Michigan
How to Get a Police Report in Michigan (2026 Guide)
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 11, 2026). · Law checked current as of August 11, 2026. · 5 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Michigan runs a single statewide portal for crash reports, the Traffic Crash Purchasing System (TCPS), that covers every law enforcement agency in the state, while a general incident report is a separate request under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Michigan also has one of the more complete dedicated body camera statutes, MCL 780.313, part of an eight-section subchapter passed in 2017. This page covers all three.
Information last verified on 2026-08-11. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
Getting a Crash Report in Michigan
Michigan centralizes crash-report access through a single statewide system, the Traffic Crash Purchasing System, or TCPS, at tcps.state.mi.us. TCPS covers reports submitted by every law enforcement agency in Michigan, not just the state police, and purchasing a report requires a MiLogin account and a credit card. The fee is $15.00 per report.
A report generally takes between 3 and 30 days after the crash to be processed into TCPS and become available for purchase. To search for a specific report, TCPS requires the crash date along with either the case or incident number, or a driver's license number and date of birth for someone involved in the crash, which functions as a built-in check that the requester actually has a connection to the crash. If you cannot supply that information, or if you are a third party such as a property-damage claimant who was not involved as a driver, the alternative path is a FOIA request to the specific agency that investigated the crash.
A separate statute governs how a crash report may be used rather than who may obtain one. MCL 257.503 lets any person or organization access the report, but for the first 30 days after it is filed with a law enforcement agency the requester must first file a statement acknowledging that, during that window, they are prohibited from using the report to directly solicit any individual or vehicle owner listed in it, and from disclosing personal information drawn from it to a third party for commercial solicitation. Breaking either prohibition is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $30,000 for a first violation, and by up to 1 year of imprisonment, a fine of up to $60,000, or both for a later violation. After the 30-day period, the use restriction lapses. For more on fault rules and deadlines after a Michigan crash, see our Michigan car accident laws page.
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Getting an Incident Report in Michigan
A general incident report, for anything other than a traffic crash, is requested under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, 1976 PA 442, from the responding department's FOIA coordinator. Requests can be made by mail, email, or fax; larger departments, including Detroit Police Department, run dedicated online FOIA request pages. A report is generally only available once the underlying investigation is complete or the case is closed.
The core exemption is MCL 15.243(1)(b), which lets a public body withhold investigating records compiled for law enforcement purposes to the extent disclosure would interfere with law enforcement proceedings, deprive a person of a fair trial, or similarly compromise the investigation. A related provision, MCL 15.243(1)(s), adds a further exemption tied to law enforcement personnel safety. For the state's broader open-records framework, see our Michigan public records laws page.
Body Camera Footage in Michigan
Michigan has a genuinely comprehensive, dedicated body camera statute. MCL 780.313, part of the Law Enforcement Body-Worn Camera Privacy Act, 2017 PA 85, states that a recording made by a law enforcement officer's body-worn camera in a private place is exempt from disclosure under FOIA. The Act runs across eight sections, MCL 780.311 through 780.318, covering the short title, definitions, disclosure, requester eligibility, retention limits, retention duration, fees, and a written-policy mandate for agencies that deploy body cameras.
The requester-eligibility rule sits in the companion section, MCL 780.314, and it applies to recordings made in a private place. A copy may be requested by the individual who is the subject of the recording, an individual whose property was seized or damaged in relation to the crime the recording relates to, a parent of such an individual who is under 18, a legal guardian of such an individual, or an attorney representing the recorded individual or the property owner. The parent category is limited to minors, but the legal guardian category carries no age limit, so the guardian of an adult ward who was recorded is also eligible. That list functions as Michigan's access gate for bodycam footage, distinct from the general FOIA process used for other law enforcement records.
For fee details, retention periods, and how Michigan's approach compares with other dedicated-act states, see our Michigan body camera laws page and the cluster guide on how to request body camera footage.
Corrections and Other Practical Notes
No formal, publicly documented statewide procedure for correcting a completed UD-10 crash report was located on a primary Michigan State Police page. If you believe a UD-10 report contains an error, contact the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Reporting Unit directly rather than assume the report itself can be edited after filing; the state's UD-10 instruction manual references supplemental reports as the mechanism for adding follow-on information tied to a crash.
