Our roads don’t just seem unsafe – they are unsafe! According to figures from the Texas Department of Transportation, a car crash happens in our state every 66 seconds. From the guy trying to beat the red light to the girl applying makeup while texting and driving, dangers are all around us. If you are unlucky enough to encounter a distracted, drunk or downright dangerous driver, you’ll be faced with repairs, injuries and mounds of paperwork after your crash. One of the many pieces of paper you’ll have to deal with could be the Driver’s Crash Report, also called the Texas Blue Form (CR-2); learning more about this document and how it could impact your case can keep you from making a costly error.
What is a Driver’s Crash Report (CR-2)?
A CR-2 report is used if for some reason the police don’t show up and complete an official (CR-3) police report. The report is designed to explain the details of the accident to the Texas Department of Transportation. We do not encourage you to complete a CR-2 unless you absolutely must (more details on this below). Completing this form unnecessarily could damage your case and decrease your chances of getting a fair settlement. You may have no choice – Texas is famous for rather rigid adherence to laws – but only complete a CR-2 when you have no other option, and make sure an attorney reviews it before you file.
Why No Police Report?
Ideally, police officers would show up instantly after a crash, fully document it and clearly show how badly the other person messed up your car and your life. In the real world, though, the police have other obligations and may not be able to get to your crash scene at all. In some cases, they simply don’t want to take the time to complete a form for what they consider to be a “minor” crash. Even a wreck that appears to be minor can result in injuries that can impact your ability to earn a living, enjoy your life and even perform basic daily tasks. If you’re left holding the bag and the police officer declines to make a report, you’ll need to file a CR-2.
What is the CR-2 / Blue Form Used For?
This form serves as documentation of your crash for the Texas DOT and can also be used in your case. While the state needs to collect statistical information, a blue form does not hold the same weight or authority in court as a police report. A police report is often seen as more of an objective statement of what happened; a report generated by one of the parties involved in the wreck, even the victim, carries less weight.
This form may not be terribly helpful; after all, the person who hit you is unlikely to make the following statement, even if it is the truth:
“I stopped by the bar for a few beers, then headed home. While I was in the middle of texting and finishing up my order of wings to go, I rammed into a guy on his way home for work. Totally my bad.”
When Are You Required To Fill Out A Blue Form?
Under certain circumstances, Texas law requires that you fill out a Blue Form. If an officer was not available or declined to create a report, you must fill out a blue form if:
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An injury or death occurred as a result of the accident
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Or, there appears to be property damage at an estimated value of $1,000 or more
Again, it can’t be stressed enough that your form should be reviewed by an attorney before submission if you have to file a Blue Form.
Who Should Complete A Driver’s Crash Report (Form CR-2)?
The crash report should be completed by the driver involved in the crash. However, another individual is allowed to complete the report on the driver’s behalf if the driver is unable to complete the report. If an individual other than the driver completes the report, an explanation should be given as to why the driver was unable to complete the form.
How To Fill Out A Texas Blue Form
If you have to fill out a Texas Blue Form, the form you fill out will depend on when your accident occurred. Per Senate Bill 312, CR-2 forms are no longer retained by the Texas Department of Transportation and the form itself has been slightly updated. Crashes that occured prior to September 1st, 2017 will require the old Blue Form, while crashes that have occured after September 1st, 2017 can be documented with the older form.
The forms do have distinguishable differences. The older form pictured below is blue throughout.
The newer blue form is a white document with a blue header.
If your crash occurred prior to September 1st, 2017, you can mail your completed form to the Texas Department of Transportation.
Texas Department of Transportation Crash Records PO Box 149349 Austin, TX 78714
Blue Forms completed for crashes occurring after September 1st, 2017 should be retained for your records.
Call us today for a free, no obligation consultation
What Information Is Included On The CR-2?
