How to Request a Police Report in Scotland: Step by Step
There is no single “police report” in Scotland, and the route you take depends on what you need. If you were hurt in a road collision and want to claim compensation, a solicitor or claims handler normally asks Police Scotland for a collision report by email and pays a fee. If you want the information Police Scotland holds about you, you make a Subject Access Request (SAR). Which one applies decides the cost, the paperwork and the wait.
This guide sets out both routes, the fees that apply from 1 April 2026, the mistakes that get requests rejected, and what to do if you need evidence for an injury claim and cannot wait months.
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Table of Contents
First, which police report do you actually need?
People search for a “police report” and mean three different things. Sorting yours out first saves weeks.
| What you want |
Who usually asks |
Route |
| A report on a road traffic collision, to support an insurance or injury claim |
Your solicitor, insurer or claims handler |
Email request to the Central Ticket Office, with fee |
| Everything Police Scotland holds about you (custody, incidents, witness statements you gave) |
You |
Subject Access Request |
| A crime reference number or an update on a crime you reported |
You |
Call 101 or use the force’s non-emergency contact routes |
The first route is the one most injured people need, and it is the one with a published fee schedule. The second is a data protection right. The third is not a report at all, just a reference you were (or should have been) given when you reported the matter.
If you have not yet reported the incident, the order matters. Call 999 if anyone is in danger or a crime is in progress; for non-emergencies call 101. The Scottish Government’s recorded crime figures show how busy the system is: 308,532 crimes were recorded in the year ending December 2025, which is part of why requests for paperwork are not instant.
Our separate guide covers whether you need a police accident report in Scotland at all, and another explains how to report a car accident to Police Scotland in the first place.
Requesting a road traffic collision report
Police Scotland publishes how this works on its Provision of Reports page. It is written for solicitors, insurers and claims handlers, which tells you something: the process expects a professional to be making the request on your behalf.
What you need to supply
Police Scotland asks for the following with every request:
- Your own reference number
- Your client’s name and address
- The date and location of the incident
- The client’s vehicle registration mark
- A payment reference number, which must include your customer reference number
- The claims handler’s name
- The email address the report should be returned to
Incomplete applications are not processed. If you are an individual rather than a firm, the “customer reference number” and “claims handler” fields are a good reason to let a solicitor make the request: they already have both.
How to submit it
- Gather the details above. The location and date matter most; a vague “near the roundabout, last spring” will cost you time.
- Pay the fee online. Police Scotland accepts online payments only, and fees must be paid before any search starts. Bulk payments are not accepted.
- Email the Central Ticket Office at CJSDCrashEnquiries@scotland.police.uk. Postal requests are no longer accepted.
- Make sure you can open Egress. Reports come back only through the secure, encrypted Egress platform, so check your email system or firm’s IT can access it before you apply.
- Wait for the report and keep your payment confirmation.
What it costs from April 2026
| Item |
Fee from 1 April 2026 |
| Abstract of a Road Traffic Collision Report |
£133.00 |
| Crash Investigation Accident Report |
£628.00 |
| 3D Construction |
£867.50 |
| Plans |
Depends on the service and equipment used |
These figures come from Police Scotland’s published fee table. The abstract is described as a non-refundable administration fee charged per request. In practice, fees are non-refundable even if the report cannot be found or is later withdrawn, so check the details before you pay.
Abstract or full report?
An abstract is the summary: the basic facts of the collision as recorded. The Crash Investigation Accident Report is the fuller product from a collision investigation, and it costs almost five times as much. Most everyday injury claims, such as a rear-end shunt or a car pulling out at a junction, do not need the full investigation. Serious and fatal collisions are different. Our write-ups of a head-on crash near Airdrie and a fatal A92 collision near Luthrie show the kind of case where fuller investigation evidence can matter.
Which one your claim needs is a decision for your solicitor, based on who is disputing what.
Why the report matters to an injury claim
A compensation claim depends on showing that someone else was at fault and that you were hurt as a result. Police records are one source of independent evidence alongside photographs, witness details, medical records and dashcam footage. Where the other driver disputes what happened, an officer’s recorded account can carry real weight with an insurer.
It is not the only evidence, and not having a police report does not end a claim. If you want a sense of how evidence builds a case, our piece on the role of evidence in injury claims in Scotland goes through it. A US firm has also published a useful general piece on what personal accident lawyers investigate after a serious crash. The law there is different from Scots law, but the types of evidence investigators look for overlap.
If you are still at the scene or just home from hospital, start with our road traffic accident checklist for Scotland. Tasks such as taking photographs and noting witness details are easiest on the day.
Requesting your own data: the Subject Access Request
If you want what Police Scotland holds about you personally, such as a record of being detained or details of an incident you were involved in, you use a SAR. You have a right to access this information, subject to certain restrictions.
What a SAR requires
- Proof of identity: photographs or scans of two official documents confirming both your date of birth and current address, for example a passport, driving licence, birth certificate or utility bill.