MCL 780.314's requester categories, the recorded individual, a property owner or claimant, a parent of such an individual who is under 18, a legal guardian of such an individual at any age, and an attorney representing the recorded individual or property owner, function as Michigan's bodycam-specific access and effective redaction gate; no separate juvenile or victim carve-out for crash or general incident reports was found beyond that framework. For general guidance on filing a new report or reading a completed one, see how to file a police report and how to read a police report. If a case tied to the incident proceeds through the courts, related filings are available through Michigan court records.
Disclaimer
This article provides general legal information about public-records access in the state named above. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about a specific situation. Fees, forms, and processing times change; confirm current figures with the listed agency before relying on them.
Last updated: 2026-08-11. Fees and portals reflect their published status as of August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a copy of my Michigan crash report?
Purchase it through the Traffic Crash Purchasing System (TCPS) at tcps.state.mi.us, using a MiLogin account, for $15.00. Reports typically become available 3 to 30 days after the crash. If you cannot search TCPS, request the report by FOIA from the investigating agency.
Is a Michigan crash report available immediately after the accident?
No. It generally takes 3 to 30 days for the report to be processed into TCPS. MCL 257.503 does not restrict who may obtain the report, but for the first 30 days after it is filed a requester must file a statement acknowledging that they may not use it to directly solicit anyone listed in it, or disclose personal information from it to a third party for commercial solicitation.
How do I request a Michigan police incident report?
Send a FOIA request to the responding department's FOIA coordinator. MCL 15.243(1)(b) lets the agency withhold records still compiled for an active law enforcement investigation; reports are generally available once the case is closed.
Who can request Michigan body camera footage?
Under MCL 780.314, a copy of a private-place recording may be requested by the individual recorded, someone whose property was seized or damaged in relation to the related crime, a parent of such an individual who is under 18, a legal guardian of such an individual at any age, or an attorney representing the recorded individual or the property owner. MCL 780.313 exempts footage recorded in a private place from general FOIA disclosure.
Can I correct an error on my Michigan UD-10 crash report?
No statewide statutory correction procedure was independently confirmed. Contact the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Reporting Unit directly; the UD-10 manual references supplemental reports as the mechanism for adding or correcting information after a crash report is filed.
Updates
Corrected how this page describes MCL 257.503, which limits how a crash report may be used rather than who may obtain one, corrected the Michigan body camera act to its actual eight sections, and clarified that MCL 780.314 lets a legal guardian of an adult request a private-place recording, not only the parent or guardian of a minor.
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources; governing law re-checked for recent changes
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Michigan Compiled Laws
§ 15.233Public records; request requirements; right to inspect, copy, or receive; subscriptions; forwarding requests; file; inspection and examination; memoranda or abstracts; rules; compilation, summary, or report of information; creation of new public record; certified copiesIn forcecited in 3 of our articles
(1) Except as expressly provided in section 13, upon providing a public body's FOIA coordinator with a written request that describes a public record sufficiently to enable the public body to find the public record, a person has a right to inspect, copy, or receive copies of the requested public record of the public body. A request from a person, other than an individual who qualifies as indigent under section 4(2)(a), must include the requesting person's complete name, address, and contact information, and, if the request is made by a person other than an individual, the complete name, address, and contact information of the person's agent who is an individual. An address must be written in compliance with United States Postal Service addressing standards. Contact information must include a valid telephone number or electronic mail address. A person has a right to subscribe to future issuances of public records that are created, issued, or disseminated on a regular basis. A subscription is valid for up to 6 months, at the request of the subscriber, and is renewable.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-03 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislature.mi.gov
Cited in 130 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Michigan courts read MCL 15.233(1) as setting a low bar for requests. Herald Co. v. City of Bay City (2000) held a request seeking information rather than specific documents was valid because it let the city find the records; Coblentz v. City of Novi (2006) held a description need only be sufficient, not precise or full.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Herald Co. v. City of Bay City (Michigan Supreme Court 2000, 463 Mich. 111)✓A newspaper asked Bay City for the names, job titles, cities of residence and ages of seven fire chief finalists; the court held section 15.233(1) does not require a requester to describe specific documents, so a request for information the city could locate was valid.
