New York Public Officers Law Section 66-A - Accident reports kept by police authorities to be open to the inspection of persons interested.

66-a. Accident reports kept by police authorities to be open to the inspection of persons interested. 1. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of law, general, special or local, or any limitation contained in the provision of any city charter, all reports and records of any accident, kept or maintained by the state police or by the police department or force of any county, city, town, village or other district of the state, shall be open to the inspection of any person having an interest therein, or of such person's attorney or agent, even though the state or a municipal corporation or other subdivision thereof may have been involved in the accident; except that the authorities having custody of such reports or records may prescribe reasonable rules and regulations in regard to the time and manner of such inspection, and may withhold from inspection any reports or records the disclosure of which would interfere with the investigation or prosecution by such authorities of a crime involved in or connected with the accident.

2. Notwithstanding the provisions of section twenty-three hundred seven of the civil practice law and rules, the public officers law, or any other law to the contrary, the division of state police shall charge fees for the search and copy of accident reports and photographs. A search fee of fifteen dollars per accident report shall be charged, with no additional fee for a photocopy. An additional fee of fifteen dollars shall be charged for a certified copy of any accident report. A fee of twenty-five dollars per photograph or contact sheet shall be charged. The fees for investigative reports shall be the same as those for accident reports.

* 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section twenty-three hundred seven of the civil practice law and rules, this chapter, or any other law to the contrary, the county of Nassau, upon adoption of a local law, is hereby authorized to require the police department of the county of Nassau to charge fees for the search and copy of accident reports and photographs. A search fee of ten dollars per accident report shall be charged, with no additional fee for a photocopy. An additional fee of ten dollars shall be charged for a certified copy of any accident report. A fee of fifteen dollars per photograph or contact sheet shall be charged. The fees for investigative reports shall be the same as those for accident reports.

* NB Repealed December 31, 2020


Last modified: February 3, 2019