Requesting a CHP Crash Report in Moorpark

After a collision on Highway 23 or Highway 118, the California Highway Patrol prepares the official police report. Insurers ask for that document early, and it often shapes how a claim begins. Knowing where the report is kept and how to request it saves time.

Which Agency Has the Report

The CHP Moorpark Area Office investigates collisions on the freeways and on unincorporated county roads, while the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office handles those on city streets such as Los Angeles Avenue and Spring Road. A wreck like the fatal head-on crash on State Route 23 belongs to CHP.

If you aren’t sure which agency responded, check the incident number the officer gave you at the scene. A Sheriff’s report is requested through that office’s records unit instead.

Who May Request a Copy

Crash reports are not public records. Under Vehicle Code Section 20012, they are confidential and released only to people with a proper interest in the collision. CHP calls these requesters parties of interest, and the list includes the following.

• Drivers, passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians involved in the crash
• Parents or legal guardians of an involved minor
• Vehicle and property owners
• Insurance companies with a valid claim
• Legal representatives

A Moorpark, CA personal injury lawyer qualifies as a legal representative and can make the request for you.

How to Submit the Request

Online

A party of interest can request a crash report through CHP’s online Crash Portal without visiting an office.

By Mail or in Person

The other route is form CHP 190, the Application for Release of Information. You will need the crash date, the location, and the name of a driver or vehicle owner. An approximate date is acceptable if you don’t know the exact one. Submit the signed form to a CHP Area office with the fee, and confirm the amount with that office beforehand.

Reports are not available immediately. The investigating officer must finish and file the report first, and a serious collision takes longer to document. That wait does not pause the statute of limitations, so medical treatment and the claim itself should keep moving.

Reviewing the Report

Read it carefully. Names, insurance details, the diagram, and witness statements should match what you remember. Insurance adjusters lean heavily on the officer’s narrative, and an error left uncorrected tends to follow the claim. When you find a factual mistake, contact the CHP office and ask whether the officer will add a supplemental report.

The officer’s opinion about who caused the crash is not the final word. California’s partial fault rules allow recovery even when a report assigns you some blame, and photographs, video, and witness accounts can contradict the officer’s findings.

Cohen Injury Law Group obtains and reviews CHP reports for injured clients throughout eastern Ventura County. If you were hurt in a collision and want a Moorpark personal injury lawyer to handle the report and the claim, contact our office to discuss what happened.