California regions · CENTRAL VALLEY
Central Valley collision reports: Fresno, Bakersfield, Modesto and Stockton
The four largest Central Valley cities each release collision reports differently, online, at a counter or by mail, and each sets its own price.
The city police department reports crashes inside Fresno, Bakersfield, Modesto and Stockton. CHP covers freeways, state routes and unincorporated county roads in Fresno, Kern, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. CHP: Request a crash report Fresno, Bakersfield and Stockton sell reports online through BuyCrash; Fresno, Bakersfield and Modesto also release them in person or by mail. Fresno PD: Records LegalMax helps you organize the claim information and prepare for conversations with the adjuster, in English or Spanish.
Four police departments, four price points
| Department | How | Timing and what to bring | Fee as of October 31, 2026, per the department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno PD, Records Bureau source | “Order Collision Report” through BuyCrash; the Records lobby at Police Headquarters, 2323 Mariposa, (559) 621-2534; or a written request with a photocopy of your current driver's license, mailed to Fresno Police Department, Attention: Records Bureau, P.O. Box 1271, Fresno, CA 93715-1271. | Online, the collision date plus any two of street name, case number, involved party's last name or registered owner's last name. In person, current valid ID and a request form. Vehicle Code 20012 parties only. | No charge at the Records lobby; a $12.00 convenience fee online; $0.20 a page for reports over 10 pages. FAQ |
| Bakersfield PD, Records Unit source | BuyCrash; in person at 1601 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; or a written request by mail. Traffic report line: 661-326-3883. | By mail, the case number, date reported, names of parties, a contact phone number and payment. Usually 5-7 business days, some up to 10. | A flat $7 per accident report, by check or money order to City of Bakersfield; LexisNexis adds its own fee for online payment. |
| Modesto PD, Records source | In person at the main station, 600 Tenth Street, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. By mail, call 209-572-9580 to confirm the page count, then send the Report Request Form with a check or money order to Modesto Police Department, 600 10th Street, Modesto, CA 95354. Collision questions: 209-572-9592. | The form asks for your name, address, phone and reason; photo ID in person. At least five working days, longer with injuries or a fatality. | $0.10 per page plus tax. |
| Stockton PD source | Online purchase through the city's “Get a Traffic Accident Report” page, which links to BuyCrash, paid by credit card. Police non-emergency: (209) 937-8377. | The collision date plus two other fields, such as an involved party's name or the location. | City pages list $14 and $15. Check the current fee with Stockton PD. contact page |
CHP offices from Fresno County to San Joaquin County
- Fresno Area (435), 1380 E. Fortune Ave, Fresno, CA 93725, (559) 705-2200: state highways, freeways and unincorporated roads throughout Fresno County, more than 4,045 miles. CHP Fresno Area
- Bakersfield Area (420), 9855 Compagnoni Street, Bakersfield, CA 93313, (661) 396-6600: SR-99, SR-58 and surface streets in unincorporated communities such as Rosedale, Oildale and Lamont. CHP Bakersfield Area
- Modesto Area (465), 4030 Kiernan Avenue, Modesto, CA 95356, (350) 238-7000 as CHP prints it: all freeways, state routes, roadways and unincorporated areas in Stanislaus County. CHP Modesto Area
- Stockton Area (265), 2720 Wilcox Road, Stockton, CA 95215, (209) 938-4800: I-5, SR-99, SR-120, SR-12, SR-88, SR-26, SR-4 and hundreds of miles of unincorporated San Joaquin County roads. The 24-hour Communications Center at the same address answers at (209) 943-8600. CHP Stockton Area
Send form CHP 190, or a personal letter, to the Area office that handled the crash, or use the CHP Crash Portal. Any CHP office can obtain a CHP-investigated report or arrange to mail it, though CHP cannot supply city police reports. A request without a photocopy of your license or photo ID must be notarized, and a mailed one is paid by personal check or money order, never cash or card. CHP: Request a crash report As of October 31, 2026, per CHP's FAQ, copies run from $10.00 for 1-25 pages to $40.00 for 76-100 pages, and CHP also tells requesters to confirm the amount with the Area office. CHP 190 FAQ
Hit-and-run and impaired-driving numbers from 2023
- San Joaquin County ranked 1st of California's 58 counties for hit-and-run crashes that killed or injured someone (628), and Stanislaus County 2nd (389). OTS: San Joaquin County OTS: Stanislaus County
- Stockton: 1,913 killed or injured (3rd of 15 large cities) and 390 speed-related crashes (2nd). OTS: Stockton
- Modesto: 1,876 killed or injured (2nd of 62 similar-size cities) and 189 nighttime crashes between 9 p.m. and 2:59 a.m. (2nd). OTS: Modesto
- Bakersfield: 340 alcohol-involved victims (3rd of 15), and 1st for victims of crashes with a drinking driver under 21 (36). OTS: Bakersfield
- Fresno: 1,600 killed or injured (12th of 15), yet 2nd for pedestrian victims under 15 (31). OTS: Fresno
These are Office of Traffic Safety rankings, in which 1 is the worst. County ranks cover all roadways; city figures leave out crashes CHP reports on shared roads.
Spanish at home: Kern County leads at 40.1%
Per the 2020-2024 American Community Survey (table S1601), the share of residents age 5 and older who speak Spanish at home is 40.1% in Kern County, 35.8% in Bakersfield, 34.1% in Stanislaus County, 33.3% in Fresno County, 30.4% in Stockton, 29.2% in Fresno, 27.1% in San Joaquin County and 26.9% in Modesto. Kern County Bakersfield Stanislaus County Fresno County Stockton Fresno San Joaquin County Modesto
Freeway service patrols in Fresno and San Joaquin
- Fresno's Freeway Service Patrol (Fresno COG, Caltrans and CHP) offers free on-the-spot quick fixes or tows for stranded drivers on Freeways 41, 99, 168 and 180 in the Fresno/Clovis area. Check current hours with Fresno COG before counting on it. Fresno COG
- The San Joaquin Freeway Service Patrol (SJCOG, CHP and Caltrans) runs roving tow and service trucks on 36 miles of major freeways in the region. It can change a flat with your spare or tow you to a CHP-approved safe spot, and SJCOG says “The service is absolutely FREE to motorists.” SJCOG Freeway Service Patrol
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