Read Your NC Accident Report (DMV-349)

The Bottom Line

The DMV-349 is the official crash report used by every law enforcement agency in North Carolina. It is one of the first documents the insurance company will review, and the contributing circumstances codes, narrative, and diagram it contains can shape the entire direction of your claim. Understanding what each section means -- and knowing what to do if the report is wrong -- puts you in a much stronger position to protect your rights.

What Is the DMV-349?

The DMV-349 is the standardized crash report form used by all North Carolina law enforcement agencies -- local police, county sheriffs, and the NC State Highway Patrol. When an officer responds to an accident scene, this is the document they complete. The finished report is submitted to the NC Division of Motor Vehicles and becomes part of the state's official crash records.

This report is important because it serves as the official record of your accident. Insurance companies, attorneys, and courts all reference it. The information in the DMV-349 can support your claim or create obstacles you need to overcome.

Where to Get Your Crash Report

You can obtain your DMV-349 from two sources:

• The investigating law enforcement agency -- the police department, sheriff's office, or State Highway Patrol office that handled the accident. Reports are usually available within 3 to 10 business days. Most agencies charge a small fee, typically $5 to $10.
• The NC DMV online -- the NC Division of Motor Vehicles allows you to request crash reports through their website. The cost is $6.25 per report. Processing time may be longer than going directly to the investigating agency.

Key Sections of the DMV-349

The DMV-349 contains a significant amount of information organized into distinct sections. Here is what each section covers and why it matters.

Header Information

The top of the report identifies the basic facts of the crash:

• Date and time of the accident
• County where the crash occurred
• Location -- specific road name, nearest intersection, mile marker, or GPS coordinates

Review this section for accuracy. An incorrect time or location can create confusion about the circumstances of the accident, especially if traffic signal timing or lighting conditions are relevant.

Unit Information (Vehicle and Driver Details)

Each vehicle involved in the accident is designated as a "unit" and assigned a number. For each unit, the report records:

• Driver's name, address, and license number
• Insurance company and policy information
• Vehicle year, make, model, and license plate
• Number of occupants

Check this section carefully. Errors in insurance information can cause delays in filing a claim. If Driver 1 and Driver 2 are swapped, the contributing circumstances assigned to each driver will be attributed to the wrong person -- a significant problem.

Contributing Circumstances -- The Most Important Codes

This is arguably the most critical section of the entire report. The investigating officer selects coded factors that describe what they believe caused the crash. These codes are assigned to specific drivers and represent the officer's assessment of fault.

Common contributing circumstance codes include:

• Failure to yield right of way
• Exceeded safe speed or exceeded posted speed
• Inattention or distraction
• Failure to reduce speed
• Crossed center line
• Disregarded traffic signal or stop sign
• Improper lane change
• Following too closely
• Impaired by alcohol or drugs

These codes are not a formal legal determination of fault. But they carry enormous practical weight. When the insurance company opens your claim file and sees "disregarded traffic signal" assigned to the other driver, that shapes the adjuster's entire approach. Conversely, if that code is assigned to you, the adjuster has immediate ammunition to deny or reduce your claim.

Sequence of Events

This section describes the chronological order of what happened during the crash. The officer reconstructs the sequence based on physical evidence, vehicle positions, damage patterns, and driver and witness statements. It typically identifies:

• What each driver was doing before the collision
• The first harmful event (the initial point of impact)
• Subsequent events (secondary collisions, rollovers, or impacts with objects)

The sequence of events provides structure to the accident narrative and can clarify how the crash unfolded in a way that the narrative section alone may not.

The Crash Diagram

The officer draws a diagram of the accident scene showing:

• Vehicle positions before, during, and after impact
• Direction of travel for each vehicle
• Point of impact -- where the vehicles collided
• Road features -- lane markings, turn lanes, medians, intersections
• North arrow for orientation

The diagram is a visual representation of the officer's understanding of the crash. Review it carefully. Does it show the correct number of lanes? Is the direction of travel accurate for each vehicle? Does the point of impact match your recollection? Errors in the diagram can misrepresent the entire dynamics of the accident.

The Narrative

The narrative is the officer's written description of how the accident happened, in their own words. This is often the most detailed and influential section of the report because it tells the story of the crash in plain language.

