How to get a car accident report in Delaware

Step by step

1. Confirm you are an eligible party. Delaware crash reports are confidential (21 Del. C. § 313). Only a driver/vehicle owner listed on the report, their insurer, or their attorney may request one. Have your collision (information exchange) form and a photo ID ready.
2. Identify the investigating agency. Determine who worked the crash. If Delaware State Police responded, request from DSP Traffic Operations. If a city police department (Wilmington, Newark, Dover) or county/local agency responded, you must request from that specific agency — there is no statewide portal.
3. Prepare a written request and payment. For DSP: write a request enclosing a copy of your collision information exchange form and a check or money order payable to 'Delaware State Police' for $25.00 (standard) or $60.00 (fatal). Local agencies use their own request form and fee (e.g., Wilmington PD and Newark PD charge $20 for a standard report).
4. Mail the request. Mail DSP requests to: Delaware State Police, Traffic Operations Section, P.O. Box 430, Dover, DE 19903. DSP does not accept walk-in crash-report requests. Local agencies may allow mail, in-person, email, or phone — confirm with that agency.
5. Wait for the mailed report and review it. The report is returned by mail. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if the agency requires it (e.g., Wilmington PD). Questions on the DSP process: (302) 739-5931, Mon–Fri 8am–4pm.

State police / highway patrol crashes

Delaware State Police (DSP) crashes: submit a MAIL-ONLY written request to Delaware State Police, Traffic Operations Section, P.O. Box 430, Dover, DE 19903. Enclose a copy of your collision (information exchange) form and payment by check or money order payable to 'Delaware State Police' — $25.00 for a standard collision report, $60.00 for a fatal collision report. DSP cannot honor walk-in requests. Questions: (302) 739-5931 (Mon–Fri, 8am–4pm). No online ordering option exists.

Crashes handled by local police or sheriffs

Agency-by-agency (bucket C). There is NO statewide online portal and NO third-party vendor (no LexisNexis BuyCrash, no Carfax crashdocs) in Delaware. For a crash worked by a local city PD or county agency, the eligible party requests directly from that agency's records unit. Examples verified live: Wilmington Police Department — written request + self-addressed stamped envelope + $20 check/money order payable to WPD, Records Unit (302) 576-3607; Newark Police Department Records Division — in-person/phone/email/mail request, $20 standard / $60 serious-injury or fatal, photo ID required, 220 South Main St, Newark, DE 19711, (302) 366-7100 opt. 3, npdrecords@newark.de.us. Each agency limits release to parties/owners listed on the report and their insurers/attorneys.

After you get the report

Use the report to support an insurance claim (it documents parties, vehicles, date/location, diagram, and the officer's contributing-factor findings). Review it carefully for errors — misspelled names, wrong insurance/plate info, incorrect date or location, or a wrong fault/contributing-factor notation — and ask the investigating agency to correct factual errors, since insurers and any injury claim will rely on it. Because DE reports are confidential, do not post or share the report publicly.