Finding out the date of a road traffic accident (RTA) may be necessary in a variety of situations: from checking the history of a car before purchasing to restoring lost documents for an insurance company. However, not everyone knows that the date of the accident can be determined even years later - both through official sources (traffic police, Rosstat, insurance companies), and through alternative methods (forums, news archives, car inspection services).

The main problem is fragmentation of information. Data on road accidents are stored in different databases: from closed traffic police registers to open court decisions. In this article we will look at all current methods of searching for the date of an accident by license plate number, VIN code, last name of the participant or address of the incident, including little-known life hacks and scam warnings.

1. Official sources: traffic police, Rosstat and EAISTO

The most reliable way is to request information from government databases. However, there are nuances here: not all data is publicly available, and you will have to pay for some certificates.

Main official sources:

  • 📋 Traffic police portal (traffic police.rf) - free check by license plate number or VIN code through the “Services” → “Vehicle check” section. Shows facts of participation in an accident, but not always with an exact date.
  • 📊 Rosstat — publishes accident statistics by region, broken down by date, but not linked to specific cars. Useful if you need to know number of accidents on the M-4 highway in January 2023.
  • 🔍 EAISTO (Unified Automated Information System for Technical Inspection) - here you can find data on damage identified during maintenance that could have been the result of an accident.

⚠️ Attention: Through the traffic police portal you will see only those accidents that were registered officially (with protocol). If the accident is resolved according to the European protocol or without calling inspectors, there will be no information in the database.

📊 Why do you need the date of the accident?
I check the history of the car before buying
Restoring documents for insurance
I'm looking for the culprit of the accident
Other

2. Check through insurance companies (OSAGO/CASCO)

If the car was insured, the accident data is stored in the database RSA (Russian Union of Auto Insurers). To get information:

  1. Go to the site RSA.
  2. In the History Check section, enter VIN or license plate number.
  3. Pay for the certificate (cost - from 300 to 500 rubles).

The report will indicate:

  • 📅 Date and time of the accident;
  • 🚗 Brands and license plates of participants;
  • 💰 Amount of insurance compensation;
  • 📍 Location of the incident (if it was recorded).

⚠️ Attention: If the accident occurred before 2014, the data may be missing - RSA stores the history only from the moment of the introduction of electronic OSAGO policies.

☑️ What is needed for a request to RSA

Done: 0 / 4

3. Archives of court decisions and court websites

If the accident had consequences (for example, a dispute about guilt or compensation for damage), the information could get into file of arbitration cases or on the websites of district courts. The search is carried out by:

  • 🔢 Case number (if known);
  • 👤 Full names of participants;
  • 📍 Accident address (for example, “Road accident on Lenin St., 15 in Moscow 05/12/2022”).

Useful resources:

Example of a request in a file cabinet:

“Road accident 2023 Moscow VAZ 2114 model X777XX”
How to find a case if only the name of the culprit is known?

Try searching for the wording “Claim for compensation for damages from an accident [Last name].” Often the case description will include the date of the accident and the make of the car.

4. Car history checking services

Paid services like Autocode, CarVertical or VinHistory aggregates data from various sources, including:

  • 📄 Traffic police and RSA databases;
  • 🔧 Repair history (if the car was restored after an accident);
  • 📈 Data on mileage and owners.

The cost of the report is from 300 to 1000 rubles. Example data from Autocode:

Parameter Example data
Date of accident 15.08.2021
Type of damage Front bumper, headlight, hood
Insurance payment 180,000 rub. (OSAGO)
Source of information RSA database

⚠️ Attention: Some services show not all accidents, but only those that were recorded by insurance companies. If the accident was registered without a policy (for example, by agreement), it may not be in the report.

💡

Before purchasing a report, check to see if it is being sold cheaper during promotions. For example, Autocode often gives 50% discounts for the first 3 checks.

5. Search news archives and social networks

If the accident was serious (involving injuries, blocking the road, or unusual circumstances), it could be written about in the local media. How to search:

  1. Enter in Yandex.News or Google request like: 
    “Accident [city] [date or month] [car make]”

    Example: “Road accident Ekaterinburg June 2023 Mercedes”.

  2. Check local public pages on VKontakte or Telegram (for example, “Road accident [city name]”).
  3. Use Wayback Machineto find deleted news.

Example of a successful search:

📌 Found it through the news: In the “Accident Moscow” group I found a post dated March 12, 2022 with a photo of an accident on the Moscow Ring Road involving Kia Rio y/n O123RT. The comments indicated the exact time - 14:30.

6. Alternative methods: forums, chats, request to the traffic police

If the official methods do not help, try:

  • 💬 Motorist forums (for example, Drome or Drive2). Ask a question with details (brand, number, region).
  • 📩 Request to the traffic police by mail. Write an application addressed to the head of the regional State Traffic Safety Inspectorate with a request to provide data on road accidents according to VIN or license plate number. The answer will come within 30 days.
  • 🔎 Search by photos. If you have a photo of the damage, upload it to Google Images - it may have been published on forums with the date indicated.

⚠️ Attention: You often come across scammers on forums offering to “find the date of an accident for 500 rubles.” Don't transfer money to strangers — all official data can be obtained for free or through trusted services.

💡

The fastest way is to check through the RSA or the traffic police. If the accident is old (before 2014), search through court records or news reports.

7. What to do if the date of the accident could not be found out?

If none of the methods work, you are left with two options:

  1. Contact previous owner (if we are talking about buying a car). Ask to see:
    • 📄 A copy of the traffic police protocol;
    • 💳 Receipts from the car service (if the car was repaired);
    • 📋 Insurance policy with a note about payment.
  • Order an independent examination. Specialist in VIN code or body part numbers can determine whether serious damage has occurred and give an approximate repair period.

    • 🔹 Important: If you are buying a car with an opaque history, refuse the deal or reduce the price by 20–30%. A hidden accident can lead to problems with insurance, technical inspection or security.

    FAQ: Frequently asked questions about searching for the date of an accident

    Is it possible to find out the date of an accident by the driver’s last name without a license plate number?

    Yes, but it's more complicated. Try:

    1. Search by court cases (enter your full name and the word “accident”).
    2. Request to the insurance company (if you know the name).
    3. Checking local news (eg. “Road accident Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov 2023”).

      4. If the driver was the culprit, the chances are higher - his data could end up in open sources.

    How much does it cost to check your accident history through the traffic police?

    Official request via the portal traffic police free. Paid services (Autocode, Carfax) charge from 300 to 1000 rubles for a full report.

    Could there be errors in the report (for example, an incorrect date of the accident)?

    Yes. Common mistakes:

    • 🗓 Inaccurate date (only the month or quarter is indicated);
    • 🚗 Confusion with license plates (if the car has been re-registered);
    • 📍 Wrong location of accident (if the accident was not registered on site).

    Always double-check data through 2-3 sources.

    How do you know if an accident was fatal?

    Information about the dead is published:

    • 📰 B traffic police statistics (section “Accidents”);
    • 🏛 B court cases (look for references to “causing death by negligence”);
    • 🕵️ In the news archives (request “Fatal accident [city] [date]”).
    Is it possible to delete information about an accident from the traffic police or RSA databases?

    No. Accident data is stored for life (for traffic police) or at least 5 years (for RSA). Exception - if the entry was made wrong (for example, due to a typo in the license plate). In this case, you can submit a correction request through:

    • 📧 Official website of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate (section “Feedback”);
    • 📄 Written application to the regional State Traffic Safety Inspectorate.