Florida Crash Reports

Are both Long Form or Short Form (Form 90010S) crash reports required to be submitted to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV)?

No. Pursuant to section 316.066(1)(f), Florida Statutes, either the long-form or short-form crash reports prepared by law enforcement must be submitted to FLHSMV and may be maintained by the law enforcement officer’s agency.

When is a long-form crash report required?

A Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form must be completed and submitted to the department within ten days after an investigation is completed by the law enforcement officer who, in the regular course of duty, investigates a motor vehicle crash that:

• • Resulted in death of, personal injury to, or any indication of complaints of pain or discomfort by any of the parties or passengers involved in the crash
• • Involved a violation of sections 316.061(1) (leaving the scene of crash with an attended vehicle or property) or 316.193 (driving under the influence), Florida Statutes
• • Rendered a vehicle inoperable to a degree that required a wrecker to remove it from the scene of the crash
• • Involved a commercial motor vehicle

The Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form must include:

• • The date, time, and location of the crash.
• • A description of the vehicles involved.
• • The names and addresses of the parties involved, including all drivers and passengers, and the identification of the vehicle in which each was a driver or a passenger.
• • The names and addresses of witnesses.
• • The name, badge number, and law enforcement agency of the officer investigating the crash.
• • The names of the insurance companies for the respective parties involved in the crash.

When is a short-form crash report required?

In any crash for which a Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form is not required, the law enforcement officer may complete a short-form crash report or provide a driver exchange-of-information form to be completed by all drivers and passengers involved in the crash. The short-form report must include:

• • The date, time, and location of the crash.
• • A description of the vehicles involved.
• • The names and addresses of the parties involved, including all drivers and passengers, and the identification of the vehicle in which each was a driver or a passenger.
• • The names and addresses of witnesses.
• • The name, badge number, and law enforcement agency of the officer investigating the crash.
• • The names of the insurance companies for the respective parties involved in the crash.

Regarding public records, can a law enforcement agency provide the crash report to the involved drivers but deny the insurance companies a copy?

No. In accordance with section 316.066, Florida Statutes, crash reports are confidential and exempt for a period of sixty-days. During this period, only the specific entities identified in section 316.066(2), Florida Statutes, can obtain a copy of the report. These entities include both the parties involved in the crash and their licensed insurance agents. For a complete list of entities, please refer to section 316.066, Florida Statutes. After sixty-days, all crash reports are public record and can be released.

What is a traffic collision?

A traffic collision occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction, such as a tree, pole or building. Traffic collisions often result in injury, death, and property damage.

How many people get hurt in traffic collisions?

In the United States, 5 people are injured in a traffic collision every minute and somebody dies every 14 minutes!

How to file a report for a hit and run or in the event of a person unlawfully leaving the scene of the crash?

A police department is required to accept a report filed by an owner or operator whose vehicle has been damaged in a crash in which another person unlawfully left the scene even if damage to the vehicle does not exceed $1,000.