Texas Crash Report Codes: Reading Guide (June 2025)

What Are Texas Police Report Codes?

The aftermath of car accidents can be complicated. When police document crashes, they must try to capture as much detail as possible. Standardized codes help them include highly detailed information in a few pages. These codes also make it possible for other law enforcement officers to quickly get an idea of what happened.

If you don’t work with Texas crash report codes on a regular basis, though, you might have trouble understanding your accident report. Fortunately, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) publishes code sheets to help citizens read accident reports.

Those sheets include hundreds of different codes — some of which apply to very few accidents. It can be helpful to focus on the more commonly used codes.

Why Understanding Crash Codes Matters

While crash codes can make a crash report seem confusing, they also help to condense key information. For example, with these codes, the investigator does not need to write “Commercial Driver’s License Hazardous Materials Endorsement.” Instead, the officer can simply write “H” on the form.

By understanding these codes, you can better interpret the officer’s investigative findings.

How to Request a Copy of Your Texas Crash Report

All law enforcement agencies in Texas are required to upload reports of crashes involving injury, death or property damage over $1,000 to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), regardless of their location. You can purchase your crash report from TxDOT through its online crash report portal.

Common Texas Crash Report Codes

If you’re not familiar with Texas peace officer crash reports, you may not know where to start in deciphering yours. Take a closer look at the different sections you may see in Texas Department of Transportation crash reports and the codes frequently found within them.

Breakdown of Each Page in a Texas Crash Report

The most current version of the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report includes four pages. The first page describes where accidents occur and who is involved.

This page also includes a description of the vehicles. For example, after motorcycle accidents, officers can use a code to identify which vehicles were motorcycles rather than automobiles.

Page two describes the outcome of the crash, such as where the victims were taken, what damage the vehicles experienced, and what criminal charges were brought. It also includes two fields for the investigator to explain what occurred and draw a diagram of the crash.

Investigators use page three if there were more than three people in any one vehicle or more than six total people involved in the crash. They then use page four to explain the disposition of each additional person listed. For instance, if a driver hit multiple cyclists, an officer would use pages three and four to list them and describe where they were taken for their bicycle accident injuries.

Section 3.1: Classification Identifiers

This initial section includes basic information about the accident. The police officer creating the report can check off codes indicating specific circumstances, such as:

• FATAL: The accident caused a fatality
• CMV: The accident involved a commercial vehicle
• SCHOOL BUS: The accident involved a school bus
• RAILROAD: The accident involved a train or railroad equipment
• MAB: The accident might have involved someone medically unfit to drive
• SUPPLEMENT: The report is a supplement to the original
• ACTIVE SCHOOL ZONE: The accident happened in a school zone

This section also indicates how many people and vehicles were involved in the crash.

Section 3.2: Identification and Location

Section 3.2 generally doesn’t use codes. It indicates where and when the crash happened.

Section 3.3: Vehicle, Driver & Persons

This section includes per-person and per-vehicle information. Box 14 will use codes that indicate each person’s condition. These are some of the most common codes:

• A: Suspected serious injuries, like paralysis or crush damage
• B: Mild or non-incapacitating injuries
• C: Possible injury
• K: Died at the scene or within 30 days due to accident-related injuries
• N: Not injured
• 99: Unknown whether the person was injured or not

In this section, Box 24 also includes information on the results of a chemical test if a driver was suspected of DUI.

The results of this test may be noted as follows:

• 1: Possible drugs or alcohol detected
• 2: Negative test results
• 97: Not applicable
• 99: Unknown

Additionally, boxes 10 and 11 contain information on whether someone is a licensed driver. If you see the code “5,” they are likely not properly licensed.

Toward the bottom of this section is the vehicle damage rating. Texas uses both codes and diagrams to illustrate damage to each vehicle.

Section 4.1: Report Identifiers

This section includes identifying codes for the accident.

Section 4.2: Disposition of Injured/Killed

Section 4.2 includes information on what facilities injured or deceased people were taken to and how they got there.

Section 4.3: Charges

This section includes information on any criminal charges filed against anyone involved in the accident.

Section 4.4: Damage

Section 4.4 notes details on any property damage.

Section 4.5: CMV

This section explains where any commercial vehicles were involved in the crash.

Section 4.6: Factors and Conditions

“Factors and conditions” on police reports in Texas refer to the circumstances that may have contributed to the crash. These are some of the most common codes:

• 4: Unsafe lane change
• 15: Disregarding stop signs or traffic lights
• 19: Driving while distracted
• 32-39: Failing to yield
• 40: Drowsy/fatigued driving
• 44: Tailgating
• 45: Drinking prior to driving
• 52: Oversized vehicle or load
• 60: Unsafe speed
• 63-66: Improper turning
• 67-68: Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• 73: Road rage
• 74-77: Using a cell phone

In addition, this section also lists vehicle defects that may have contributed to the crash.

Some frequent defects include:

• 5: No headlights/defective headlights
• 8: Defective turn signals
• 10: No brakes/defective brakes
• 12: Slick or defective tires

It’s possible for an officer to mistakenly mark down some contributing factors and miss others. However, these codes can be helpful to your attorney if they’re putting together a car accident lawsuit.

Section 4.7: Narrative and Diagram

In section 4.7, you’ll find the officer’s opinion of what happened and a drawing of how the crash likely occurred.

Section 4.8: Investigator

This section includes basic information about the responding officer. It should state the agency the officer works for, their ID number and what time they arrived on the scene of the crash.

Common Mistakes and Misinterpretations

A common mistake is skipping the code sheet, as the codes used in the report are generally not intuitive. Most people would not automatically know that an injured person identified in position “14” was a bus passenger. If you skip the code sheet, you will not have a full picture of what occurred.

Another mistake is believing that the crash report is the final word on what happened. Officers can only work with the evidence they have at the crash scene. Later information might lead to a different conclusion than the one reached in the crash report.

How Crash Codes Affect Legal and Insurance Outcomes

A crash report provides valuable information. However, it is just one piece of evidence. Thus, while it may be used by lawyers and insurance claim adjusters as a starting point for their investigations, other evidence, like crash scene photos and witness statements, can be equally or more valuable than the codes included in the crash report.

Have You Been Injured in an Accident?

If you’ve been injured in a car accident you didn’t cause, you might consider filing an insurance claim or lawsuit to recover compensation. A Texas car accident lawyer can be instrumental in building a convincing case, negotiating a settlement and representing you in court if needed.

However, if you’re like most people, you might be unsure of how to find a qualified lawyer. That’s where we come in. ConsumerShield is dedicated to matching people in need of legal help with experienced, nearby attorneys. Getting started is simple — fill out our contact form for a free case evaluation today!