Longmont Police Department, Department Guide

Traffic Accident Reporting

The Longmont Police Department is sorry to learn that you have been involved in a traffic accident. We realize that accident reporting can be a difficult and confusing process. If you were involved in an accident in which the Longmont Police Department responded, a report was taken and submitted to the State of Colorado for you and no further action is required. The officer should have provided you with a reference number (case number) to report to your insurance company.

If the Longmont Police Department did not respond to your accident, you are still required to report it. Below are a few situations that may constitute the need to report an accident after the fact:

The accident occurred on private property and:

no injury or fatality was involved;
all drivers were not suspected to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol;
all drivers provided proof of identity or insurance;
no other issues requiring police intervention existed;
the vehicles and drivers involved were present at the scene and the driver, vehicle, and inusrance information was exchanged;
there was no major damage to another's property such as vehicle through a building; and a tow was not needed for one or more of the vehicles;
no one insisted that the police respond;
no hazardous materials was spilled;
no commercial vehicles were involved.

The accident was a hit and run and:

the victim left the scene of the accident prior to reporting it; and
there is no suspect or vehicle information.

Longmont was on accident alert and:

no injury or fatality was involved;
all drivers were not suspected to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol;

all drivers provided proof of identity or insurance;
no other issues requiring police intervention existed;
the accident did not involve damage to a city or other governmental vehicle or property, and;
the vehicles and drivers involved were present at the scene and the driver, vehicle, and insurance information was exchanged;
there was no hazardous materials spilled or damaged.

If one of the above circumstances applied to you, you must choose the following options:

1. You may use the Colorado State Patrol Online Accident Reporting System
You will complete the online State of Colorado Traffic Accident Report at https://crash.state.co.us/ and submit it electronically. Please follow the on-line instructions carefully. Once successfully submitted, a reference number will be provided to you.

2. You may print the report from here for handwritten completion

If you choose Option 2, you will print the State of Colorado Traffic Accident Report, complete it, and mail it to the State of Colorado Motor Vehicle Division Traffic Records, Denver, CO 80621-0016. There is an instructional cover page that accompanies the form. Please follow the directions carefully. It is suggested that you keep a copy of the report for your records. You will be able to call the Department of Motor Vehicles at 303.205.5793 two weeks after you mail your report for a reference number.

In addition, you may wish to call your insurance agent and advise him/her of the accident and follow their instructions. Your insurance company may request your reference number (case number) when filing a claim. The Longmont Police Department does not keep copies of any accident reports generated from the above options.

A commonly asked question is whether or not law enforcement will take action at a later date against either driver in a "cold" accident report situation. Neither the Longmont Police nor Colorado State Patrol will take enforcement action against any driver for "causing the accident". At this point, the report is prepared to satisfy a State of Colorado requirement that the accident be reported and for insurance purposes.

If you have any questions about your accident, please contact the Longmont Police Department at 303.651.8555.