How to Get a St. George Police Crash Report

Short answer: St. George police crash reports come from the department's Records Division at 265 N 200 E, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The division takes requests through the city's online GRAMA portal, by email and by mail, and you can also fill out a form at the counter with photo ID. St. George charges for staff time rather than a flat report price: $18.82 per hour, with the first 15 minutes free, plus copy charges. The department has 10 business days to respond.

First, make sure St. George police took the report

St. George officers work crashes on city streets inside the city limits, and the Records Division releases those reports under Utah's Government Records Access and Management Act, or GRAMA (St. George City, Records Division).

Washington County has grown fast and the city lines are not obvious from the road. A crash in Washington City, Ivins, Santa Clara, Hurricane or on the edge of unincorporated county land is a different agency's report, and crashes on I-15 are usually Utah Highway Patrol cases. The card or paperwork the officer handed you normally shows the agency name and a case number, which settles the question before you pay anyone.

How to request it from St. George Records

1. Choose your route. The Records Division accepts requests through the city's online GRAMA portal, by email and by mail. You can also come to 265 N 200 E between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, fill out the form at the counter and show photo ID.
2. Describe the record precisely. Write "traffic accident report" and give the date, the location and the case number if you were given one.
3. Explain your right to it. Crash reports are not open to the general public, so say why you are entitled to access, for example because you were one of the drivers.
4. Cap your costs. Because St. George bills staff time, the GRAMA form lets you state the maximum you authorize. Use it, so you are not surprised by a redaction-heavy file.
5. Ask whether the case is still open. The division notes that depending on the status of a case, records may not yet be available.

Questions go to the Records Division at 435-627-4301.

What St. George charges for a crash report

St. George does not post a flat per-report price. It charges for the work instead:

• Staff time for preparing, reviewing and redacting a traffic accident report: $18.82 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.
• Dispatch audio: $47.43 per hour.

In practice a straightforward two-car report often falls inside the free 15 minutes, with only the copy charge left. A fatality or a case with heavy redaction runs higher, which is exactly why the cost cap on the form is worth filling in.

When the report will be ready

The investigating officer has 10 days after finishing the investigation to file the report electronically (Utah Code § 41-6a-402(6)). St. George then has ten business days after receiving a written request to provide the record, deny it, or tell you it will not be available until later. State law sets the same ten-business-day window 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 officer's card or paperwork, if you were given one.
• The date and rough time of the crash.
• Where it happened: the street and nearest cross street, or a business address.
• The other driver's name, if you have it.
• Your photo ID.
• A cost cap on the form, and a payment method.

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 Records or the investigating officer and bring a document showing the correct information. Ask whether a supplement can be added to the report. Disagreeing with the officer's opinion about fault is a different problem, and the guide linked above covers what you can and cannot change.

St. George crash report questions

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

Most likely the Utah Highway Patrol, not the city. Our article on how to get a Utah police crash report explains how to confirm the agency and how a UHP request works.

My crash was in Hurricane, Ivins or Washington City. Who has it?

That city's own police department, or the Washington County Sheriff's Office if it happened in unincorporated county. The agency name on the officer's card is the answer.

Why can't St. George quote me a price up front?

Because the charge depends on how long the report takes to prepare and redact. Ask Records for an estimate when you submit, and set a cost cap on the form so nothing larger goes through without your say-so.

Does the report tell me who pays my medical bills?

No. It records what the officer 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 St. George?

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.