How to Get a Hollywood, FL Police Report (And How Long It Takes)

If you were in a car accident, a pedestrian crash, or any incident the Hollywood Police Department responded to, the police report is one of the most important documents in your case. Here's how to get one, how long it takes.

How to Request a Hollywood Police Report

Option 1: Online — City of Hollywood Public Records Center Most offense reports, supplemental reports, accident reports, arrest reports, and incident reports must be requested through the City's online Public Records Center. You can find the link to the portal on the Hollywood Police Records page at hollywoodfl.org/388/Police-Records. From there, you'll create an account, submit your request, and can track its status online.

Option 2: In Person You can also request reports in person at the Hollywood Police Records Section, 401 S. Park Road. Non-emergency line: 954-764-4357. Records Window hours:

• Monday & Thursday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

• Tuesday & Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Option 3: Florida Crash Portal (for traffic crash reports) Traffic crash reports can also be purchased directly through the state's FloridaCrashPortal.gov for $12. This is separate from the City's Public Records Center — think of the city portal as the way to request offense reports, arrest reports, and general incident reports, while the state Crash Portal is specifically built for traffic crash reports and often the fastest route for that document type. [CONFIRM: some sources note downloaded reports may only remain accessible for a limited window, such as 48 hours, before you need to re-download — verify current portal behavior before publishing.]

Which one should you use?

	City Public Records Center	Florida Crash Portal
Best for	Offense, arrest, supplemental, and general incident reports	Traffic crash reports specifically
Cost	Varies by record type	$12 flat fee
Format	Requested and tracked through an account	Instant PDF download once available
Handles BWC footage?	Yes	No
60-day confidentialty?	Yes, via sworn statement	Yes, via sworn statement

What Laws Actually Control This?

Florida's rules around police report availability aren't just local policy — they come from state law:

• Section 316.066, Florida Statutes governs crash reports specifically: officers must submit the Long Form crash report to the state within 10 days of completing their investigation, and personal information in the report is confidential for 60 days unless the requester qualifies under the statute and files a sworn statement. Knowingly obtaining protected crash report information without meeting these requirements is a third-degree felony in Florida.

• CS/SB 1614 (2023) updated 316.066 to expand what stays confidential — some personal identifying information in a crash report can now remain protected even after the original 60-day window closes, not just during it.

• Florida Statutes Chapter 119 (the Public Records Act) presumes government records, including police reports, are open to the public unless a specific exemption applies.

• Section 119.071, Florida Statutes is the exemption that keeps homicide, officer-involved shooting, and other active investigation records confidential. Once a case is no longer "active," the agency is required to make the record available — which is why these files can stay closed for months or years while a case is open.

How Long Does It Take?

• Crash reports may take up to approximately 10 days to become available after the accident. Florida law requires the investigating officer to submit the report to the state within 10 days of completing the investigation, so this timeline is often on the faster end for routine, non-fatal crashes.

• Confidentiality window: Traffic crash reports are exempt from public disclosure for the first 60 days after the crash. During that window, only people specifically authorized under Florida Statute 316.066 — the drivers, passengers, or their attorneys and insurance agents — can get a copy, and only by submitting a sworn statementconfirming they're entitled to one.

• After 60 days, the report becomes a public record and anyone can request it.

What If the Report Has an Error?

Hollywood PD doesn't have a formal "amendment" form. In practice:

1. Contact the reporting officer or the Records Unit directly.

2. Provide documentation proving the error (photos, insurance card, ID, witness statement).

3. Factual errors (wrong plate number, insurance carrier, date of birth, location) are usually correctable.

4. Opinion-based findings (who was at fault) are discretionary and rarely changed.

5. If the officer won't revise the original, ask for a supplemental report — your corrected information becomes part of the official file even if the original isn't rewritten.

How Useful Is a Police Report for Your Case — and Where It Falls Short

A police or crash report is often the starting point for an injury claim, but it's important to understand both what it can and can't do for you.

Where it helps:

• Establishes an official, time-stamped record of the incident, including location, date, and parties involved

• Documents the responding officer's observations at the scene

• May include a citation or a preliminary opinion on fault, which insurers often weigh heavily in early settlement talks

• Provides contact and insurance information for other parties and witnesses, which can be difficult to track down later

Where it falls short:

• The officer's fault determination is not a legal finding — it's an opinion, and it's not binding on a court, an insurance company, or a jury.

• Reports are often written quickly, sometimes based on limited on-scene information, and can contain factual errors or omissions.

• A report can't calculate damages — it says nothing about your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, or long-term impact.

• If the crash involved unclear liability (e.g., disputed right-of-way, no independent witnesses), the report may not resolve the dispute, and additional evidence — photos, medical records, expert reconstruction — may be necessary to prove your case.

In short: a police report is a valuable piece of evidence, but it's rarely the whole story. Building a full injury claim usually requires layering in medical records, witness statements, and other documentation alongside it.

Accidents Involving Death and Officer-Involved Incidents Are Different

Standard crash and offense reports move fast because they're routine and administrative. Homicide investigations and officer-involved shootings are a different process entirely, and the timeline can stretch to months or over a year. Here's why:

• FDLE takes over. In officer-involved shootings and certain in-custody incidents, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is typically called in to conduct an independent investigation, separate from the local department.

• Active criminal investigative information is exempt. Under Section 119.071, Florida Statutes, records tied to an open criminal investigation — witness statements, ballistics, forensic reports, internal findings — are confidential until the investigation is officially declared no longer active.

• State Attorney review adds time. Once FDLE (or the local homicide unit) finishes, the case often goes to the State Attorney's Office to decide whether charges are warranted. The full investigative file is generally not released until that review concludes.

• Court intervention is sometimes required. In high-profile cases, media organizations and attorneys have had to petition a judge to force release of an investigative report even after the fact, showing just how tightly these files are held during an active case.

• Body-worn camera footage is also affected. Even though standard BWC footage is available for 90 days, footage tied to an open homicide or officer-involved investigation is typically withheld until the investigation formally closes — regardless of the 90-day window.

Bottom line: if your case involves a fatality, a police shooting, or an in-custody death, don't expect a full report on the same timeline as a routine fender-bender. Your attorney can still request preliminary information, incident numbers, and press releases while the full report remains under wraps.

Need Help Getting Your Report?

Chasing down records while recovering from an accident is the last thing you should have to deal with. If you were injured in a Hollywood-area crash and need help obtaining, correcting, or understanding your police report, Call Dan: (954) 923-6110.