- Coblentz v. City of Novi (Michigan Supreme Court 2006, 475 Mich. 558)✓Residents asked Novi for settlement exhibits the agreement had marked INTENTIONAL DELETION; the court held section 15.233(1) asks only that a request describe a record sufficiently for the body to identify it, so the city had to produce them absent an exemption.
- Walen v. Department of Corrections (Michigan Supreme Court 1993, 443 Mich. 240)✓A prisoner asked to inspect final orders from prison disciplinary hearings; the court held FOIA reaches those hearings and remanded for the trial court to decide whether his section 15.233 request described the records sufficiently for the department to find them.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Michigan Freedom of Information Act: 5 Business Days, Fees, and How to Appeal, Are Autopsy Reports Public in Michigan? (2026 Guide)
§ 15.243Exemptions from disclosure; public body as school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy; withholding of information required by law or in possession of executive officeIn forcecited in 5 of our articles
(1) A public body may exempt from disclosure as a public record under this act any of the following: (a) Information of a personal nature if public disclosure of the information would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of an individual's privacy. (b) Investigating records compiled for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that disclosure as a public record would do any of the following: (i) Interfere with law enforcement proceedings. (ii) Deprive a person of the right to a fair trial or impartial administrative adjudication. (iii) Constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. (iv) Disclose the identity of a confidential source, or if the record is compiled by a law enforcement agency in the course of a criminal investigation, disclose confidential information furnished only by a confidential source. (v) Disclose law enforcement investigative techniques or procedures. (vi) Endanger the life or physical safety of law enforcement personnel. (vii) Disclose the identity of a party who, as described in subdivision (cc), proceeds anonymously in a civil action in which the party alleges that the party was the victim of sexual misconduct.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislature.mi.gov
Cited in 203 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Booth Newspapers, Inc v. University of Michigan Board of Regents (Michigan Supreme Court 1993, 444 Mich. 211)“…nces in which public records may be exempt from disclosure. MCL 15.243; MSA 4.1801(13). These exemptions must…”
- Herald Co. v. City of Bay City (Michigan Supreme Court 2000, 463 Mich. 111)“…a clearly unwarranted invasion of an individual's privacy. [MCL 15.243(1); MSA 4.1801(13)(1).] The trial cou…”
- Coblentz v. City of Novi (Michigan Supreme Court 2006, 475 Mich. 558)“…ems were not exempt because defendant failed to comply with MCL 15.243(1)(f)(iii). Finally, the Court of Appea…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Michigan Data Privacy Laws: Consumer Rights & Protections (2026), Michigan Police Bodycam Laws: Retention & Public Records, Police Reports by State: How to Get a Copy, What They Cost, and What's Public
§ 257.503Access to motor vehicle accident report; prohibitions; violation; penalty; definitionsIn force
(1) For 30 days after the date a motor vehicle accident report is filed with a law enforcement agency, a person may only access the report if the person or organization files a statement indicating that from the time the person or organization is granted access to the report until 30 days after the date the report is filed, the person or organization acknowledges that the person or organization is prohibited from doing either of the following: (a) Using the report for any direct solicitation of an individual, vehicle owner, or property owner listed in the report. (b) Disclosing any personal information contained in the report to a third party for commercial solicitation of an individual, vehicle owner, or property owner listed in the report. (2) A person that knowingly violates this section is guilty of a crime punishable as follows: (a) For a first violation, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $30,000.00. (b) For a second or subsequent violation, a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $60,000.00, or both.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislature.mi.gov
Cited in 2 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2019
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Pavone v. Meyerkord & Meyerkord, LLC (District Court, N.D. Illinois 2017, 321 F.R.D. 314)“…reparation and disclosure of accident reports. See, e.g., MCLS 257.503(1); Fla. Stat. § 316.066 (2)(a). Equal…”
- Surgical Center of Southfield, LLC d/b/a Fountain View Surgery Center v. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company (District Court, E.D. Michigan 2019)“…L 2273415, at *4 (Mich. Ct. App. May 28, 2019); Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 257.503, 750.410b.…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
§ 780.313Audio or video recording recorded by body-worn camera; disclosure; protections; exemption from freedom of information actIn forcecited in 4 of our articles
