New Jersey Accident Reports (NJTR-1)

Request the crash report from the law-enforcement agency that investigated the collision. That may be a municipal or county law-enforcement agency, New Jersey State Police, or another authority. Toll-road crashes may use a separate authority or report channel.

Quick answer

The NJTR-1 is the police crash investigation report. It is different from the SR-1 self-reporting form used by motorists for certain crashes. Your driver-information exchange, case number, summons, or insurance paperwork may identify the investigating agency.

Step 1: Identify the investigating agency

Look for:

Police department or State Police station name
Report or case number
Trooper or officer name
Date, time, and location
Municipality and county
Whether the crash occurred on a toll road

Do not assume that New Jersey State Police has every crash report. Start with the agency named on the driver-information exchange, case paperwork, summons, or insurance documents.

Step 2: Decide which records you need

The basic NJTR-1 may not be the entire file. Depending on the incident, consider requesting:

NJTR-1 crash report and supplements
Driver-information exchange
Incident or operations report
Crash diagram
Photographs
Dash-camera or mobile-video recording
Body-worn camera footage
911 audio
Computer-aided dispatch or CAD event history
Radio transmissions
Tow or impound records
Serious- or fatal-crash reconstruction records

Request each category expressly. Asking only for “the accident report” may not capture related video, audio, photographs, or dispatch records.

How to read the NJTR-1

The report organizes information about the drivers, vehicles, occupants, location, roadway, crash sequence, apparent contributing circumstances, injuries, citations, and the officer’s narrative and diagram. Some entries appear as numbered codes rather than plain-English descriptions.

Use the NJDOT manual that matches the report form’s year when interpreting a code. The current NJDOT publications page provides the 2023 NJTR-1 form and Version 2.0 manual, along with older manuals for earlier report versions. Do not assume a code from an older overlay or guide means the same thing on a newer form.

The diagram and coded fields reflect the investigating officer’s report; they are not a final legal determination of fault.

Step 3: Submit a precise request

Include:

Crash date and approximate time
Exact location or nearest intersection
Names of drivers or involved persons, if known
Report or case number
Investigating agency or station
Vehicle plate or description, if helpful
Each record category you want

Sample request language

Please provide the NJTR-1 crash report and any supplemental crash reports for the motor-vehicle collision occurring on [DATE] at approximately [TIME] at or near [LOCATION]. The incident involved [NAMES OR VEHICLE DESCRIPTIONS], and the case or report number is [NUMBER], if available. Please also provide responsive photographs, crash diagrams, dash-camera video, body-worn camera footage, 911 audio, CAD event history, and radio transmissions maintained by the agency. Please provide records electronically where available. If any portion is withheld or redacted, please identify the specific legal basis.

Local police, State Police, and toll roads

Local or county police

Submit to the agency that responded and completed the report. A municipality’s records custodian or police records bureau may process the request.

New Jersey State Police

NJSP directs requests for motor-vehicle and boat crash reports to its official crash-report portal and provides a separate process for serious or fatal crash records. NJSP also maintains records-request channels for other reports.

Toll roads

Crashes on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, Atlantic City Expressway, or another authority-controlled roadway may follow the responsible authority’s report process. Verify the investigating agency before filing.

Timing and fees

Standard OPRA filing through NJ OPRA Portal is free. A public agency may charge a lawful fee for the report or related media. The GRC notes that another New Jersey statute permits a fee of up to $5 for an accident report disclosed other than in person; other official report channels may have their own authorized fees.

A custodian must respond as soon as possible and generally within seven business days after receiving a complete non-commercial request, subject to statutory categories and permitted extensions. This does not guarantee final production within seven business days. Some reports may not be finalized immediately after the crash.

Related guides

Official sources

Reviewed 2026-07-28 by Benjamin Shore, Esq. This guide is general information about New Jersey public records, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Is an NJTR-1 the same as an SR-1?

No. NJDOT describes the NJTR-1 as the police crash investigation report. The SR-1 is a self-reporting form used by citizens; it is not the investigating officer’s report.

Can I request the report if I was not involved in the crash?

You may submit a public-records request, but access, redaction, and fees depend on the record and applicable law. Involved persons, insurers, attorneys, and other authorized parties may also have agency-specific report channels.

Does the NJTR-1 include body-camera or 911 records?

No. Those are separate records. List them expressly if you want them.

Why is the report not available immediately?

The officer may still be completing or reviewing it, or the file may require supervisory processing. Serious and fatal crashes may involve additional investigation and records.

Is every accident report free?

No. Filing a standard request through NJ OPRA Portal is free, but an agency or official report service may charge a fee authorized by law.

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