The crash report is the first document every insurer asks for and the backbone of every injury claim. Getting it in Pasco County is not hard, but it depends on which agency responded, where the crash happened, and how many days have passed. Here is the whole process.
First: figure out which agency investigated
The officer at the scene should have given you a card or an exchange-of-information slip with the agency name and a report or case number. If you do not have it, use the location:
- Unincorporated Pasco County (Hudson, Holiday, Bayonet Point, Jasmine Estates, Trinity, Shady Hills, Land O' Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Odessa, the Pasco side of Lutz): either the Florida Highway Patrol or the Pasco Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office states on its public records page that FHP handles most Pasco County crash investigations. On US-19, SR-52, SR-54, I-75, US-301 and the Suncoast Parkway, assume FHP Troop C unless told otherwise.
- Inside Port Richey city limits: Port Richey Police Department.
- Inside New Port Richey city limits: New Port Richey Police Department.
- Inside Zephyrhills city limits: Zephyrhills Police Department.
- Inside Dade City city limits: Dade City Police Department.
City limits in west Pasco are smaller than people think. Much of what the mail calls "Port Richey" (the 34668 ZIP) is unincorporated, and a crash on US-19 near Bayonet Point or Jasmine Estates is usually FHP, not Port Richey PD.
The easiest route for any agency: the Florida Crash Portal
Every law enforcement agency in Florida submits its crash reports to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. That means almost any Pasco crash report can be bought online through the Florida Crash Portal at services.flhsmv.gov/CrashReportPurchasing, regardless of which agency wrote it. Dade City Police, for example, directs the public to the portal for all accident reports.
What you need: the investigating agency, the report number, the crash date, and your identity as a party to the crash.
What it costs, according to FLHSMV: $10.00 per report plus a $2.00 convenience fee per transaction, with a maximum of 10 reports per transaction.
Timing: reports can take up to 10 days to appear. The download link is emailed to you and must be used within 48 hours.
If the report is not on the portal after two weeks, go to the agency directly.
Florida Highway Patrol (Troop C)
FHP Troop C covers Pasco along with Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Hernando, Citrus and Sumter. Troop headquarters is at 11305 N. McKinley Drive in Tampa, (813) 558-1800. The Pasco Sheriff's Office lists (352) 797-5738 as the FHP number to call about a Pasco crash that FHP investigated.
For copies, FHP uses the Florida Crash Portal. Call the troop if you need the report number or if the report has not appeared.
Pasco Sheriff's Office
If deputies responded, you have two options:
- Florida Crash Portal (above).
- PSO Public Records Unit, 20105 Central Boulevard, Land O' Lakes, FL 34637, (813) 235-6118, [email protected]. Requests can also be filed through the Sheriff's JustFOIA public records portal. Provide the date, time and location of the crash.
Within the first 60 days, you will need to complete the Sheriff's notarized Sworn Statement to Obtain Crash Report, available on pascosheriff.com, if you request by mail or in person.
Port Richey Police Department
Records Section, 6333 Ridge Road, Port Richey, FL 34668, (727) 816-1919. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding city holidays.
For a crash within the past 60 days, the department requires its Sworn Statement for Traffic Crash Report Information, notarized, one form per report, mailed with payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The department will not process an un-notarized form. It lists the typical cost as $1.05 for a seven-page crash report, payable by check or money order to the City of Port Richey, cash, or credit card with proof emailed to the records section. The department also points requesters to the FLHSMV crash report site.
The Port Richey PD building is on the same road as our office. If you are picking up a report and want to talk, we are a few minutes east at 6609 Ridge Road.
New Port Richey Police Department
Records Section, 6739 Adams Street, New Port Richey, FL 34652, (727) 232-8920 or (727) 232-8919. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., holidays excluded. The department takes records requests in person or through its online JustFOIA portal, which it recommends so you can track the request. Crash reports can also be bought through the Florida Crash Portal.
Zephyrhills Police Department
Zephyrhills PD crash reports are available through the Florida Crash Portal. For in-person or mail requests within the 60-day window, contact the department's records section through the City of Zephyrhills for the current form and fee. Crashes on US-301 or SR-54 outside the city limits are usually FHP.
