| Quick answer: If the Birmingham Police Department responded to your crash, you can request your accident report online through the BPD Records Division or in person at police headquarters, 1710 1st Avenue North. Copies cost $10. If an Alabama state trooper worked your crash instead, you can order the report from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) online for about $17.50. Most reports are ready within about 5 to 10 business days after the wreck. |
A car accident can leave you with plenty to deal with, but getting your car accident police report is worth the effort. It records the drivers, vehicles, location, citations, and the responding officer’s account of the crash. Insurance companies often rely on police reports when evaluating a claim, but a report is only one piece of evidence and does not by itself determine who was at fault for the crash.
At Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana, our car accident lawyers in Birmingham, AL, often hear from clients who searched every site they could think of and still could not find their report, usually because it was held by the wrong agency. City police and state troopers file separately, so this guide walks you through both paths to get your copy the first time.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Which Agency Has Your Birmingham Car Accident Report?
This guide assumes officers already responded to your crash, since that response is what creates the report in the first place. If you are weighing whether to call police after a minor fender bender, we cover that separately in why you should call police after a car accident.
Two different agencies handle crashes in and around Birmingham. If a Birmingham Police Department officer responded, your report stays with the BPD Records Division. If an Alabama Highway Patrol trooper worked the scene, the report goes to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, known as ALEA. Most crashes inside Birmingham city limits are handled by the city police, but not all of them, especially on interstates and highways passing through the area.
The fastest way to know for sure is to look at the crash card, sometimes called the information exchange sheet, that the officer handed you at the scene. It lists the responding agency along with a case or report number. That number makes every request faster. If you never received a card or cannot find it, do not worry. You can still request the report using the drivers’ names, the date, and the location of the crash.
| Alabama Law Note
Alabama Code Section 32-10-7 controls who may buy a crash report. Generally, that means people involved in the crash, their attorneys or authorized representatives, and the insurers handling the claim. Because of this, both the city and the state will ask you to show identification and confirm you have a right to the report. |
How to Request Your Report From the Birmingham Police Department
If the city police responded, the BPD Records Division is your source. You have two main options.
Online
The Records Division lets you purchase and download accident reports through its online payment portal. Each report costs $10. To complete an online order, you will generally need the report number, so it helps to call the Records Division first at (205) 254-6308 to confirm the report is ready and get that number. Card payments are accepted, but American Express is not. If you are requesting more than one report, the system requires a separate transaction for each one.
In Person
You can pick up your report at Birmingham Police Department Headquarters, 1710 1st Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203. The Records Division is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. No reports are sold after 4:30 p.m., so plan to arrive with time to spare. Bring a valid state ID.
Before you make a trip or place an online order, it is smart to confirm the report is ready. Call the Records Division at (205) 254-6308 with your case number handy, or email BPDReports@birminghamal.gov. Most releasable reports are available within about 5 to 7 business days. Accepted payments are cash, debit cards, money orders, and company checks. Personal checks are not accepted. Older records, meaning accident reports filed before January 2015, are archived and cost $25, with a slightly longer wait.
We hear often that the Records Division line can be hard to reach, or that a report takes longer to post than expected. For the clients we represent, making those calls and following up until the report is in hand is simply part of the work we do on their case.
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“Caldwell Wenzel & Astana guided me expertly through my automobile accident case. The professionalism and expertise they displayed were key in winning my case.” – Marc Elkins
How to Request Your Report From ALEA
If a state trooper investigated your crash, the report lives with ALEA rather than the city. You have three ways to get it.
Online is the fastest. Through ALEA’s crash report portal, a report costs about $17.50 by credit or debit card, which is the $15 report fee plus a card-processing fee. You search using the driver’s license number, the driver’s name, or the crash report number. Once you pay, you can download the report immediately, and it stays accessible for 7 days from the first time you view it.
By mail, you complete ALEA’s Crash Report Request form and send it with $15 in the form of a cashier’s check, certified check, or money order payable to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Personal checks are not accepted. In person, you can visit any ALEA Driver License Office and request the report for $15. Reports usually appear in the ALEA system within 7 to 10 business days of the crash.
| Important Warning
A report worked by the Birmingham Police Department may not appear in ALEA’s online system, and a state trooper report may not appear in the city’s records. Searching the wrong agency is the single most common reason people believe their report is missing. When in doubt, check your crash card or call the agency before assuming the report does not exist. |
Real-World Scenario
A driver was rear-ended on Highway 280 inside Birmingham and searched the ALEA portal every day for a week without finding anything. Her crash card showed that the Birmingham Police Department, not a state trooper, had responded. Once she called the Records Division at (205) 254-6308, she learned the report had been ready for days. She ordered it online for $10 and finally had what her insurer had been asking for.
We see this pattern often. Clients spend days searching the wrong system before realizing the report was sitting with the correct agency the entire time. Once we help pin down the right source early, the rest of the claims process typically moves much faster.
Can’t Track Down Your Birmingham Crash Report?
If the agencies keep sending you in circles, or the report contains something that does not match what happened, you do not have to sort it out alone. A quick review with a car accident lawyer at Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana can tell you what your report actually says about fault.
