Use San Marcos and Hays County records routes

By Jacob Alford

Which agency handled my wreck near San Marcos?

Start with the officer’s card, exchange sheet, incident number, tow paperwork or the agency named in the report. The location alone may not identify the investigator. San Marcos Police, the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, Texas State University Police, DPS or another nearby department may have responded, and more than one agency may hold records.

If you are unsure, ask the likely agency’s records office to identify the incident and investigating department using the date, time and location. San Marcos’s Citizen Connect information can be a lead, but a public call listing is not the complete crash file. San Marcos call-information guidance.

Which local portal supplies the crash report rather than other records?

Use the links on the agency’s own website so you reach its current provider:

• San Marcos Police: the Records page separates crash-report purchase options from GovQA open-record requests. It identifies TxDOT as the route for a certified report. The page also explains how to obtain an incident record when no crash report was generated.
• Hays County Sheriff: the Sheriff’s FAQ directs both incident-report and crash-report requests to GovQA. Specify which record you want; a request for the CR-3 alone does not identify every video or dispatch record.

A portal used by several departments does not mean every department’s files were searched. Identify the agency and requested record types, and retain each confirmation number. Check current fees and delivery options before ordering.

What if Texas State University Police Department or DPS investigated?

For a Texas State University Police crash report, its accident-report page directs you to TxDOT’s purchase system. That same page links separately to TXST Open Records for other university police records.

DPS likewise directs CR-3 requests to TxDOT. For DPS-held recordings or other records, use its Public Information Requests page and the designated submission method. A request to TxDOT for a crash report is not a request to DPS for a trooper’s video.

Use the specific case identifiers and include the body-camera particulars described in Request records beyond the crash report when relevant. If another city’s department investigated, follow that department’s official records route rather than substituting San Marcos merely because it was nearby.

How do I request records after leaving the area?

You can usually begin remotely through the official online or written route. Choose electronic delivery when offered, provide a reliable email and check portal messages as well as your inbox. Respond promptly to identity questions, clarification requests and fee notices.

San Marcos Police does not process records requests by phone or email. Use the official online route for the record you need. Incident records and basic-information reports are ordinarily requested in person; if you cannot visit, the Records Division accepts them by mail with payment by check. Include the incident number, location, date and time, your contact information and how you want the record returned. Mail it to San Marcos Police Department, ATTN: Records, 2300 S IH 35, San Marcos, TX 78666. Check the city’s Records page for the current fee and instructions before mailing.

A family member or lawyer can help with properly authorized requests. Do not send original identity documents when the agency asks only for a copy or another form of verification. Leaving Texas does not stop evidence from being overwritten, so arrange preservation now and continue the records request from home.

Attorney reviewed by Jacob Alford · November 11, 2026