Dade City Police Department
Records Division, 38020 Meridian Avenue, Dade City, FL 33525, records clerk (352) 521-1495, main line (352) 523-5050. Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays. The department's FAQ states that accident reports are available for purchase through the Florida Crash Portal, and that you will need the investigating agency's name, the report number and the crash date. Non-traffic reports carry a $0.15 per page fee through the city's JustFOIA portal.
Need help pulling a report? Call (240) 421-5511. If we represent you, we obtain the report, the 911 recording and the body-camera footage as a matter of course.
The 60-day confidentiality rule
Fla. Stat. § 316.066(2) makes crash reports that reveal personal information confidential and exempt from public records law for 60 days after the report is filed. During that period the report may be released only to:
- the parties involved in the crash;
- their legal representatives;
- their licensed insurance agents and insurers;
- law enforcement, prosecutors, victim services programs and certain other government bodies; and
- radio, television and newspaper outlets, with identifying information removed.
Anyone in those groups who requests the report in person or by mail must show valid identification and sign a sworn statement that the information will not be used for commercial solicitation of accident victims. Knowingly obtaining or disclosing a confidential report without authorization is a third-degree felony.
After 60 days the report is a public record and anyone can buy it.
Have the report and not sure what it means for your claim? Call (240) 421-5511. We read it with you at no charge.
What the report says and what it does not
A Florida long-form crash report records vehicles, drivers, passengers, insurance carriers and policy numbers, a diagram, the officer's narrative, contributing causes and any citations. Under § 316.066, the officer must complete the long form when a crash involves death, injury or any complaint of pain, a hit-and-run, a DUI, a vehicle towed because it was inoperable, or a commercial vehicle.
What it does not do is decide your claim. Under Florida's 51% rule, Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6), you recover nothing if found more than 50 percent at fault, and insurers lean on the report's narrative to argue fault. The report is a starting point. Photos, video, witness statements and vehicle data fill in the rest. More on how fault is argued.
Why to get it quickly
- It confirms the other driver's insurance carrier so your PIP, BI and UM claims can be opened. Fla. Stat. § 627.736 requires medical care within 14 days to keep PIP, and your UM claim under § 627.727 depends on knowing what the other driver carried.
- It identifies witnesses before they disappear.
- It starts the paper trail you will need before the two-year filing deadline in Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a). Why the deadline matters.
Talk to a Port Richey car accident lawyer today
Conde-Huggins Accident Injury Lawyers is at 6609 Ridge Road in Port Richey, and we handle crash claims throughout Pasco County, from New Port Richey to Dade City. Our attorney, Clementine Conde, has practiced in Florida since 1992. Call (240) 421-5511 for a free consultation, and we will get the report. No attorney's fee unless we win. Learn more about how we handle car accident cases.
Questions people ask us about how to get a crash report in pasco county cases
How much does a Florida crash report cost?
Through the Florida Crash Portal run by FLHSMV, a report costs $10.00 plus a $2.00 convenience fee per transaction, and you can buy up to 10 reports in one transaction. Some city police departments charge a per-page copy fee for in-person requests. Port Richey Police, for example, lists a typical cost of $1.05 for a seven-page crash report.
How long does it take for a crash report to be available?
Officers must file the long-form report within 10 days after completing the investigation under Fla. Stat. § 316.066, and FLHSMV says reports can take up to 10 days to appear on the Crash Portal. Once you buy it, the download link is emailed and must be used within 48 hours. If it is not there after two weeks, contact the investigating agency directly.
Why can't I get someone else's crash report right away?
Under Fla. Stat. § 316.066(2), crash reports that contain personal information are confidential for 60 days after filing. During that window only the parties, their attorneys, their insurers and a few other listed groups can obtain the report, and they must sign a sworn statement that the information will not be used for commercial solicitation. After 60 days the report becomes a public record.
What if the crash report has a mistake in it?
Contact the investigating officer or the agency's records unit and ask about a supplement or correction. Factual errors such as a wrong tag number or insurance carrier are often fixed. The officer's opinion about fault is harder to change, but it is not binding on the insurer or a jury. A lawyer can gather other evidence that tells the full story.
Can my statements in the crash report be used against me?
Fla. Stat. § 316.066 makes the crash report, and statements made to the officer for the purpose of completing it, inadmissible at trial, with limited exceptions such as criminal cases and chemical test results. That protection does not extend to what you tell an insurance adjuster, which is why we advise against recorded statements.