The narrative typically describes:

• What each driver was doing before the collision
• How the collision occurred
• The officer's observations at the scene
• Statements from drivers and witnesses (sometimes paraphrased)

Injury Severity Classifications

The DMV-349 classifies each person's injuries using a standard scale:

These classifications are the officer's assessment at the scene. They often do not reflect the true extent of injuries, which can take days or weeks to fully manifest. Whiplash, soft tissue injuries, concussions, and internal injuries may not be apparent immediately. If your injury was classified as "C" or "O" but you later received significant medical treatment, this discrepancy does not hurt your claim -- medical records documenting the actual injuries carry more weight than the officer's initial assessment.

Road and Environmental Conditions

This section documents conditions at the time of the crash:

• Road surface -- dry, wet, icy, snow-covered, sandy
• Lighting -- daylight, dark with streetlights, dark without streetlights, dawn, dusk
• Weather -- clear, rain, fog, snow
• Construction zone -- whether the accident occurred in an active work zone

Road conditions can be relevant if the accident was caused or worsened by hazardous conditions, or if a government entity failed to maintain the road.

Witness Information

If witnesses spoke with the officer, their names and contact information may be listed in the report. However, witness sections are not always complete. Witnesses may leave before the officer can talk to them, or the officer may not include every witness they spoke with.

If you know witnesses were present but are not listed in the report, try to locate them independently. Independent witness testimony is powerful evidence because witnesses have no financial stake in the outcome.

What to Look for When You Review Your Report

When you receive your DMV-349, focus on these four critical areas:

1. Contributing circumstances -- Who did the officer assign fault to? Are the codes accurate? If the officer assigned a contributing factor to you that you believe is wrong, that needs to be addressed immediately.

2. The narrative -- Does the officer's account match what actually happened? Were your statements included accurately? Did the officer rely primarily on the other driver's version?

3. Injury classifications -- Were your injuries accurately reflected, or were they underclassified? While this can be corrected through medical records, a significant underclassification is worth noting.

4. The diagram -- Does the diagram accurately show vehicle positions, directions of travel, and the point of impact?

What to Do If the Report Is Wrong

If you find errors in your DMV-349, you have options.

For factual errors (wrong names, vehicle descriptions, incorrect street names, swapped driver information), contact the investigating officer and request a supplemental report. Officers will typically correct verifiable mistakes.

For narrative or fault disputes (the officer's account does not match your version, or contributing circumstances are assigned to the wrong driver), the officer is unlikely to change their professional assessment. In this case, you can:

• File a written supplemental statement that becomes part of the record alongside the original report
• Gather your own evidence -- dashcam footage, photos, witness statements -- to counter the report's version
• Challenge the report through the insurance claims process or in court

The crash report is evidence, but it is not the last word. Strong independent evidence can overcome an unfavorable report. For a detailed guide on challenging report errors, see our article on how to challenge an inaccurate police report in NC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a copy of my NC accident report?▾

You can obtain your DMV-349 crash report from two sources. First, you can request it directly from the law enforcement agency that investigated the accident -- the local police department, county sheriff's office, or NC State Highway Patrol. Reports are typically available within 3 to 10 business days and cost a small fee. Second, you can request it online through the NC DMV's crash reports page, which charges $6.25 per report.

What do the contributing circumstances codes on the DMV-349 mean?▾

Contributing circumstances are coded factors the investigating officer selected to describe what caused the crash. Common codes include failure to yield right of way, exceeded safe speed, inattention, failure to reduce speed, crossed center line, and disregarded traffic signal. The officer assigns these codes to specific drivers, and they indicate who the officer believes was primarily responsible for the accident. These codes are not binding in court, but insurance companies rely heavily on them when evaluating claims.

What do the injury severity codes on the DMV-349 mean?▾

The DMV-349 uses a standard injury classification system: K means killed, A means incapacitating injury (cannot leave the scene without assistance), B means non-incapacitating evident injury (visible injury but person can function), C means possible injury (complaint of pain but no visible injury), and O means no injury. These classifications are the officer's assessment at the scene and may not reflect the full extent of your injuries, which often become apparent days or weeks later.

Can I get the accident report corrected if it contains errors?▾

Yes. If your DMV-349 contains factual errors -- wrong vehicle descriptions, incorrect street names, misattributed statements, or an inaccurate diagram -- you can request a supplemental report from the investigating officer. Contact the officer, explain the specific errors, and provide supporting evidence. Officers will typically correct verifiable factual mistakes but will not change their professional opinion about contributing factors simply because you disagree.

Is the DMV-349 crash report admissible as evidence in NC court?▾

Yes. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. 20-166.1(i), crash reports are admissible as evidence in any trial, civil or criminal. However, the report is one piece of evidence among many. A jury can weigh it against witness testimony, dashcam footage, expert analysis, and other evidence. An unfavorable crash report does not automatically determine the outcome of your case.