Anaheim Accident Guide
If you were hurt in a crash in Anaheim, this guide shows where to get your police report, how to file a claim against the City of Anaheim or Orange County, which intersections and freeways see the most crashes, and the deadlines that matter. Each fact links to the official source.
How do I get a police accident report in Anaheim?
It depends on who wrote the report. Anaheim PD handles crashes on city streets, and CHP covers freeways. Anaheim PD’s online database has certain traffic reports, such as non-injury crashes and hit and runs, searchable by report number. For other reports, contact the Records Bureau at 425 South Harbor Boulevard. CHP reports are online or by CHP 190 form.
| Agency | How to request | Wait, fee, and rules |
|---|---|---|
| Anaheim PD (city streets in the City of Anaheim) | Online: the report search on Anaheim PD’s Traffic Accident Reports page (select California and Anaheim Police Department, then enter the report number). Not online? Use the request link on the same page, or contact the Records Bureau, 425 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805, 714-765-1990, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Reports filed online and reports with related criminal charges may take longer to appear. The page does not list a fee, so ask Records. Source: Anaheim PD: Traffic Accident Reports |
| CHP (freeways and state highways) | Online: CHP Online Crash Report System. In person or mail: CHP 190 form (PDF) to any CHP Area office. | Online reports are usually ready about 8 business days after the crash. Fee: $10 for 1 to 25 pages, $10 more per added 25 pages; check or money order. Attach a copy of your ID or have the form notarized. Source: CHP: Request a Crash Report; CHP 190 instructions |
If the report gets the facts wrong or blames you, read what to do when a California collision report blames you.
Who is allowed to get a copy of the crash report?
California limits crash reports to people with a proper interest. That includes drivers, injured people, passengers, vehicle or property owners, parents of injured minors, guardians, and their lawyers or insurance companies. You will usually need ID and the report number, date, and location. A lawyer can request it for you.
- The rule is in Vehicle Code §20012.
- Have the date, time, location, names, and report or case number if you have it.
How do I file a claim against the City of Anaheim?
Download the Claim Against the City of Anaheim form and mail or personally deliver the original to the Office of the City Clerk, 200 South Anaheim Boulevard, Suite 217, within six months of an injury. The Clerk sends it to Risk Management, which contacts you within two weeks. Call (714) 765-5166 with questions.
| Way to file | Details |
|---|---|
| Form | Claim Against the City of Anaheim (PDF). You can also ask the City Clerk to mail you a form. |
| Mail or in person | Office of the City Clerk, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd., Suite 217, Anaheim, CA 92805, with supporting documents. |
| Questions | City Clerk: (714) 765-5166. Filed claims: Risk Management, (714) 765-5193. |
The claim form itself (revised 2004) lists a mailing address of City Clerk, City Hall, P.O. Box 3222, Anaheim, CA 92803. The City’s page gives the street address above, so call the City Clerk to confirm before you mail.
Source: City of Anaheim: File a Claim. Tripped on a broken city sidewalk? See suing a California city or county over a broken sidewalk.
How do I file a claim against Orange County?
Mail or deliver the completed and signed Claim for Money or Damages Against the County of Orange to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, 400 West Civic Center Drive, 6th Floor, Santa Ana. Injury claims must be presented within six months. Answer every item, because missing answers can make a claim insufficient.
- Form: Claim for Money or Damages Against the County of Orange (PDF), from the Clerk of the Board forms page.
Other public agencies
| Agency | How to file |
|---|---|
| Caltrans (state highways) | Claims of $12,500 or less for injury or personal property: form DOT LD-0274 to the Caltrans district claim office listed on the Caltrans page. Larger claims go to DGS. Caltrans: Submit a Damage Claim |
| Other State agencies | DGS Government Claims Program ($25 fee or fee waiver request). DGS: File a Claim |
What is the timeline for a government claim in California?
For an injury, you generally have six months to file the claim. The agency then has 45 days to act, and silence counts as a denial. After a written denial you usually have six months to sue. If no proper written notice is sent, the lawsuit deadline is generally two years.
| Stage | Usual deadline | Law |
|---|---|---|
| 1. File the claim | Within 6 months of the injury | Gov. Code §911.2 |
| 2. Missed it? Ask to file late | Within a reasonable time, no later than 1 year | Gov. Code §911.4 |
| 3. Agency decides | 45 days; no answer counts as a denial | Gov. Code §912.4 |
| 4. File the lawsuit | 6 months after written denial notice; 2 years if no proper notice | Gov. Code §945.6 |
| 5. Late claim denied | Ask the court for relief within 6 months | Gov. Code §946.6 |
Exceptions can shorten or lengthen these dates. For the general two-year rule and other deadlines, read how long you have to file a personal injury claim in California.