Why the Report Matters So Much in Alabama
Alabama follows a harsh rule called pure contributory negligence, one that only a handful of states still use. If you are found even 1 percent at fault for the crash, you can be barred from recovering anything at all. Insurance adjusters know this and use it aggressively. The officer’s observations and the information contained in the report can significantly influence an insurer’s evaluation of the claim, which is why you should read your report carefully and obtain it as early as possible. Timing matters for another reason too: in Alabama, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, and building a strong claim starts with the basic facts in the report.
| Alabama Law Note
Contributory negligence means 1 percent of fault can equal $0 in recovery, so accuracy in your report is not a small detail. The statute of limitations for personal injury in Alabama is generally two years from the date of the crash. Do not let a claim sit while that clock runs. |
Real-World Scenario
A Jefferson County driver pulled her report and noticed the officer had recorded her direction of travel incorrectly. On paper, the error made it look like she had pulled into the other driver’s path. The insurer seized on it. Because she caught the mistake early, she was able to contact the investigating agency and request a correction before it hardened into the accepted version of events.
When we spot an error like this in a client’s report, we contact the investigating agency directly to ask for a correction. A detail that looks small on paper can quietly shape how an insurer values the whole claim, so it is worth pushing back on.
Quick Checklist: Getting Your Birmingham Crash
Getting your crash report is easier once you know which agency investigated the accident and what information you need to make the request. Follow these steps to locate and obtain the correct report. For more information on what happens next, see our guide on what to do after a car accident in Alabama.
- Find your crash card or information exchange sheet and note the case number.
- Identify the responding agency: Birmingham Police Department or ALEA.
- Wait about 5 to 10 business days for the report to be filed.
- Request it online or in person from the correct agency.
- Read the report closely and check every detail for accuracy.
- Keep copies for your insurer and, if you have one, your attorney.
One important thing we often tell our clients is to read their report before the insurance company builds its opinion around it. Catching an error in your police report in the first few days is far easier than trying to undo it weeks later.
A Final Word
Getting your Birmingham crash report is not complicated once you know who to ask and what it costs. The harder part is what comes next: reading it carefully, spotting anything that is wrong, and understanding how Alabama’s fault rules can turn a small detail into a large problem. If any of that feels overwhelming while you are still recovering, that is understandable, and you do not have to face it alone.
We know that in the days after a wreck, chasing down paperwork is the last thing you feel like doing. If you were hurt in a Birmingham car accident, a car accident lawyer can pull your report, deal with the agencies, and build your claim around what actually happened, so you can focus on recovery.
Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana Can Obtain and Review Your Police Report
If you need help pulling your Birmingham crash report or understanding what it says about fault, Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana can help. We regularly obtain and review accident reports for injured drivers across Alabama and the Gulf Coast. Call us or visit one of our offices to talk through your crash and what your report shows.
- Birmingham Office: 4505 Pine Tree Cir #121, Birmingham, AL 35243. Serving drivers throughout Jefferson County and central Alabama, close to the crashes worked by the Birmingham Police Department.
- Foley Office: 218 North Alston Street, Foley, AL 36535. Serving Baldwin County drivers and Gulf Coast crashes.
- Mobile Office: 6001 Airport Boulevard, Suite 200A, Mobile, AL 36608. Serving Mobile County and the surrounding area.
Can’t come to us? We offer virtual consultations and can travel to meet you at home or in the hospital to ensure you don’t miss the two-year filing deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Read answers to some of the questions we hear most often from injured drivers in Birmingham.
Do I need a lawyer to get a car accident police report in Birmingham, AL?
No. You can generally request your own Birmingham accident report directly from the Birmingham Police Department or ALEA, depending on which agency investigated the collision. You do not have to hire a lawyer simply to obtain the report. When you work with a car accident lawyer at Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana after your accident, we will obtain the report as part of investigating your claim.
How long does it take to get a car accident report in Birmingham, Alabama?
Birmingham Police Department accident reports are generally available within about 5 to 7 business days after a crash, although some reports may take longer. ALEA reports typically become available within about 7 to 10 business days. If your report is not available after that time, Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana can help determine which agency handled the crash and whether additional follow-up is needed.
How much does a Birmingham car accident police report cost?
A Birmingham Police Department accident report generally costs $10. If an Alabama state trooper investigated the crash, an ALEA report costs $15, plus an online card-processing fee when purchased electronically. The cost can vary for older or archived Birmingham police reports.
What if I do not have the case or report number?
You can still get the report. Provide the drivers’ names, the date, and the location of the crash, and the agency can look it up. Having the number simply makes the search faster.
Can I get the report if I was cited or partly blamed?
Generally yes, if you were involved in the crash. Alabama Code Section 32-10-7 allows involved parties, their representatives, and insurers to obtain the report. Being cited does not erase your right to your own accident report.
What should I do if my Birmingham police report is inaccurate?
If your Birmingham accident report contains an incorrect detail, contact the investigating agency and ask whether the information can be corrected or supplemented. Keep documentation supporting the correction, such as photographs, witness information, medical records, or other evidence. If the error could affect your insurance claim or a dispute over fault, a car accident attorney at our firm can review the report and help you determine what steps to take.