- A clear description of what you want. Police Scotland advises avoiding broad, wide-ranging requests and keeping the request to the bare minimum you need.
- Submission through the online form or by email to dataprotectionsubjectaccess@scotland.police.uk. There is also a downloadable Subject Access Request form.
The details are on the Police Scotland SAR page.
How long it takes, and what not to do
Police Scotland says that, due to demand, the wait can currently be up to 9 months. It tries to meet the statutory one-month deadline for straightforward requests, but otherwise works in date order. Do not use the online form or email to chase an existing request: it states that such messages will not be answered.
A narrow request is faster than a broad one. “The incident report for the collision on 14 March at the junction of X and Y” will be dealt with more easily than “everything you have on me”.
SAR or collision report: which for an injury claim?
A SAR is about your personal data. It is not the standard route for obtaining a collision report to support a claim against another driver’s insurer, and with waits that long it is rarely the quick answer. If you need collision evidence for a claim, the collision report route above, run by a solicitor, is the one built for that.
What if you cannot get the report quickly?
You may be waiting on a report and still have a time limit running. In Scotland, personal injury claims generally have a three-year time limit, so do not let paperwork delays push you towards it. A solicitor can start the claim while the report is on its way. Insurers often accept liability on the basis of the other evidence long before any report arrives.
Practical steps in the meantime:
- Write down your own account of the incident while it is fresh.
- Keep the incident or crime reference number you were given.
- Keep medical records, GP appointments and receipts for related costs.
- Photograph injuries as they heal, and the vehicles and road if you can still do so.
- Pass the other driver’s details and any witness contacts to your solicitor.
Our complete guide to road traffic accident claim advice in Scotland and the broader road traffic accidents in Scotland guide go through the full process.
Common reasons a request goes wrong
- Using the wrong route. Sending a SAR when you need a collision report, or the reverse.
- Posting it. Postal collision report requests are no longer accepted.
- Missing the payment reference. It must include the customer reference number, or the application is not processed.
- No Egress access. The report is returned only through that platform.
- Expecting a refund. Fees are non-refundable even if the report cannot be located.
- Chasing a SAR. Police Scotland will not respond to follow-ups, and says they slow down processing.
- Vague details. Date, place and vehicle registration are what let staff find the incident.
Our view: get the evidence moving early
We deal with injury claims in Scotland every day, and the pattern is consistent: claims run more smoothly when evidence is requested early and by the right person. Police records are one piece of that, not the whole case. We would rather you spend your energy on getting well and getting medical care documented than on working out which Police Scotland inbox to email.
The fee schedule also makes a point we feel strongly about. Evidence costs money, and claimants should not see their compensation shrink further to pay for the process of claiming. That is why our approach is simple: if you have been hurt through someone else’s fault, you pay no success fee to us. We take nothing from your compensation. Many firms charge a success fee of up to 20% including VAT. On a £10,000 award, that is up to £2,000 gone. We charge 0%, and we think that is how it should be.
— Roger
Injured in a road accident that was not your fault?
If you were hurt as a driver or passenger in a collision in Scotland, we can help you claim on a No Win No Fee basis, with no upfront cost. Our solicitors are regulated by the Law Society of Scotland, and we offer a free claim assessment and a callback. You keep 100% of your compensation.
Start with our road traffic accident claims page, or use the details on our success fee page to see how the 0% fee works. If your injury is whiplash, see our whiplash claims page; if you were on a motorbike, see motorcycle accident claims. We deal with personal injury claims only, not medical negligence or criminal injuries.
For wider context on how claims in Scotland are trending, see our personal injury claims statistics for 2026.
If your complaint is about the police
Some people ask for a report because they are unhappy with how police handled something. That is a separate process. Complaints about Police Scotland, including quality of service, are handled by the force. Complaints about senior officers go to the Scottish Police Authority, and if you are unhappy with the outcome you can ask the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) for a review. Citizens Advice Scotland explains who can complain, including people affected indirectly and witnesses.
If the issue was a stop and search, the officer should give you a receipt with the reason for the search and your right to complain, as the Scottish Police Authority explains.
FAQ
Can I request a collision report from Police Scotland myself?
The published process is designed for solicitors, insurers and claims handlers, and it asks for a customer reference number and a claims handler’s name. An individual can try, but incomplete applications are not processed. Most injured people find it simpler to have a solicitor make the request.
How much does a Police Scotland accident report cost?
From 1 April 2026 the abstract of a road traffic collision report costs £133.00 and a Crash Investigation Accident Report costs £628.00. Fees are paid online in advance and are non-refundable.
How long does a Subject Access Request take?
Police Scotland says the wait can be up to 9 months at present, although straightforward requests may be answered sooner. Chasing does not speed things up, as follow-up messages are not answered.
Can I make a claim without a police report?
Yes. A police report is useful evidence, but a claim can be built on other material such as photographs, witness details, medical records and dashcam footage. Speak to a solicitor early, because time limits apply whether or not a report has arrived.
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