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Looking for BuyCrash.com? It is a real service from LexisNexis that charges $10 to $15 for a crash report you can also get free by sending a public records (FOIA) request to the police agency that wrote it.
Need it now ($10-$15)
Use BuyCrash directly. Instant PDF after the agency uploads (~24-48 hours after the report is completed).
Go to BuyCrash.comWant it free (FOIA)
Send a public records request to the responding police agency. Most waive fees for parties to the crash. Takes 5-21 days.
Free FOIA walkthrough ↓BuyCrash & Free Crash Reports: At a Glance
- BuyCrash is real and legitimate — it is operated by LexisNexis Risk Solutions and is the official report distributor for thousands of state and local agencies.
- BuyCrash and “LexisNexis Police Reports” are the same service. The Police Reports name was retired; both URLs (buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com and policereports.lexisnexis.com) lead to the same portal.
- Typical BuyCrash fee: $10-$15, set by each agency. Fees go to LexisNexis, not the police department.
- The same report is free via FOIA from the responding agency. Public records laws in all 50 states give parties to the crash the right to a copy at low or no cost.
- FOIA turnaround: 5-21 days vs. BuyCrash’s 24-48 hours. Speed is the only meaningful tradeoff.
- Insurance companies and attorneys obtain the report at no cost to you as part of their standard claim investigation.
- State agencies (CHP, TxDOT, FLHSMV, Illinois State Police, Michigan State Police) run their own portals separate from BuyCrash for crashes on state highways and interstates. State-specific guides: Illinois | Michigan.
What BuyCrash Is (and Isn’t)
BuyCrash is a paid online distribution service operated by LexisNexis Risk Solutions. Police agencies contract with LexisNexis to host and deliver their crash reports through buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com. When you pay $10 to $15 to BuyCrash, you are paying for instant access and convenience, not for the underlying record.
BuyCrash is not a government agency. It does not generate or own the crash report. Every report on BuyCrash was written by a responding officer at a police department, sheriff’s office, or state highway patrol, and that agency is required by state public records law to release it — usually for free or a small statutory fee — through a FOIA request.
The rebrand: Police Reports → BuyCrash
Get It Free: How to FOIA the Responding Agency
Every state has a public records or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) law that gives parties to a crash — drivers, passengers, vehicle owners, and their attorneys — the right to a copy of the report. Most agencies waive or reduce fees for these parties. Here is the five-step process that works in every state.
Find the responding agency and case number
The responding officer hands every party an exchange-of-information card with the case or incident number. If you did not receive one, call the agency’s non-emergency line within 24 hours and request the case number by date and location of the crash. Save it. Every records office uses this number as the lookup key.
Find the agency’s FOIA / records request office
Search the agency’s website for “FOIA”, “Public Records”, or “Records Request”. You should find one of three options:
- An online FOIA request form (preferred — fastest path)
- An email address for the FOIA officer or records custodian
- A physical address and form for mailed requests
Submit a written request with a fee waiver
A FOIA request is a short letter or email. State that you are a party to the crash, give the date, location, and case number, and ask for a copy of the report. Request a fee waiver based on your status as an involved party. See the sample letter below — you can copy it directly. Most agencies waive the fee automatically for drivers, passengers, and owners.
Specify how you want the report delivered
Email is fastest and free. Most agencies will deliver a PDF by email if you ask. Mail delivery is also free in most jurisdictions. In-person pickup is rarely worth the trip unless you live near the records counter and need it the same day.
Follow up at the 5-business-day mark
Most state FOIA laws require an initial response within 5 business days, even if the report itself takes longer to deliver. If you have not heard back, call the records office and reference your request date. Statutory deadlines give you leverage; agencies do respond when reminded.
Some states route crash reports through a separate office
Sample FOIA Request Letter (Copy & Paste)
Use this template directly. Replace the bracketed fields with your information. Email delivery is the fastest, but the same wording works for a printed letter.
What to include vs leave out
When BuyCrash Is Worth the $10-$15
FOIA is free, but it is not always the right choice. There are real situations where paying for BuyCrash is the smarter move:
- You need the report in 24-48 hours. Insurance carriers usually want a copy of the police report within the first week of the claim. If the FOIA office is slow or you are bumping up against a claim deadline, $10-$15 to skip the wait is reasonable.
- Statute of limitations is approaching. If you are filing a lawsuit and your state’s SOL is days away, do not gamble on a FOIA turnaround. Pay and move.
- The agency does not respond to FOIA requests. Some smaller agencies are slow or unresponsive. After two follow-ups with no reply, paying $10-$15 saves further hassle.
- The crash was on a state highway or interstate. State highway patrols (CHP, TxDOT, FLHSMV, ISP, MSP, NHP, etc.) often charge similar fees through their own portals; FOIA does not always produce a free copy from a state agency. See the state-by-state online portal directory for the official channel.
Talk to your insurance carrier first
How BuyCrash Works If You Choose to Pay
BuyCrash is a straightforward online portal. Here is the process from start to finish:
Go to BuyCrash.com
Navigate to buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com. The older URL policereports.lexisnexis.com redirects to the same service.
