If you were involved in an accident in Washington, DC, whether on a bicycle, walking through a crosswalk, or driving a vehicle, you should get a copy of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) accident report (referred to as a “PD-10” by MPD officers) after the collision. Here are your options for getting the police report:

There are seven Metropolitan Police Department districts in the District of Columbia.

Find the department that is closest to you and drop by during business hours to request a copy of the accident report. Go inside and visit the front desk of the station. Tell the person at the desk that you are there to get a copy of an accident report or “PD-10”. Typically, you’ll need to show a picture ID, provide the accident report number (which the officer should have given you at the scene of the collision), and pay a $3 fee. The MPD is not supposed to release police reports to people who were not involved in the collision, so if you are trying to get a copy of the report for a friend or family member, they will most likely need to come with you to the district police station.

You can retrieve a copy of the accident report from the MPD headquarters located in downtown Washington, DC near the Judiciary Square area. Just go to the Henry J. Daly Building at 300 Indiana Avenue, NW, Room 3075 to make the request. There is a teller window and a clipboard where you can make your request. As with requesting a copy at one of the MPD District stations, you’ll be asked to show your ID and for the police report number. After the report is located by the records attendant, you will probably be sent downstairs to pay the $3 fee before returning to Room 3075 to get the copy of the report.

The slowest, but easiest if you don’t have much free time, way to get a copy of the police accident report in DC is to request it by mail. When you request the report by mail, you send your written request to (the same place mentioned in Option 2):

Metropolitan Police Department
Public Documents Section
ATTN: Accident/Incident Reports
300 Indiana Avenue NW, Room 3075
Washington, DC 20001

Your written request should provide as much detail as possible about the collision–the date, time, location, police report number, and people involved. You’ll need to include a $3 money order (no checks or cash) payable to “DC Treasurer” along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the MPD to return the report to you. It typically takes a couple of weeks, but your accident report shows up in your mail with minimal effort on your part.