Crashes in Dallas

Dallas spreads across county lines, and that matters more here than the city limits do. Parts of the city sit in Collin, Denton, Rockwall and Kaufman counties, and the area around DFW airport runs into Tarrant County. A lawsuit is filed in the county where the crash happened or where the defendant lives, so a Dallas address does not automatically mean a Dallas County case.

The freeway pattern makes this easy to get wrong. Interstate 635, the LBJ Freeway, and Interstate 35E carry traffic across those boundaries within a few minutes' driving, and nothing on the road tells you which county you are in. Note the nearest cross street and the exit number while it is still fresh, because that is what establishes the county later.

Dallas County in the federal crash data

Fatal crashes in Dallas County2024

NHTSA FARS

304 fatal crashes, 330 killed.

County FIPS 48113. The Texas counties with the most fatal crashes.

Who responded, and why it matters

The report you need is held by whichever agency attended, not by the city you think you were in. Boundaries here are not obvious from the road.

  • Dallas Police Department, inside the Dallas city limits
  • The suburb's own police, if you had crossed into Irving, Garland, Mesquite or another neighboring city
  • Dallas County Sheriff's Department, across the unincorporated county
  • Texas Highway Patrol, on the interstates and state highways beyond any city

Getting your Dallas crash report

Requested from Dallas Police Department, Open Records Unit. Usually available five to seven working days after the crash.

In person. The customer service window at 1400 Botham Jean Boulevard, Dallas

By post. Requests are accepted by post or at the window, with a $6 fee either way. The Open Records Unit answers on (214) 671-3345.

Worth knowing before you go. You need a name of somebody involved, plus either the location or the date. Without one of those the Records Section cannot find the report.

Dallas Police Department, Open Records Unit

The statewide route, the CR-3 form and what TxDOT charges for it, is on crash reports in Texas.

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