Michigan FOIA Knowledge Center
Michigan Traffic Crash Reports: FOIA or Direct Purchase?
The fastest path to the standard UD-10 crash report may be direct purchase, not FOIA. But photographs, body video, dispatch audio, supplements, reconstruction records, and related materials may require separate requests.
The standard report
Michigan State Police provides a Traffic Crash Purchasing System for crash reports submitted by Michigan law-enforcement agencies. The system requires identifying information such as crash or driver details.
Records beyond the UD-10
Consider diagrams, photographs, body and dash video, witness statements, dispatch records, citations, reconstruction reports, vehicle downloads, and supplemental narratives. Identify which agency possesses each category.
Do not duplicate channels
Use the specialized purchasing system for the standard report when available, then use FOIA for additional records. Avoid sending identical requests by multiple delivery methods.
Use the fastest channel for each record
The standard crash report may be available through the State Police purchasing system. That does not mean the same system contains photographs, body-camera footage, dispatch audio, reconstruction files, witness statements, or supplemental reports.
Obtain the UD-10 through the established channel when practical, then use its incident number, officer names, unit information, and narrative to draft focused requests to the agencies holding the remaining records.
Requester checklist
- Crash number/date
- UD-10 purchase checked
- Responding agency
- Photos and video
- Dispatch/reconstruction
- Supplement reports
Primary sources
External authorities control. Confirm the current statute, decision, policy, and local procedures before relying on them.