Identify the investigating agency
Look at the reference card or paperwork you received at the scene. Find the agency name and report number before paying any report retrieval service. Keep the incident date, your name, and the location available. If you have no paperwork, make that your first question when contacting the relevant records unit.
For Atlanta Police reports
The Atlanta Police Department's Central Records Unit page provides its report request information and points visitors to its online accident report purchasing option. Start with the department's official page so you are following its current instructions, rather than an advertisement that looks like a government service. Availability and any fees should be checked directly.
For Georgia State Patrol reports
Georgia DPS directs people seeking a State Patrol crash report to a local State Patrol post or its Open Records Unit. Its request guidance asks for information that identifies the incident and notes that access is subject to Georgia's records law. It also explains where to direct requests for other crash reports. Use the official instructions for your particular agency.
Read the report with questions in mind
Keep a clean copy and write questions in a separate note. If something appears inaccurate, ask the investigating agency about its correction process and discuss its significance with an attorney. A report is a document to review, not a substitute for individualized advice about a claim.
If you cannot locate it yet
You can still prepare for an attorney conversation with the date, location, names you know, and any reference number. Tell the attorney which records you have already requested. Optimum Injury Pros is a private attorney referral service, not a police department or government records office.
About this guide
General educational information, not legal or medical advice. This is an editorial draft and has not been reviewed by a Georgia attorney. No case outcome, deadline, or attorney-client relationship is established by this page.