Traffic accident report you are legally obligated to report your accident if it causes property damage in excess of $1,000, bodily injury, or death you could face harsh fines and even the loss of your license if you don’t report the crash within 10 days this report, which is filed on form sr-1, is known as a traffic accident report. How to get a traffic accident report. Dmv keeps (motorist and police) accident reports for 4 years from the date of an accident, except for rare cases [fn]these cases are described in vehicle and traffic law, section 201(i)[/fn] you can order a certified accident report online or by mail [fn]certified accident report copies include an attestation and signature of the commissioner of motor vehicles.