Obtain a Police Report or Your Criminal History

Active cases which are still under investigation may not be released.

Reports are available through the Santa Barbara Police Department to authorized persons only. To assist our department with fulfilling your need for a report, please fill out a Request for Report form (bottom of page) completely including your signature and certification that you are the party of interest authorized to obtain a copy of the report.

Proper identification is required (Government issued valid photo ID).

If you are requesting a copy for another person, as that person’s representative you will need to obtain an authorization letter accompanied by a current photo identification of the subject of record. If the subject of record is a juvenile, his or her parent or legal guardian will need to obtain the report. Questions? Call 805-897-2355. 

General Offense Report Releases:

All requests for reports require proper identification, which must be attached to your request (a photo/scan of ID is most common). The photo, name, and signature on the ID need to be visible and legible.

Requests for police reports may be made in a variety of ways. Our preferred method for submitting requests is through our public records portal HERE, though it is not required. Requests submitted through the portal help minimize processing delays, expedite communication in case of issues, and avoid fees for printed materials.

If you choose to receive printed copies, fees will apply and must be paid prior to receiving any reports. If the report is delivered electronically, there is no fee.

Acceptable methods of payment are:

• Cash
• Checks; make payable to City of Santa Barbara (if by mail, amount blank, not to exceed $5.00)
• For charges over $10.00 only: VISA, MasterCard, Discover (only form of payment accepted for faxed requests)

For additional assistance in submitting a report request, call Records at (805) 897-2355
 

Collision Report Releases:

The Santa Barbara Police Department has partnered with Docview LLC to reduce the time spent processing requests for traffic collision reports. Citizens, insurance companies and law firms representing citizens involved in traffic collisions can now purchase reports online for the people they represent.

Click the link to obtain a copy of your collision report: LexisNexis 

LexisNexis charges a small convenience fee for this service which is added to the normal cost of the collision report.

Community members who do not wish to pay the convenience fee can still obtain a copy of the collision report at the Santa Barbara Police Department for the normal report fee of $25.00. 

To access your Collision Report, you will be required to provide the Date of the Collision as well as the Report Number provided to you at the scene of the Collision.

Note: The Report Number must be entered exactly, with the first two digits being the year followed by the 5 digit report number. For example 23-23456 would be entered as 2023-23456

The system will allow you to print your accident report 24 hours a day from any location with internet access. The reports are in a PDF format which makes them easy to view, save, print, and email.

Complete the form with all the required information and mail the completed form, along with a photocopy of a valid government issued identification, and a check  to: Santa Barbara Police Department, 215 E Figueroa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Payment.  There is a $10 fee to do the search. If records are found, a $25 fee will be charged. Checks shall be made out to the City of Santa Barbara, and shall not exceed $25.  If you request results to be mailed back, please include a self-addressed envelope, or provide a designated email address. Questions? Call 805-897-2355. 

Criminal History Request Form