How to Get a Washington County Sheriff Crash Report

Short answer: The Washington County Sheriff's Office releases crash reports through a GRAMA request, which you can submit on its website. The office is at 620 South 5300 West in Hurricane, and the main number is 435-656-6500. Like St. George, the county charges for staff time rather than a flat report price: $21.53 per hour to prepare, review and redact a traffic accident report, with the first 15 minutes free, plus copy charges. Expect a response within 10 working days, and do not prepay.

First, make sure the Sheriff's Office took the report

The Washington County Sheriff's Office covers the unincorporated parts of the county. St. George, Hurricane, Washington City, Ivins, Santa Clara and the other incorporated cities each run their own police departments, and crashes on I-15 are usually Utah Highway Patrol cases.

This matters more in Washington County than in most places, because the county has grown quickly and city boundaries weave through areas that still look rural. The card or paperwork the deputy handed you normally shows the agency name and a case number. If it does not say Washington County Sheriff, request from the agency it names instead.

How to request it from the Sheriff's Office

Submit a GRAMA request. The office handles records requests under
Utah Code 63G-2
and publishes a
records request form
on its site.
Give them your details. The form asks for your full name, date of birth, mailing address, phone number and email address.
Describe the record as completely as you can. Include the case number, the date of the incident, the type of incident, and the name of the officer who took the report, if you know it.
Do not prepay. The office asks requesters not to send money up front. You will get an email once the request has been processed, with instructions for payment.
Cap your costs. Because the county bills staff time, state the maximum you authorize so a redaction-heavy file cannot run past it without your say-so.

Questions go to 435-656-6500.

What Washington County charges

There is no flat per-report price. The county charges for the work:

Staff time to prepare, review and redact a police report or traffic accident report: $21.53 per hour, with the first 15 minutes free.
Black and white photocopies: $0.25 per page. Color: $0.50 per page.
Photos: $5.00 for each CD. USB drive: $15.00.
Dash camera or body camera footage: $28.31 per hour to review and redact.
Dispatch audio: $47.43 per hour.

Credit and debit cards are accepted with an additional fee. A straightforward two-car report often falls inside the free 15 minutes, leaving only the copy charge. Body camera footage is the expensive item, so ask for it only if you need it.

When the report will be ready

The investigating deputy has 10 days after finishing the investigation to file the report electronically (Utah Code § 41-6a-402(6)). The Sheriff's Office responds to GRAMA requests within 10 working days. State law sets the same ten-business-day window for crash reports and allows a hold where release would jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation or prosecution (Utah Code § 41-6a-404(3)(b)).

What to bring or attach

The case number from the deputy's card or paperwork, if you were given one.
The date and rough time of the crash.
Where it happened: the road and nearest cross street or mile marker.
The deputy's name, if you have it.
Your full name, date of birth, mailing address, phone and email, which the form requires.
A cost cap, and a payment method for when they email you.

A relative handling the request for you will need your signed authorization. Our guide to getting your Utah crash report explains who the law allows to request one.

Who is entitled to the report

State law requires release of the full report to people involved in the crash other than mere witnesses, to anyone injured or who suffered a loss in it, and to their agents, parents, or legal guardians, among others (§ 41-6a-404(3)(a)). The agency may charge a reasonable fee for the report and its data (§ 41-6a-404(7)), which is where the staff-time rate comes from.

If something in it is wrong

For a misspelled name, a wrong plate, or the wrong insurance company, contact the Sheriff's Office or the investigating deputy and bring a document showing the correct information. Ask whether a supplement can be added. Disagreeing with the deputy's opinion about fault is a different problem, and the guide linked above covers what you can and cannot change.

Washington County crash report questions

My crash was in St. George. Is this the right office?

No. St. George Police keep their own reports. We have a separate page on how to get a St. George police crash report.

My crash was on I-15. Who has the report?

Most likely the Utah Highway Patrol. Our article on how to get a Utah police crash report explains how to confirm the agency.

They told me not to prepay. When do I pay?

After the request is processed. The office emails you with the amount and how to pay it, so sending a check with the form only slows things down.

Does the report tell me who pays my medical bills?

No. It records what the deputy found, but payment depends on your own coverage and the other driver's. Our St. George personal injury lawyer page covers that next stage.

Hurt in a crash in Washington County?

If you were hurt and hire us, we request the report and its data for you and go through it with you as part of your case. Not ready to hire anyone? Send us the details and we will get the report for you.

Call (801) 921-5134 or send us a message for a free case review.