How Long Does It Take to Get a Police Report Back in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, the time it takes to get a police report back can vary from about 3 to 10 business days, depending on the law enforcement agency that responded and the type of incident. A car accident police report is typically available within 10 days, but complex or serious injury crashes may require a longer processing time. Speak with an experienced car accident lawyer in New Jersey for guidance.
Average Police Report Times for Various Incident Types in New Jersey
How long it takes to obtain a copy of your police report in New Jersey depends in part on the type of incident. For example, major incidents with ongoing investigations, such as hit-and-run car accidents, may take longer than 10 business days, as reports are typically only released once an investigation is concluded.
Common examples include:
- Minor car accident with no injuries: within 3 days
- Accidents with injuries: 5 to 14 days, depending on medical documentation
- Physical assault cases: 7 to 14 days
- Theft or burglary: 3 to 10 days
- Fatal accidents or crimes: several weeks or months, depending on the investigative timeline
These are just estimates. The actual length of time it will take for the police department to complete and process your report and make it available depends on your situation. Issues such as missing or incomplete information, police department backlog, additional necessary investigation, or a serious incident can add to the time it takes to process a police report.
How to Obtain a Police Report in New Jersey
To obtain a copy of your police report in New Jersey, wait at least three days after the police investigated the incident that you reported. Call the law enforcement department in the county where the incident occurred to check on the report status. If your report is available, you can obtain it in person at the records office (typically the police headquarters) or submit your request by mail.
In some jurisdictions, you can also request a copy of your report online. To request a police report, you will have to show identification and provide a report number or the date that the police report was taken by the officer.
Typically, only the parties directly involved in the incident or their legal representatives can obtain a copy of the report. You will need to pay the required fee, which varies based on the type of report. The fee in New Jersey ranges from $0.10 to $0.75 per page.
What to Do if Your Police Report Is Taking a Long Time to Process
A police report can provide important evidence to support your car accident claim or another type of personal injury case in New Jersey. The sooner you obtain a copy of your police report, the faster you can submit it to an insurance company to initiate your claim.
If it’s taking longer than usual for the police to process your report, follow up with the records department to politely inquire about the stage of the investigation. There may be missing information that you can help provide to speed up the process. Ensure that all of the details you provide are accurate and complete so that the claim can be processed smoothly.
If you are finding it difficult to get a status update on your police report or for some reason can’t obtain a copy, contact a personal injury attorney in New Jersey for support. A lawyer can communicate directly with law enforcement to find out what’s going on. Your lawyer can advocate for you to try to obtain a copy of your report faster, so that a related legal case can move forward.