If you already reported a crime or lost property to the NYPD, the document most people can request is not a full complaint report. Instead, the NYPD and NYC311 direct the public to request a Verification of Crime/Lost Property report (sometimes called a verification of incident). It is free for complainants and victims, and you can request it online or by mail. If you need the form itself, you can also pick it up in person at any police precinct, Housing Bureau police service area (PSA), or Transit Bureau district. If you are dealing with an emergency or a crime in progress, call 911 instead of using the records process. NYC311, NYPD Record Requests
What NYC gives you: verification report vs. full report
For most public requests tied to an already reported crime or lost property, the NYPD provides a Verification of Crime/Lost Property report, not a full complaint file. NYPD victim-services guidance explicitly says a verification report is not the same as a complaint report. The Criminal Records Unit maintains crime and lost-property records and issues verification information as allowed by law and department rules. NYPD Victim Services, NYPD Record Requests
That distinction matters because many people asking for a “police report copy” actually need proof that they reported an incident for:
- insurance claims,
- replacing identification or travel documents,
- employer or school paperwork,
- housing or benefits documentation, or
- general proof of loss or victimization.
For those situations, the verification report is usually the document NYC points you to request. NYC311
Who can request it
The NYPD states that requests may be made by the complainant/victim, an authorized representative, or an authorized third party in some circumstances. If you use an authorized representative, the NYPD says the request must be completed, notarized, and mailed. NYPD online verification portal, NYPD verification form PDF
If you are not the complainant or victim, or you need something beyond the standard verification, you may be dealing with a different records process, including a Freedom of Information Law request in some cases. NYC311 separately lists NYPD agency record requests through the city records process. NYC311 FOIL information
Option 1: Request the report online
The simplest route is usually the NYPD’s online Verification of Crime / Lost Property submission. NYC311 links directly to the city’s online request page and says the report is free. NYC311, NYPD online verification portal
How to do it
- Go to the city’s online NYPD Verification of Crime / Lost Property request page. NYPD online verification portal
- Complete the requested incident and identity information.
- Submit the request as the complainant/victim, or follow the representative instructions if someone is acting for you. NYPD online verification portal
- Wait for the report to be returned by mail or email, depending on the request type and processing route. The NYPD says reports are not available for pickup at Police Headquarters. NYPD Record Requests
When online is a good fit
Online requests are usually best when:
- you already filed the crime or lost-property report,
- you only need the verification document,
- you are the victim/complainant yourself, and
- you want to avoid mailing paperwork.
Option 2: Request the report by mail
You can also request a verification report by mailing the completed form. NYC311 says to send the form with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the NYPD Criminal Records Section (Verification Unit) at 1 Police Plaza, Room 300, New York, NY 10038. NYC311
Mailing address listed by NYC311
New York City Police Department
Criminal Records Section (Verification Unit)
1 Police Plaza, Room 300
New York, NY 10038 NYC311
What to include
Based on NYC311 and NYPD guidance, include:
- the completed Verification of Crime/Lost Property form,
- a stamped, self-addressed envelope, and
- if using an authorized representative, the required notarized authorization materials. NYC311, NYPD Record Requests, NYPD online verification portal
Some NYPD pages and older form materials use slightly different room numbers or mailing details, including references to Room 303 or other Criminal Records Section wording. Because NYC311 is the city’s current public instructions page and was updated more recently in this research, it is the safest address to follow for ordinary verification-report mail requests unless the form you are actively using instructs otherwise. That is an editorial inference based on the recency and directness of the city guidance. NYC311, NYPD Victim Services, NYPD verification form PDF
Option 3: Get the form in person
You generally cannot walk into Police Headquarters and pick up the finished report. However, you can get the request form in person at:
- any police precinct,
- any Housing Bureau police service area (PSA), or
- any Transit Bureau district. NYC311, NYPD Record Requests
After you get the form, you still submit the request through the approved records process. NYPD says the Criminal Records Unit is not open to the public, and reports are not available for pickup at Police Headquarters. NYPD Record Requests
What if you need the complaint report number first?
NYPD’s FAQ says that to obtain a complaint report number, you can call any police precinct during 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If the precinct you call is not the one where the crime happened, NYPD says to tell the officer that the incident occurred elsewhere. NYPD FAQ
That can help if you are filling out the verification request and do not have the complaint number handy.
A different document: aided reports
If the incident involved a person who was injured, became sick, or was lost and NYPD rendered service, you may need an Aided Report instead. NYPD says aided reports are also free, but they are handled through a separate process and can be requested by mail rather than through the same ordinary verification workflow. They are not available for pickup at Police Headquarters. NYPD Record Requests, NYPD Victim Services
If your issue was a car crash, you may also need a vehicle accident report, which is a separate category from the crime/lost-property verification page. NYC311 lists vehicle accident reports separately from police verification reports. NYC311
Important limits and practical tips
The report is free
NYC311 says the verification report is free, and NYPD also states that verification of a complaint report is provided free of charge. NYC311, NYPD Record Requests
It is not for emergencies
If the situation is happening now or someone is in danger, use 911. NYC311’s police-report page and NYPD victim-services pages both separate emergency reporting from records requests. NYC311, NYPD Victim Services
You may not receive a full investigative file
What most people receive through this process is verification, not the entire underlying complaint or investigative record. If an insurer, lawyer, or agency asks you for something more specific, confirm exactly what document they require before you submit the request. NYPD expressly says a verification report is not the same as a complaint report. NYPD Victim Services
Police Headquarters is not a public pickup counter for this
The NYPD says these reports can only be returned through mail or email and are not available for pickup at Police Headquarters; the Criminal Records Unit is not open to the public. NYPD Record Requests
Keep copies of everything you send
This is a practical tip rather than a city rule: if you mail the form, keep a copy of the completed request, note when you mailed it, and save any related complaint number. That can make follow-up easier if the record is delayed or if you need to submit again.
Step-by-step: fastest path for most people
If you want the shortest route, this is usually the best order:
- Confirm that the incident was already reported to NYPD. NYC311
- Find your complaint/report number if you have it; if not, call a precinct during business hours as described by NYPD FAQ. NYPD FAQ
- Submit the online verification request if you are the complainant/victim. NYPD online verification portal
- If online does not fit your situation, mail the completed form with a stamped self-addressed envelope to the Criminal Records Section (Verification Unit), 1 Police Plaza, Room 300, New York, NY 10038. NYC311
- If you need the paper form first, pick it up at a precinct, PSA, or transit district. NYC311
Bottom line
To get a copy of a police report in NYC for a previously reported crime or lost property, most people should request a free Verification of Crime/Lost Property report. You can do that online, or by mail to the NYPD Criminal Records Section (Verification Unit), 1 Police Plaza, Room 300, New York, NY 10038, with a stamped self-addressed envelope. You can also get the request form at a precinct, PSA, or transit district, but NYPD says the finished report is not picked up in person at Police Headquarters. If the incident is happening now, call 911 instead.