Skip to content
Settlement ScoutFree check

How to Get Your Massachusetts Crash Report

Where to request it: Online via the Massachusetts RMV (myRMV), or by mail.

Official Massachusetts crash-report page

Portal checked 2026-10-14

Written by
Settlement Scout editorial team

Checked against
official sources, linked

Updated Sep 26, 2026Sources linked

Key takeaways

  • Fee: $20 non-refundable search fee per report from the Massachusetts RMV. Request online through myRMV if you hold a Massachusetts license or ID; out-of-state requesters and authorized recipients request by mail. Allow 4 weeks.
  • Where: Online via the Massachusetts RMV (myRMV), or by mail.
  • Public? Rules vary; check the official page for this state's current policy.
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Steps to get your report
  3. Massachusetts agencies
  4. What's on your report
  5. Frequently asked questions

Massachusetts crash reports, at a glance

Where to request

Online via the Massachusetts RMV (myRMV), or by mail

What you need

The report number (or the names of the drivers involved), the date of the crash, and a valid photo ID.

Who can request it

Per the RMV: "A standard or certified copy of a motor vehicle police crash report filed by a state or local Massachusetts Police Agency and processed by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) can be requested by an individual involved in the crash, a Massachusetts business whose vehicle was involved in the crash, an Authorized Recipient, or a Permitted User under the Federal Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA)." Individuals involved include the operator, vehicle owner, occupant, vulnerable user, witness, or property owner.

Statute: Not found in the Vehicle Code (M.G.L. c. 90 §§26, 29 are silent on who may obtain copies); access runs through the public-records law (c. 66 §10) for PD copies, and the RMV's own crash program for RMV copies (legal database copy). Official source

Confidence: medium confidence. This source is thinner than we'd like — verify directly with the agency before relying on it.

How we checked the Massachusetts route

We read the state's own crash-report page and the law behind it, then recorded who may request a report, the fee and the official channel. Statute: Not found in the Vehicle Code (M.G.L. c. 90 §§26, 29 are silent on who may obtain copies); access runs through the public-records law (c. 66 §10) for PD copies, and the RMV's own crash program for RMV copies (legal database copy). The portal link was last opened on 2026-10-14.

Why you can trust Settlement Scout

Every figure on this page comes from an official source we link. We are not a law firm or a government agency, and no agency pays us to be listed. Read our editorial policy.

Steps to get your report

  1. 1Find out which agency responded to your crash: a city police department, a county sheriff's office, or the state patrol.
  2. 2Request it online via the Massachusetts RMV (myRMV), or by mail.
  3. 3Pay the fee, if any. $20 non-refundable search fee per report from the Massachusetts RMV. Request online through myRMV if you hold a Massachusetts license or ID; out-of-state requesters and authorized recipients request by mail. Allow 4 weeks.
  4. 4Download or receive your copy. Most agencies process new crashes within one to two weeks before the report is available to request.

Settlement Scout can't request this report for you in Massachusetts; use the official source above.

Massachusetts agencies with a records page

Massachusetts agencies
AgencyPlaceFee
Cambridge Police DepartmentCambridgeConfirm the fee with the records unitDetails
Somerville Police DepartmentSomervilleConfirm the fee with the records unitDetails
Waltham Police DepartmentWalthamConfirm the fee with the records unitDetails

Don't see your city or county listed? The agency that responded to your crash still has your report — contact its records unit directly, or start with the state route above.

What's on your report, and why it matters

A standard crash report records the date, time, and location of the crash; the vehicles, drivers, and any passengers involved; a diagram of how the crash happened; any citations issued; and the officer's notes on contributing factors and fault. Insurers use this report as their starting point, so double-check that the facts, especially the fault narrative, are accurate before you rely on it.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a crash report in Massachusetts cost?

$20 non-refundable search fee per report from the Massachusetts RMV. Request online through myRMV if you hold a Massachusetts license or ID; out-of-state requesters and authorized recipients request by mail. Allow 4 weeks.

Who can request a crash report in Massachusetts?

Per the RMV: "A standard or certified copy of a motor vehicle police crash report filed by a state or local Massachusetts Police Agency and processed by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) can be requested by an individual involved in the crash, a Massachusetts business whose vehicle was involved in the crash, an Authorized Recipient, or a Permitted User under the Federal Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA)." Individuals involved include the operator, vehicle owner, occupant, vulnerable user, witness, or property owner.

Can someone else request my Massachusetts crash report for me?

Per the RMV, an "Authorized Recipient" may request the report by mail and "must submit a photocopy of both the person authorizing the release of the crash report's license/state issued ID card and the authorized recipient's license/state issued ID card."

Is my Massachusetts crash report public?

Rules vary; check the official page for this state's current policy.

Find the crash report route for your state

Each state page names the agency that holds your report, its fee and who may ask for a copy.

Choose a state
Article sources
    • Statute: Not found in the Vehicle Code (M.G.L. c. 90 §§26, 29 are silent on who may obtain copies); access runs through the public-records law (c. 66 §10) for PD copies, and the RMV's own crash program for RMV copies (legal database copy)
    • Official source

    About the authors

    Settlement Scout editorial team

    We write from official sources (state agencies, legislatures and insurers' own pages) and link each one. We are not a law firm and this is not legal advice.

    Editorial policy

    How this site is paid for

    Participating law firms and legal marketing companies pay us a fee when a visitor opts in to be connected with them. They cannot pay to change what a guide says.

    How we make money

    Dive even deeper in crash reports

    Every state
    How to Read a Car Accident ReportA section-by-section guide to reading a car accident report, using Texas's CR-3 as a real example, and why it isn't a legal ruling on fault.Settlement ScoutWhat to Do If Your Accident Report Is WrongHow to fix factual errors on a car accident report, why agencies rarely change a fault opinion, and what that means for your claim.Settlement ScoutEstimate what your claim is worthSettlement ScoutDeadline to file a claim, by stateSettlement Scout