San Diego Accident Guide
If you were hurt in a crash in San Diego, 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 San Diego?
It depends on who wrote the report. SDPD handles crashes on city streets in San Diego, and CHP covers freeways. SDPD reports cost $12 by mail or in person and can also be bought online through LexisNexis. Allow three to 10 business days for the report to be approved. CHP reports are online or by CHP 190 form.
| Agency | How to request | Wait, fee, and rules |
|---|---|---|
| SDPD (city streets in the City of San Diego) | Online: LexisNexis BuyCrash, linked on SDPD’s Get a Police Report page. Mail: SDPD Records MS#726, P.O. Box 121431, San Diego, CA 92112, with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. In person: SDPD Records Division, 1401 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101, Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Allow three to 10 business days after the crash. Fee: $12 per report by check or money order payable to the City Treasurer; a small added fee may apply online. To confirm a report is ready for pickup, call 619-531-2846 or email sdpdreportrequests@pd.sandiego.gov. Source: SDPD: Get a Police Report |
| San Diego County Sheriff (contract cities and unincorporated areas) | Online through the Sheriff’s Public Records Center, at the station that wrote the report, or with the Service Request Form in person at Records and ID, 9621 Ridgehaven Ct., San Diego, CA 92123, or by mail to P.O. Box 939062, San Diego, CA 92193-9062. | Fee: $20 (the first copy of an accident report involving alcohol or drugs is free to the victim or their representative). Photo ID in person or an ID copy by mail. Goal: 3 to 10 business days. Source: San Diego County Sheriff: Crime, Arrest and 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 San Diego?
File a written claim with the City of San Diego Risk Management Department within six months of an injury. You can use the online Public Liability Claims Portal, or mail or deliver the signed RM-9 claim form to 1200 Third Avenue, Suite 1000. Since December 11, 2023, first notice claims are no longer accepted by email.
| Way to file | Details |
|---|---|
| Online | Public Liability Claims Portal. You get a confirmation, then an adjuster and claim number are assigned. |
| Mail or in person | Sign the Claim Against the City of San Diego form (RM-9, PDF) and mail or deliver it to City of San Diego Risk Management Department, 1200 Third Ave., Suite 1000, San Diego, CA 92101. Drop-off hours: 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. |
| Questions | 619-236-7300. The City cannot give legal advice. |
Source: City of San Diego Risk Management: Public Liability. Tripped on a broken city sidewalk? See suing a California city or county over a broken sidewalk.
How do I file a claim against San Diego County?
Mail or hand deliver a signed claim to the County of San Diego Claims and Investigation Division, 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 335, San Diego. Use form CD-1. Injury claims are due within six months. The County does not accept faxed claims and asks you to allow 45 days to process and investigate.
- Form: Claim Against the County of San Diego, form CD-1 (PDF). Instructions: County Counsel: Claims.
- Phone: (619) 531-4899. Injury claims should include unaltered copies of medical bills.
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 San Diego?
In SDPD collision records for 2022 through 2024 in the state’s crash database, the intersections with the most reported crashes were Palm Avenue and Saturn Boulevard, Mira Mesa Boulevard and Vista Sorrento Parkway, and Nimitz and Sunset Cliffs Boulevards. These counts include only crashes SDPD reported to the statewide database.
| Rank | Intersection | Reported collisions, 2022 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palm Ave and Saturn Blvd | 21 |
| 2 | Mira Mesa Blvd and Vista Sorrento Pkwy | 17 |
| 3 | Nimitz Blvd and Sunset Cliffs Blvd | 16 |
| 4 | El Cajon Blvd and Fairmount Ave | 14 |
| 5 | Garnet Ave and Mission Bay Dr | 14 |
| 6 | 10th Ave and A St | 13 |
| 7 | Friars Rd and Santo Rd | 13 |
| 8 | 16th St and G St | 11 |
| 9 | College Ave and University Ave | 11 |
| 10 | 43rd St and El Cajon Blvd | 10 |
Method: San Diego Police Department (SDPD) 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 SDPD 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 San Diego freeways have the most crashes?
In CHP crash records for 2024 within San Diego city limits, I-5 had the most freeway crashes, followed by I-805, I-15, I-8, and SR-163. I-5 also had the most deaths of any freeway in the city that year, and these five routes together carried most of the freeway crashes CHP reported.
| Freeway | Crashes | People injured | People killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-5 | 1,062 | 651 | 16 |
| I-805 | 938 | 595 | 4 |
| I-15 | 761 | 376 | 4 |
| I-8 | 593 | 369 | 8 |
| SR-163 | 379 | 230 | 7 |
| SR-94 | 332 | 187 | 9 |
Method: CHP Crash Reporting System (CCRS) records for calendar year 2024 where the city is San Diego 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 San Diego?
Most San Diego injury lawsuits are filed in San Diego Superior Court. Under the court’s local rules, civil cases from the Central, East, and South County areas are filed at the Hall of Justice, 330 West Broadway, Room 225. North County cases go to Vista. The court’s zip code list shows the right location.
- Hall of Justice Civil Business Office: 330 W. Broadway, Room 225, San Diego, CA 92101, (619) 450-7275, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Source: San Diego Superior Court: Civil Business Office
- North County Regional Center: 325 S. Melrose Dr., Vista, CA 92081. Which location: San Diego Superior Court: Where to File.
What should I do next after a San Diego 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 San Diego 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.