5000 about the issue, while preserving branch and mail options. An online authentication problem does not eliminate the ability to request the record through an available alternative.

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Complete both pages of the paper request

FR-50 is a two-page request because the department wants two copies. Enter the requester or business name and mailing address, the collision date and county, available driver information, report numbers, and the requester's contact details. The form also provides fields for a claim or file number and an applicable DMV business account. Use the information from the incident records rather than filling a missing identifier with an estimate that could point to a different collision.

If the first page is completed electronically, the information automatically populates the second page, but the signature does not. Sign both printed pages. This is an easy detail to overlook when the visible text appears duplicated correctly. The form specifically recommends reviewing driver names, license numbers, and the collision date for accuracy. Keep a copy of the completed request so you can explain what was submitted if the result is unavailable or does not match the intended incident.

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Choose branch or mail delivery of the request

A completed request can be taken to any SCDMV branch. The office finder identifies locations, and the collision page lists accepted payment methods for the research charge. The report costs $10. Consult the general payment rules for card-service charges or restrictions that affect the payment method you intend to use. A card transaction and the underlying report charge may not be the same total, so retain the receipt as well as the report request.

For mail, send two signed copies with a $10 check or money order payable to SCDMV. The published destination is SCDMV, Titles Mail-in Unit FR-50, P.O. Box 1498, Blythewood, SC 29016-0050. Do not mail cash. The department expressly says collision-report requests do not need to be submitted to its Communications Office. Directing the request to the named unit helps avoid a delay caused by routing ordinary report paperwork through an unrelated public-information channel.

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Handle an unavailable report without losing the request trail

The current FR-50 includes a response indicating that a requested report is not yet on file and instructions for resubmission with the original response and receipt as applicable. Keep those materials rather than discarding them as an unsuccessful order. They identify the earlier request and allow the department to recheck the specific record. If the problem is a mistaken date or driver identifier, correct it clearly instead of creating several indistinguishable requests for the same event.

Review the received report against the basic facts in your own records. A collision report should not be silently altered by the requester. If a name, vehicle identifier, or incident detail appears wrong, identify the issue and consult the investigating agency or DMV about the appropriate record process. Preserve the original copy while discussing the discrepancy. The DMV disclosure page explains that collision reports and other records have distinct access rules, so a general assumption about driver-record privacy should not be applied to every accident document.

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Coordinate insurance and vehicle consequences

The insurance requirements page explains that South Carolina verifies liability coverage electronically through its insurer reporting system. If the DMV sends a notice requesting coverage verification, contact the insurer so the required information can be reported through that system. Ordering the crash report does not supply missing insurance verification or resolve a suspension notice. Keep the insurance policy information, the report request, and any DMV notice in separate but related parts of the incident file.

A vehicle declared a total loss may also require the total-loss title process, and the title-brand rules determine how the resulting ownership document is marked. These transactions are separate from buying the report. If the vehicle will be sold after the crash, review the sale procedure and any title obligations before transferring it. A police report does not substitute for an assigned title or establish that a damaged vehicle may return to road service without the required process.

Finally, a driving-history request answers different questions about convictions, points, and licensing actions. The reinstatement guidance applies if a related administrative action affects the driver. Use the collision report for the incident details it records, retain the other documents needed for insurance and ownership matters, and address each notice on its own deadline. This prevents the records request from being mistaken for completion of every responsibility arising from the collision.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the official collision report the same as the roadside paperwork?
The DMV describes the official processed report as more detailed than the information supplied on the collision date.

What is the charge for a South Carolina collision report?
The department lists $10 per report.

Why does Form FR-50 have two similar pages?
The DMV requires two copies, and both pages must be signed because an electronic entry does not duplicate the signature.

Can every collision report be ordered online?
The online route excludes reports before March 22, 2012, and some customers with out-of-state licenses or missing customer numbers need another method.

How long is the reporting period for a qualifying uninvestigated crash?
The statute requires the operator or owner to submit the prescribed report and insurance verification within 15 days.

Does ordering the report resolve an insurance notice?
A report-copy request is separate from the insurer verification and any other action required by the DMV notice.

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More South Carolina DMV guides

The other South Carolina DMV guides, 52 of them:

The public records that sit beside this page, on SearchSystems: the South Carolina public records law and the South Carolina court records guide.

Police reports in the largest South Carolina counties, each with the local court and office that holds the file: Greenville, Charleston, Richland, Horry, Spartanburg and Lexington.