Short answer
An officer who investigates a Texas crash must write a report only if someone was hurt or killed, or damage to any one person’s property reached $1,000 (Transportation Code §550.062) — and police don’t investigate every minor crash. If no officer came, there may be no CR-3 to buy. You can still file an insurance claim with your own evidence: the other driver’s information, photos, witnesses, and repair estimates.
When Texas police write a crash report
An officer who, in the regular course of duty, investigates a crash must make a written report if the crash injured or killed someone, or caused apparent damage of $1,000 or more to any one person’s property — and file it with TxDOT by the 10th day after the crash (§550.062).
The law also requires drivers to notify police immediately when a crash injures or kills someone or leaves a vehicle that can’t be driven normally and safely (§550.026). For a minor crash where everyone drives away, police often don’t come out at all.
Why you can’t find a report
- It’s too early. Officers have until the 10th day to file, then TxDOT processes it. Check whether yours should be ready.
- No officer investigated — common after minor crashes.
- The agency used a local form, not a state report. Richardson Police, for example, documents minor no-injury crashes on “call cards” that never go to TxDOT — see Richardson crash reports.
- The search is off. Try the other driver’s name, a day on either side of the date, or the neighboring county — see CRIS search tips.
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Reporting a crash after the fact
If police didn’t come to the scene, contact the police department for the city where the crash happened — or the county sheriff outside city limits — and ask how they take late crash reports. Practices differ by agency. Lewisville, for example, doesn’t accept vehicle crash reports through its online reporting system, and Denton may ask drivers in a minor no-injury crash to fill out a driver’s report for their own records instead of sending an officer. Find your DFW agency.
The old “Blue Form” (CR-2) is gone
Texas drivers used to file their own crash report — the CR-2, or “Blue Form” — with TxDOT. Since September 1, 2017, TxDOT no longer keeps them, it hasn’t held any since 2019, and any CR-2 sent to TxDOT is destroyed. Only reports written by law enforcement go into the state system.
Making an insurance claim without a police report
- Report the crash to your own insurer promptly — you don’t need a police report to open a claim.
- Give the insurer the information the other driver was required to exchange: name, address, plate number, and insurance company (§550.023).
- Send your photos, witness names and numbers, and repair estimates.
- Write down what happened while it’s fresh — date, time, exact location, direction of travel, and what each driver said.
Frequently asked questions
Is a police report required to file an insurance claim in Texas?
No. You can open a claim without one. A report helps with fault and details, so when there isn’t one, your photos, witnesses, and the other driver’s information carry more weight.
Do police have to come to a car accident in Texas?
Not always. Drivers must notify police immediately when someone is hurt or killed or a vehicle can’t be driven safely (§550.026), and officers who investigate must report crashes with injury, death, or $1,000+ in damage (§550.062). Minor crashes often get no officer.
Can I file a police report days after a car accident in Texas?
Contact the police department where the crash happened (or the sheriff outside city limits) and ask how they handle late reports — practices differ by agency.
Can I still file a Blue Form (CR-2) in Texas?
No. TxDOT stopped keeping CR-2 driver reports on September 1, 2017, and destroys any it receives. Only law enforcement crash reports go into the state system.
Texas law and sources cited
- Tex. Transp. Code §550.062 — when an officer must file a crash report
- Tex. Transp. Code §550.026 — when you must notify police immediately
- Tex. Transp. Code §550.023 — information drivers must exchange
- TxDOT — Crash reports and records (CR-2 no longer accepted since 2017)
- TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System (CRIS)
General information, not legal advice. DFW Crash Data is not a law firm, and every situation is different — for advice about your own claim, talk to a licensed Texas attorney. Laws change; the sources above were checked on the date shown at the top of this page.