What are the most dangerous intersections in Anaheim?
In Anaheim PD collision records for 2022 through 2024 in the state’s crash database, the intersections with the most reported crashes were Brookhurst Street and La Palma Avenue, Harbor Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue, and Harbor Boulevard and La Palma Avenue. Five of the top ten are on Ball Road.
| Rank | Intersection | Reported collisions, 2022 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brookhurst St and La Palma Ave | 29 |
| 2 | Harbor Blvd and Lincoln Ave | 22 |
| 3 | Harbor Blvd and La Palma Ave | 20 |
| 4 | Ball Rd and Knott Ave | 19 |
| 5 | Ball Rd and Western Ave | 19 |
| 6 | Ball Rd and Dale Ave | 18 |
| 7 | Ball Rd and Walnut St | 16 |
| 8 | Broadway and Magnolia Ave | 16 |
| 9 | Broadway and Olive St | 16 |
| 10 | Ball Rd and Beach Blvd | 15 |
Method: Anaheim Police Department (Anaheim PD) collision records in the CHP Crash Reporting System (CCRS), January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024, counting crashes coded at the intersection itself (no distance from the cross street), combining both street orders and spelling variants, and leaving out freeway ramps. These are only the reports Anaheim PD submitted to the state database, not every crash, and ties are listed alphabetically. Data pulled October 27, 2026 from CCRS on the California Open Data Portal.
Many of these crashes involve people walking or riding. See your rights after being hit by a car as a pedestrian and who pays after a bicycle or e-bike crash. If the driver fled, read what happens after an uninsured or hit-and-run crash.
Which Anaheim freeways have the most crashes?
In CHP crash records for 2024 within Anaheim city limits, SR-91 had the most freeway crashes, followed by I-5, SR-57, SR-241, and SR-55. SR-91 alone accounted for about two thirds of freeway crashes CHP reported in the city that year.
| Freeway | Crashes | People injured | People killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| SR-91 | 1,506 | 781 | 3 |
| I-5 | 376 | 181 | 2 |
| SR-57 | 325 | 162 | 2 |
| SR-241 | 59 | 16 | 2 |
| SR-55 | 27 | 7 | 0 |
Method: CHP Crash Reporting System (CCRS) records for calendar year 2024 where the city is Anaheim and the crash is marked as on a freeway, grouped by route (both directions). CCRS reflects CHP reports, and recent data can change as reports are reviewed. Data pulled October 27, 2026 from CCRS on the California Open Data Portal.
Freeway crashes often involve big rigs and rideshare drivers. See our pages on California truck accidents and rideshare accident claims.
Do I need to report the crash to the DMV?
Yes, if anyone was hurt or killed, even slightly, or property damage was over $1,000. Each driver must file form SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days, even if police made a report. Your insurance agent, broker, or lawyer can file it for you. Skipping it can lead to a license suspension.
- File online or on paper: DMV: Report of Traffic Accident (SR-1). Law: Vehicle Code §16000.
- If someone was hurt, a written report to CHP or the city police is also due within 24 hours: Vehicle Code §20008.
Where do I file an injury lawsuit in Anaheim?
Anaheim injury lawsuits are filed in Orange County Superior Court. Lawyers must e-file civil cases. People without a lawyer can file in person at the Central Justice Center, Civil Clerk’s Division, first floor, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Central Justice Center: 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701, civil (657) 622-6878. Source: Orange County Superior Court: Central Justice Center
- Where and how to file: Orange County Superior Court: Civil Filing Information.
What should I do next after a Anaheim crash?
Get medical care, keep every bill and record, request the crash report, and write down your deadlines. File a government claim within six months if a public agency may share blame. Tell your insurer promptly, but think before giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer about your injuries.
- Step by step: what to do after a car accident in California.
- How value is judged: what your California personal injury case may be worth.
- Low policy limits: how underinsured motorist coverage works in California.
- By crash type: car accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, and rideshare accidents.
- Forms you may need: California injury forms, insurer claim lines, medical records, and liens.
- Other cities: see all California accident guides.
Deadlines and next steps depend on facts this page can’t see. You can talk with Geller Legal about your options. Call 213-770-4870. No fee unless we recover.*
Contact Geller LegalCall 213-770-4870*Under our written contingency fee agreement, if there is no recovery you owe no attorney fees and do not have to repay the case costs we advanced. Medical bills and other non-litigation expenses remain your responsibility. Offices in Los Angeles and Oakland.
This page is general information about California law and Anaheim procedures, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees, forms, and agency procedures change; confirm with the linked official source. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney advertising. Geller Legal, a dba of The Geller Firm, Inc.