Completing the required information at least gets some details on record. Information requested on a crash report includes:
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Date of the crash (including the time if known)
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Where the wreck happened
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Which cars and people were involved (your vehicle would be listed first)
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What cars were damaged and what visible damage is showing
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Injuries sustained on the scene
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The story, or narrative of what happened, in a driver’s statement (do not send photographs)
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Your signature attesting that the information on the form is correct
A Crash Report Could Hurt your Case
While they are not terribly helpful for you, a Blue Form can be a wonderful thing for your opponent. The person who caused the wreck or their attorney (or insurance company) will be delighted to pick your statement apart and find ways to use it against you. Providing accurate information is essential, but supplying more than the form asks for is looking for trouble.
For instance, if you were involved in an accident coming from Chicotsky’s liquor store, you may write that in the report. You might think it’s important to be as detailed as possible, but the other driver’s insurance company may try to claim that you were under the influence of alcohol based on your written statement that you were leaving the liquor store. The insurance company’s defense counsel will try their best to spin your written statement into proof that you were intoxicated. In this case, including additional information such as the store you were driving from does not benefit your claim and harms it instead.
Offer only the facts and nothing else – and make sure an attorney reviews your form before you hand it in to make sure your rights and interests are protected. In addition, especially if filed unnecessarily, a CR-2 could hinder future attempts to obtain or renew auto insurance at reasonable rates.
Texas Crash Report (CR-3): How to Get the Official Police Report
If a Texas peace officer actually responded to your crash scene, you do not need to fill out a CR-2 — the officer is required to file the official Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report, Form CR-3, with the Texas Department of Transportation. The CR-3 is the report most people mean when they search for “Texas crash report” or “Texas accident report.” It is the document insurance adjusters, defense lawyers, and judges all reference. If a CR-3 exists in your case, that is the report that matters — and getting your hands on a certified copy is one of the first things we do on a new file.
When is a CR-3 filed in Texas?
Under Texas Transportation Code §550.062, any peace officer who in the regular course of duty investigates a motor-vehicle crash that results in injury to or death of a person, or damage to the property of any one person to the apparent extent of $1,000 or more, must file a written report of the crash. The officer must complete and forward the CR-3 to TxDOT no later than the 10th day after the date of the crash. In other words, if police came to your wreck and any of these three thresholds were met — anyone was hurt, anyone was killed, or any single vehicle or piece of property looked like it had at least $1,000 in damage — a CR-3 is going to be in the system within ten days.
In practice, that covers nearly every crash where an officer responded. Modern vehicles are expensive enough that even a low-speed bumper hit will usually clear the $1,000 damage threshold. The narrow exception is the truly minor parking-lot tap with no injuries and almost no damage. If an officer arrived but explicitly told you he or she was not writing a report, that is unusual — and it is one of the reasons the CR-2 (driver’s self-report blue form, covered above) exists as a backup.
How to request a CR-3 from TxDOT
Texas crash reports are housed at the TxDOT Crash Records Information System (CRIS). The Texas Department of Transportation, Crash Records, is the official custodian. You can request a CR-3 three ways:
- Online via CRIS at cris.dot.state.tx.us. This is the fastest route. You search by crash date, county, and the names of the drivers involved (or by the assigned crash ID, if you have it). Crashes typically appear in CRIS within 5–10 business days of the date of the crash, depending on how quickly the investigating agency uploads its report.
- By mail with a completed Crash Report Request form (CR-91) and payment to TxDOT Crash Data and Analysis, 125 E. 11th Street, Austin, TX 78701. Allow additional time for mail processing.
- In person at the responding agency. Many police departments — including Fort Worth PD, Arlington PD, Dallas PD, Houston PD, Austin PD, and San Antonio PD — will sell you a copy of the report directly once it has been finalized, often before it appears in CRIS.
How much does a Texas crash report cost?
The current TxDOT fees set by 43 Texas Administrative Code §25.992 are:
- $6.00 for a standard (uncertified) copy of a CR-3 report
- $8.00 for a certified copy of a CR-3 report
- $2.00 for a “crash-not-on-file” certification (used when no report has been filed and you need official confirmation of that)
Local police departments may charge slightly different amounts when you purchase directly from them. The certified copy is what you generally want if you anticipate using the report in a claim or lawsuit — it is admissible as a self-authenticating record.
How long does it take to get a Texas crash report?
Two clocks are running:
- The officer’s clock. Tex. Transp. Code §550.062 gives the officer up to 10 days after the crash to file the CR-3 with TxDOT.