(1) The disclosure of any audio or video recording recorded by a body-worn camera is subject to the protections provided for crime victims in sections 8, 19, 19a, 21, 34, 38, 48, 62, 68, and 80 of the William Van Regenmorter crime victim's rights act, 1985 PA 87, MCL 780.758, 780.769, 780.769a, 780.771, 780.784, 780.788, 780.798, 780.812, 780.818, and 780.830. (2) Except as otherwise provided in section 4 and subject to section 5, a recording recorded by a law enforcement officer with a body-worn camera that is recorded in a private place is exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislature.mi.gov
Cited in 2 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2023
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- 162373_134_01.Pdf (Michigan Supreme Court 2023)“…(overruling prior caselaw interpreting the 180-day rule in MCL 780.313 even though the defendant waived the is…”
- People of Michigan v. Dametrius Benjamin Posey (Michigan Supreme Court 2023)“…(overruling prior caselaw interpreting the 180-day rule in MCL 780.313 even though the defendant waived the is…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: How to Request Body Cam Footage: State Laws and the Request Process
§ 780.314Audio and video recording recorded by law enforcement officer with body-worn camera; individuals requesting copyIn force
Except for an audio and video recording exempted from disclosure under section 13 of the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.243, and section 3(1) or 5, any of the following individuals may request a copy of an audio and video recording recorded by a law enforcement officer with a body-worn camera in a private place: (a) An individual who is the subject of the audio and video recording. (b) An individual whose property has been seized or damaged in relation to a crime to which the audio and video recording is related. (c) A parent of an individual who is less than 18 years of age described in subdivision (a) or (b). (d) A legal guardian of an individual described in subdivision (a) or (b). (e) An attorney who represents an individual described in subdivision (a) or (b).
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislature.mi.gov
§ 780.311Short titleIn forcecited in 4 of our articles
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "law enforcement body-worn camera privacy act".
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislature.mi.gov
Cited in 1 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2025
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- People of Michigan v. Juan Carlos Rodriguez (Michigan Court of Appeals 2025)“…316(2) of the Law Enforcement Body-Worn Camera Privacy Act, MCL 780.311 et seq., which provides that “[a] law e…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Michigan Laws on Recording Police: Your Rights and Legal Limits (2026)
Explore the law
The laws cited above reference these related sections in their own text:
- Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.145c — Definitions; child sexually abusive activity or material; penalties; possession of child sexually abusive material; expert testimony; defenses; acts of commercial film or photographic print processor; report to law enforcement agency by computer technician; reasonable availability of evidence to defendant; applicability and uniformity of section; enactment or enforcement of ordinance, rule, or regulation prohibited view in our statute record · read at the official source
- Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.520b — Criminal sexual conduct in the first degree; circumstances; felony; consecutive terms view in our statute record · read at the official source
- Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.520c — Criminal sexual conduct in the second degree; felony view in our statute record · read at the official source
- Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.520d — Criminal sexual conduct in the third degree; felony view in our statute record · read at the official source
- Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.520e — Criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree; misdemeanor view in our statute record · read at the official source
- Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.520g — Assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct; felony view in our statute record · read at the official source
Related law for further reading — not part of this article’s citations.
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Sources and References
- Michigan Compiled Laws 780.313, Audio or video recording recorded by body-worn camera(legislature.mi.gov).gov
- Michigan Compiled Laws 15.243, Exemptions from disclosure under FOIA(legislature.mi.gov).gov
- Michigan Compiled Laws 257.503, Access to motor vehicle accident report(legislature.mi.gov).gov
- Michigan Compiled Laws 780.314, Persons entitled to request a copy of a body-worn camera recording(legislature.mi.gov).gov
- Michigan State Police, Traffic Crash Purchasing System (TCPS)(tcps.state.mi.us).gov
- Michigan Public Act 85 of 2017, Law Enforcement Body-Worn Camera Privacy Act (MCL 780.311 to 780.318)(legislature.mi.gov)