Search for the responding agency
Use the agency search to find the police department, sheriff’s office, or state agency that responded to your crash. If the agency is not in the BuyCrash network, you will need to contact the agency directly or use the state portal.
Search for your report
You typically need the case number, date of crash, and last name of someone involved. Some agencies allow lookup by driver’s license number or VIN. The site verifies you are an authorized requestor before releasing the report.
Pay and download
Fees are typically $10-$15 paid by credit card. Once payment clears, you receive the report as a PDF download. The full transaction takes a couple of minutes if the report has already been uploaded.
If the report is not yet in BuyCrash
BuyCrash vs Other LexisNexis Crash-Report Products
LexisNexis Risk Solutions runs several adjacent products that get confused with BuyCrash. Here is how they differ:
| Product | Who It Is For | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| BuyCrash (formerly Police Reports) | Drivers, passengers, attorneys, insurers | Pay-per-report download portal, $10-$15 per report |
| Crashdocs | Same audience; alternate LexisNexis portal used by some agencies (e.g., Nevada Highway Patrol) | Same function as BuyCrash, different agency network |
| Police Records Retrieval | Insurance carriers and corporate clients only | Bulk subscription product; not available to consumers |
| eCrash | Law enforcement agencies | Internal records-management system; not consumer-facing |
For consumers, only BuyCrash and Crashdocs are relevant. The rest are commercial products you cannot purchase as an individual.
Why the Report Drives Your Settlement Value
Whether you pay BuyCrash $10 or FOIA it free, the report itself is the same document, and it is the single most important piece of paper in the early days of your insurance claim. Insurance adjusters use the contributing-factor codes and citation entries as their first-pass fault determination, which directly drives the first-pass settlement offer.
- Clear other-driver fault (failed to yield, disregarded signal, DUI cited): full-value offers are common.
- DUI or reckless cited against the other driver: most states allow punitive damages, often pushing offers 50-200% above the base value.
- Disputed fault: offers are reduced by your assigned percentage, so 30% fault on a $50,000 claim drops to a $35,000 starting point.
Once you have the report, the next step is figuring out what your case is actually worth given the fault picture, your injuries, your medical bills, and your state’s comparative-fault rule. For the full breakdown of how the report shapes settlement value, see the car accident police report guide (KABCO injury codes, contributing-factor codes, real settlement examples).
See What Your Case Is Worth
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BuyCrash a legitimate service?
Yes. BuyCrash (formerly LexisNexis Police Reports) is operated by LexisNexis Risk Solutions and is the official online distributor for thousands of state and local law enforcement agencies. The service charges $10 to $15 per report and delivers it as an instant PDF once the agency has uploaded it. The fees go to LexisNexis, not the police department.
Can I get a BuyCrash report for free?
Not through BuyCrash itself, but you can get the same crash report free by sending a public records or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request directly to the police agency that wrote the report. Most agencies waive or reduce fees for parties to the crash and their attorneys. The tradeoff is speed: BuyCrash delivers in 24-48 hours; FOIA typically takes 5-21 days.
How much does BuyCrash cost?
Fees are set by each agency and vary by jurisdiction. Typical fees range from $10 to $15 per report. The fee is paid by credit card on the BuyCrash website and you receive an instant PDF download once the agency has uploaded the report.
What is the difference between BuyCrash and LexisNexis Police Reports?
There is no difference. They are the same service. LexisNexis rebranded the consumer Police Reports portal as BuyCrash. The official LexisNexis support page describes the product as “LexisNexis BuyCrash Accident Reports (formerly Police Reports).” Searches for either name lead to the same online interface.
Why does BuyCrash charge a fee for a public record?
The crash report itself is a public record, but BuyCrash is a paid third-party distribution service. Police agencies use BuyCrash to handle storage, identity verification, payment processing, and delivery so the agency does not have to staff a records counter. Fees go to LexisNexis, not the police department. The same record is available at no cost through a FOIA request.
How long does it take to get a free crash report through FOIA?
Most state FOIA laws require an agency response within 5 business days, with the report typically delivered within 5 to 21 days of the request. This is slower than the 24 to 48 hours BuyCrash offers, but free for parties to the crash.
Will my insurance company pull the report for free?
Yes, in most cases. Insurance carriers have direct accounts with police agencies and BuyCrash and can pull the report at no cost to you as part of their claim investigation. If you are working with your own insurer or an attorney, ask them to obtain it before paying yourself.
What if my responding agency does not use BuyCrash?
Many state agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, Texas DOT, Florida HSMV, Illinois State Police, and Michigan State Police, run their own crash report portals separately from BuyCrash. If your crash was on a state highway or interstate, the report is usually only available through the state agency’s portal. The FOIA route still works either way. See the state-by-state portal directory.
You Have the Report. What’s Your Case Worth?
The police report tells you the fault picture. Our free calculator turns the fault picture into a settlement range — factoring in your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and state law. Three minutes, no signup, attorney-reviewed.
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Related Resources
How Settlements Work
Step-by-step breakdown of the personal injury settlement process
What to Expect After an Accident
Timeline and next steps after a car accident injury
How Long Do Settlements Take?
Settlement timelines from accident to payment - 3 to 12 months on average
Settlement vs. Lawsuit
95% of cases settle - learn when to settle and when going to trial makes sense