- The upload clock. Once filed, the report has to be entered into CRIS. Most reports are searchable in CRIS within 5–10 business days of the crash; in heavy-volume agencies during peak periods, it can take up to 14 business days.
If the case involved a fatality, a serious-injury reconstruction, a DWI arrest, or multiple agencies, the report can take 30 days or longer while the investigating unit completes its work. We pull CRIS daily on cases that have not yet posted so we have the report the moment it appears.
What does a Texas CR-3 crash report contain?
A complete CR-3 includes:
- The assigned crash ID (a unique number that follows the case through CRIS, insurance, and any litigation)
- Date, time, and location of the crash, including GPS coordinates and a roadway diagram
- All drivers and vehicles involved — name, address, date of birth, driver’s-license number, license plate, VIN, and insurance information for each
- Passengers and pedestrians involved, with injury severity codes (K = killed, A = suspected serious injury, B = suspected minor injury, C = possible injury, N = not injured)
- Vehicle damage assessed on the standardized seven-position damage scale and the disabling-damage flag
- The officer’s narrative describing what happened and the contributing factors (a numbered list of crash-cause codes such as “Failed to Control Speed,” “Failed to Yield Right of Way,” “Driver Inattention,” “Disregard Stop Sign,” “Followed Too Closely”)
- The officer’s diagram of the crash scene
- Any citations issued and any field-sobriety or BAC results from a DWI investigation
- The investigating agency, officer name, and badge number
The contributing-factor codes are particularly important. When the officer assigns a fault code to the other driver, that is powerful evidence at the negotiation table — although the carrier and defense will sometimes try to challenge the officer’s assessment.
CR-2 vs. CR-3: which one applies to my crash?
Here is the simple rule:
| If… | Then the report is a… |
|---|---|
| A peace officer responded and investigated the crash | CR-3 (officer files within 10 days) |
| No officer responded AND there was injury, death, or $1,000+ in property damage | CR-2 (driver files using the Blue Form — see above) |
| No officer responded AND none of the thresholds were met | No required state report |
In most real-world Texas crashes, an officer responds and a CR-3 is the operative report. The CR-2 is a backup for the smaller subset of cases where police never arrived but the legal thresholds for a state report still apply.
What if I can’t find my Texas crash report?
A few common reasons a search of CRIS comes back empty:
- The report has not posted yet. Check again 7–10 business days after the crash.
- The investigating agency was misidentified. A crash on I-35 inside Fort Worth could be DPS, Fort Worth PD, or Tarrant County Sheriff depending on where it happened. Try searching by date and county rather than agency.
- Name or date typos. CRIS searches are exact-match on names. A misspelled last name on the scene can keep the report out of search results for weeks.
- The officer declined to write a report. Rare but possible — you may need to file a CR-2 driver’s blue form to document the crash (see above).
- There is a hold on the report. Fatality and serious-injury crashes are sometimes held by the investigating agency while the reconstruction unit completes its work. The report will release once the investigation is complete.
If you have searched and still cannot find the report, call us. We pull crash reports as part of every initial case workup, including ordering certified copies, requesting supplemental investigative records, and following up directly with the investigating agency when a report is overdue.
What if both a CR-3 and a CR-2 exist for my crash?
This sometimes happens — for example, an officer takes a quick report but you also fill out a blue form afterward because you were not sure the officer’s report would be filed. When both exist, the CR-3 controls in nearly every practical sense. It is the official law-enforcement record and the document carriers and courts will look to. Before submitting a CR-2 when a CR-3 already exists, have a lawyer review what you wrote on the blue form — anything you said there can be used against you, and a duplicate self-report adds nothing your case needs.
Contact Patterson Law Group For A Free Case Review
Contact us to talk about your case – before you file a crash report form that could jeopardize your potential settlement or rights. Our goal is to ensure you are treated fairly and with respect by the system, because when you work with Patterson Law Group protecting your rights is our highest priority. Our clients come first and we strive to earn them the results they deserve.
Our complementary consultation is the first step towards a fair recovery. Schedule your complementary consultation today.