How to request a Georgia police incident report
Request a Georgia police incident report from the agency that investigated the incident. DPS explains its own records process, but it is not a statewide custodian for every city police or county sheriff report.
General information only. AnswerSignalApp is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice. It does not describe legal rights, deadlines or outcomes. Agencies change their procedures and fees; the official page is always the authority.
1. Distinguish an incident report from a crash report
A traffic crash report follows the GDOT or investigating State Patrol route described in our crash guide. An incident report is an agency record about an investigated incident; it is not the same as a court docket or a statewide criminal history. Requesting one does not retrieve the others.
If you need photographs, a citation or other records associated with an incident, identify those records separately. DPS’s instructions address incident reports, citations, crash reports and related photographs within its own records. That does not establish that another agency’s materials are held by DPS.
2. Identify who investigated
Check a card, receipt or existing report paperwork for the department or State Patrol post. For local police or sheriff records, locate that agency’s official open-records contact. For DPS records, follow the DPS Open Records Unit instructions.
If the agency is uncertain, contact the department or post connected with the incident and ask whether it holds the report. Avoid sending the same personal details to multiple unrelated offices. This guide does not search police databases or accept names, incident numbers or descriptions.
3. Make a focused request through the agency
DPS lists the record requested, county or city, incident date and report number if known among the details that help locate records. Its page also lists requester contact details. Supply what the official office requires directly through its process; do not enter those details on Georgia Legal Connect.
DPS offers a request form to help locate responsive documents and explicitly says its use is not required. A local agency may have different instructions. The Attorney General recommends a written request to clarify and document what is requested.
4. Check access and copy limitations
DPS warns that open-records requests may be billed. Ask the actual custodian about charges, available formats and any restricted or withheld material. Being mentioned in an incident does not automatically mean every associated document is available.
If the report cannot be located, confirm the investigating agency, date and record type with the records unit. If you instead need the outcome of a filed court case, contact the court clerk or use the court directory. A police report is not a certified court disposition, and an absent police record is not a criminal-history clearance.