Sacramento Accident Guide
If you were hurt in a crash in Sacramento, this guide shows where to get your police report, how to file a claim against the City or 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 Sacramento?
It depends on who wrote the report. Sacramento PD handles crashes on city streets, and CHP covers freeways. Sacramento PD reports cost $5 online and are usually ready five to 10 days after the crash. Mail requests are also accepted. Hit and run and fatal crash reports may not be online. CHP reports are online or by CHP 190 form.
| Agency | How to request | Wait, fee, and rules |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento PD (city streets in the City of Sacramento) | Online: LexisNexis BuyCrash, linked on Sacramento PD’s Request a Police Report page. Mail: Sacramento Police Department, Attn: Records Report Requests, 5770 Freeport Blvd., Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95822. Include the report number, date, location, parties, and plate number. | Online: $5.00, usually five to 10 days after the crash; if not posted after 10 days, call Records at 916-808-0620. Hit and run and fatal reports are released only after Traffic Section approval or after 90 days. The page does not list a mail fee, so call Records first. Source: Sacramento PD: Request a Police Report |
| 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 Sacramento?
File the City of Sacramento Claim Form with the Office of the City Clerk, 915 I Street, 5th Floor, within six months of an injury. You can file in person or by mail. The City Clerk is the only office that accepts claims, so the City Attorney and Risk Management will not take them. Keep copies of everything.
| Way to file | Details |
|---|---|
| Form | City of Sacramento Claim Form (PDF). |
| Mail or in person | Office of the City Clerk, 915 I Street, 5th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814, with all attachments. |
| Questions | Sedgwick, the City’s third party claims administrator: (916) 960-0980. |
Source: City of Sacramento: How to File a Claim (PDF). Claims against Sacramento Regional Transit, SMUD, the Sacramento City Unified School District, and the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency are separate and go directly to those agencies. Tripped on a broken city sidewalk? See suing a California city or county over a broken sidewalk.
How do I file a claim against Sacramento County?
Mail or deliver the signed Claim Against Sacramento County form to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, 700 H Street, Room 2450, Sacramento. Electronic submissions are not allowed. In most cases you have six months from the date of loss. The County then sends an acknowledgment letter with your claim number.
- Form: Claim Against Sacramento County (PDF). Instructions: Sacramento County: Filing a Claim.
- Clerk of the Board: (916) 874-5411. Claim forms by request from Risk Management: (916) 876-1073.
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 Sacramento?
In Sacramento PD collision records for 2022 through 2024 in the state’s crash database, the intersections with the most reported crashes were Gateway Park Boulevard and Truxel Road, 5th and I Streets, and Arena Boulevard and Truxel Road. Two of the top ten are on Truxel Road.
| Rank | Intersection | Reported collisions, 2022 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gateway Park Blvd and Truxel Rd | 28 |
| 2 | 5th St and I St | 20 |
| 3 | Arena Blvd and Truxel Rd | 19 |
| 4 | Fruitridge Rd and Stockton Blvd | 19 |
| 5 | 16th St and J St | 17 |
| 6 | El Camino Ave and Evergreen St | 17 |
| 7 | 16th St and C St | 16 |
| 8 | 15th St and W St | 15 |
| 9 | 29th St and T St | 15 |
| 10 | 5th St and Broadway | 15 |
Method: Sacramento Police Department (Sacramento 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 Sacramento 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 Sacramento freeways have the most crashes?
In CHP crash records for 2024 within Sacramento city limits, US-50 had the most freeway crashes, followed by SR-99, I-5, SR-51, and I-80. Together these five freeways accounted for nearly all freeway crashes CHP reported in the city that year, along with hundreds of injuries.
| Freeway | Crashes | People injured | People killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| US-50 | 761 | 336 | 6 |
| SR-99 | 494 | 251 | 6 |
| I-5 | 468 | 178 | 5 |
| SR-51 | 295 | 141 | 1 |
| I-80 | 63 | 22 | 0 |
Method: CHP Crash Reporting System (CCRS) records for calendar year 2024 where the city is Sacramento 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 Sacramento?
Sacramento injury lawsuits are filed in Sacramento County Superior Court. General civil filing is handled at the Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse, 500 G Street. Civil hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Civil documents can be e-filed, mailed, brought in person, or placed in the drop box.
- Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse: 500 G St., Sacramento, CA 95814, civil 916-874-5522, option 3. Source: Sacramento Superior Court: Court Locations
- Filing rules: Sacramento Superior Court: Civil.
What should I do next after a Sacramento 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 Sacramento 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.