California regions · BAY AREA
Bay Area crash reports, from SFPD's online portal to Oakland's 60-90 day wait
Six Bay Area cities, six police records offices and five CHP Area offices. Each city prices and times its collision reports differently; the table below gives each fee as of October 31, 2026, per the department.
City police report crashes on their own streets; CHP reports crashes on freeways and state highways, and in San Francisco that includes the Golden Gate Bridge. SFPD: Police reports SFPD releases copies free through its online portal or at 1245 Third Street. Oakland, San Jose, Richmond, Concord and Santa Rosa each have their own counter or online vendor, and CHP copies come from the Area office or the CHP Crash Portal. LegalMax helps you organize what you have for the claim and prepare for talks with the adjuster, in English or Spanish.
In San Francisco, the road decides the agency
SFPD's reports page sends freeway and Golden Gate Bridge incidents to CHP. The Presidio belongs to the US Park Police, and BART property to the BART Police. SFPD: Police reports On city streets, SFPD's Crime Information Services Unit releases traffic collision reports. Use the SFPD Incident Report Request Portal, or go to SFPD Headquarters, 1245 Third Street, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; district stations do not release them. Upload a copy of valid ID (driver's license, SF City ID, state ID or passport) and wait at least five business days so the report can be approved for release. As of October 31, 2026, per SFPD: “The cost of the report is FREE.” SFPD: Request a copy of a police incident report
Oakland, San Jose, Richmond, Concord and Santa Rosa compared
| Department | How to get it | When it is ready | Fee as of October 31, 2026, per the department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland PD, Traffic Investigations Unit source | BuyCrash online; or in person or by mail at the Eastmont Substation, 2651 73rd Avenue, Oakland, CA 94605, (510) 777-8570, Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Fatal collision reports only in person or by mail. Mail needs a self-addressed, stamped, trackable envelope; a third party needs signed authorization from the involved party. | Typically 60-90 days after the collision. Have the report number, or the date, location and names. | $30.00 online, including a $5.00 convenience fee; $25.00 in person or by mail. |
| San Jose PD, Records Unit source | BuyCrash, with English and Spanish links; by mail with the Vehicle Accident Report Request Form; or the Records Unit, 201 West Mission Street, San Jose, CA 95110, (408) 277-4261. | Allow at least 45 days before searching online. Fatality, felony hit-and-run, emergency-vehicle or cited-juvenile reports, and those dated before December 31, 2017, go by mail or in person. | $16.00 by mail, check or money order to the City of San Jose. The online price is not on the page: check it with SJPD. |
| Richmond PD, Records Section source | Call Records at (510) 620-6675 to confirm the report is ready and releasable, then collect it at police headquarters, 1701 Regatta Blvd. (in person Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-7 p.m.). | Usually 7-10 business days; may be withheld during an active investigation, if release could endanger someone, or if it contains juvenile information. | $10 per traffic report copy. fee table |
| Concord PD, Records Unit source | Call (925) 671-3240 to confirm, then the Records Unit lobby counter (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.); or “Request Accident Report” online through BuyCrash. | Typically within 7-10 days. Bring government-issued ID and the case number if possible. | $20 per copy. |
| Santa Rosa PD, Records Bureau source | The Report Request Form, also in Spanish: mail it notarized with payment to 965 Sonoma Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, or hand it in at the Records Counter, Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Checks to City of Santa Rosa. | May take 3-4 weeks. Only drivers, passengers and registered owners, or their insurer. eligibility | $2. |
Requesting a report in Spanish
Three departments make it easier to ask in Spanish: SFPD offers paper request forms in several languages, Spanish among them; SJPD links a Spanish-language BuyCrash search; and Santa Rosa publishes a Spanish version of its request form. Spanish is common at home across the region. 2020-2024 Census estimates (table S1601) put it at 39.5% of residents age 5 and older in Richmond, 27.4% in Santa Rosa, 23.5% in Concord, 22.6% in Oakland, 21.8% in San Jose and 11.1% in San Francisco. Richmond Santa Rosa Concord Oakland San Jose San Francisco County shares: Sonoma 21.0%, Contra Costa 19.1%, Santa Clara 17.1%, Alameda 16.7%. Sonoma Contra Costa Santa Clara Alameda
Five CHP Area offices around the bay
| Office | Address and phone | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (335) source | 455 Eighth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 · (415) 276-5300 | The Bay Bridge from the east toll plaza, San Francisco freeways, US 101 and I-280 south to Millbrae, SR-1 to Montara Beach |
| Oakland (370) source | 3601 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609 · (510) 457-2875 | Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, Emeryville, Albany, El Cerrito, San Pablo, El Sobrante and Richmond |
| Contra Costa (320) source | 5001 Blum Road, Martinez, CA 94553 · (925) 387-1900 | I-680, I-80, SR-4, SR-24, SR-242 and all unincorporated roads in Contra Costa County |
| San Jose (340) source | 2020 Junction Avenue, San Jose, CA 95131 · (408) 961-0900 | US 101, I-280, I-680, I-880, SR-17, SR-85, SR-87, SR-130 and SR-237 |
| Santa Rosa (360) source | 6100 LaBath Avenue, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 · (707) 806-5600 | Most of Sonoma County; the Sonoma Valley east of Trinity Road is CHP's Napa Area |
Any CHP office can obtain a CHP-investigated report or arrange to mail it, but CHP cannot supply reports written by city police. Use the CHP Crash Portal, or form CHP 190 or a personal letter, and attach a photocopy of your driver license or photo ID card; without one, the request must be notarized. By mail, pay by personal check or money order to the California Highway Patrol: no cash, credit or debit cards. CHP: Request a crash report As of October 31, 2026, per CHP's FAQ, copies cost $10.00 for 1-25 pages, $20.00 for 26-50, $30.00 for 51-75 and $40.00 for 76-100; CHP also says to confirm the exact amount with the Area office. CHP: Collision report (CHP 190)
Vision Zero and speeding data: San Francisco and San Jose
- San Francisco's Vision Zero report counts 43 traffic deaths in 39 collisions on city streets in 2024, freeways excluded; 24 of the 43 people killed were walking. The Department of Public Health produced it with SFMTA, SFPD and DataSF. Vision Zero SF 2024 report
- The state Office of Traffic Safety ranked San Francisco 1st, the worst, among 15 large California cities for pedestrian victims in 2023 (648), and Oakland 1st for hit-and-run crashes that killed or injured someone (499). OTS: San Francisco OTS: Oakland
- San Jose recorded 41 traffic fatalities in 2025, and on October 30, 2026 the city said this year had already reached that number. San Jose DOT, October 30, 2026 From 2021 through 2025, speeding was the primary cause of 5,313 crashes in San Jose, in which 265 people were severely injured and 41 killed, per the city's release launching speed safety cameras. San Jose, October 23, 2026
- Other 2023 OTS totals: San Jose 3,294 killed or injured (11th of 15), Concord 496 (36th of 62), Santa Rosa 497 (54th) and Richmond 253 (55th). San Jose Concord Santa Rosa Richmond
Broken down on a Bay Area freeway
Dial 511 from a cell phone and, when connected, say “Freeway Assist” for non-emergency help with a flat tire, a breakdown or an empty tank; there is a Spanish page as well. 511 Freeway Assist The Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Freeway Service Patrol tow trucks rove during peak traffic hours, clearing crashes and giving stranded drivers free help such as a gallon of gas, a jump start or a radiator refill. MTC Freeway Service Patrol
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