Short answer. Hartford Police accident reports from May 18, 2021 onward can be requested online through the city’s Invoice Cloud payment portal, usually 7 to 15 business days after the crash. Older reports are available through LexisNexis. The city charges 50 cents per page.
Insurers lean on the report to decide fault, which matters a lot under Connecticut’s comparative negligence rule.
Which agency writes it
Connecticut police use a statewide crash report form, often called the PR-1. Inside Hartford city limits, the Hartford Police Department usually writes it. On I-84 and I-91, the Connecticut State Police may handle the crash instead. Before anyone drives off, get the officer’s name, department and case number.
Hartford Police, step by step
The HPD reports page lays out the process.
- Wait at least 7 to 15 business days. Reports go through the Crime Analysis Unit before release, and some details may be redacted.
- Have the case number ready. Names, the date and the location also help.
- For crashes on or after May 18, 2021, request the report through the Invoice Cloud link on the HPD page. For earlier crashes, use LexisNexis police reports.
- To order by mail, call first to confirm the page count, then send a business check or money order payable to the City of Hartford with a self-addressed stamped envelope.
The HPD reports office is in the Public Safety Complex, 253 High St., Hartford, CT 06103, at (860) 757-4150. Hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday.
State Police reports
If a trooper handled the crash, request the report from the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Check its site for the current fee and process.
What to look for
- Correct names, insurers and policy numbers.
- Street names, direction of travel and the diagram.
- The officer’s description of what happened.
- Witness information.
- Any tickets issued, which may matter for a 14-295 claim.
If a factual detail is wrong, call HPD and ask how to request a correction or add a statement.
How the police report fits the civil clocks and other official requests
The Hartford Police report office is at 253 High Street, Hartford, CT 06103. The phone number is (860) 757-4150. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Reports are often ready in 7 to 15 business days. Accident reports from May 18, 2021, can be requested online through Invoice Cloud, and earlier reports through the process described on the Hartford Police report page. The copy fee is 50 cents a page. Confirm hours and the current process before you go or pay. If the State Police prepared the report, use that agency’s official order process and confirm its current fee on its own page. Confirm the current State Police copy fee on that agency’s official page before you pay.
The report is not the only clock. The ordinary injury period is two years from the date the injury is sustained or discovered, and no more than three years from the act, under CGS 52-584. A death claim is generally two years measured from death, and no more than five years from the act, under CGS 52-555. If a town or State road defect may be involved, written notice is generally due within 90 days under CGS 13a-149 or CGS 13a-144. Put those dates on the calendar as soon as you put in the report request, not after the copy comes back comes back.
Read the narrative, the diagram and the occupant list. If a street, a plate or a vehicle is misstated, ask the agency to amend it rather than counting on a later lawsuit to repair the error. Comparative fault still applies under CGS 52-572h, so a first-week recorded interview can matter later. Ordinary liability minimums are $25,000 and $50,000 for injury to the person, plus $25,000 for damage to property, and UM or UIM coverage generally has to at least match the bodily-injury limits under CGS 38a-336.
The Office of Victim Services generally allows three years to apply, with a police report, and may pay up to $15,000 for physical injury, $25,000 for a survivor and $6,000 for funeral costs. Call 1-888-286-7347. That application is apart from the civil lawsuit and from any UM claim. Hartford Superior Court is at 95 Washington Street, at (860) 548-2700. Confirm current civil filing fees on the Judicial Branch pages. Schedule a follow-up exam and save the chart notes, even if the pain had not started yet, and keep the official report with every medical bill.
If a town or State road defect, a death claim or a minor is involved, do not wait for the 7-to-15-business-day report window to start those other clocks. Photograph the scene the same day, and keep a written log of the report request, including the date and the method you used. Statewide Legal Services can be reached at 1-800-453-3320 for people who may qualify for free civil legal help.
Hartford Superior Court is at 95 Washington Street, at (860) 548-2700. Comparative fault and UM or UIM issues often turn on the same report you are requesting, which is why the copy belongs in the file before a recorded interview or a settlement release.
Questions to ask a lawyer
- Does the report’s fault description hurt my claim, and how can it be answered?
- Is there other evidence, like video, I should request now?
General information only, not legal advice.