Hurt in a crash in El Paso: your report, your 2-year deadline and the city's sworn 90-day notice

Last checked November 8, 2026

El Paso Police crash reports cost $6 at 911 N. Raynor St.12 County Sheriff reports are also $6.3 Texas generally gives you 2 years to file a lawsuit.4 If the City of El Paso was involved, you must send the Mayor a sworn written notice within 90 days, or within 6 months for good cause.56

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Road map of El Paso, Texas, showing its freeways and main streets
The main roads of El Paso. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

El Paso's 90-day sworn notice, step by step

This rule covers injuries caused by the city. Sun Metro is a city department, so a bus crash can fall under it too.7 Texas gives most public bodies six months, but a city can set a shorter time.8 Six months here is only for good cause, so plan on 90 days.5

  1. Write the facts: the date, the time, the place, how you were hurt, the witnesses and your doctors.9
  2. Swear to it. You, or someone authorized to act for you, must swear to the notice.6
  3. Send it to the Office of the Mayor, P.O. Box 1890, El Paso 79950, or by email.10
  4. Add what you have: the accident report, medical bills and a doctor's narrative.11

A death has the same time limit.12 The charter also says you cannot sue the city until the claim has gone to the Council and the Council failed to act on time.13

If the other side isDeadlineNotes
A driver or company2 years to sue4Most crash cases
City of El Paso or Sun Metro90 days for sworn notice5Goes to the Mayor10
El Paso County or another public bodySix months for notice8Ask the agency where to send it
A child who was hurt2-year clock usually waits until 1814Notice rules may not wait

Hit while walking, or the driver took off?

In El Paso, 73% of fatal pedestrian crashes happened in the dark.15 People walking were 3.78% of crashes but 21% of the crashes that killed or badly hurt someone.16 And 24% of those serious walking and biking crashes were hit and run.17 From 2016 to 2020, 124 pedestrians were killed in the city.18

  • If the driver left, get a police case number and ask nearby stores for video before it is erased.
  • Your own auto policy may help even if you were on foot. Ask your insurer in writing about uninsured motorist coverage.
  • The city's plan found 68% of fatal and serious walking and biking crashes on 5% of its local streets.19 Note the exact block where you were hit.

Where to get your El Paso crash report

Who took the reportWhere to goCost
El Paso PoliceEPPD Records, 911 N. Raynor St., 79903.1 By mail, allow 10 business days and do not mail cash.20$6.2 Certified copy is $2 more.21 Mail requests add $1.50.20
El Paso County SheriffMonday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 3850 Justice Drive or a patrol station.22 Deputies investigate crashes from minor to fatal.23$6.3
Texas Highway Patrol on rural highwaysState troopers cover the rural highways.24 Reports are held by TxDOT.25$6, or $8 certified.26

You can also buy a report through TxDOT and get it by email.27 It is open to anyone directly concerned in the crash.28

I-10, Zaragoza and the border crossings

Over 40% of the most severe crashes in El Paso happened on state roads, with 371 deaths or serious injuries.29 The plan's state road list starts with Dyer Street from Sun Valley to US 54 and Zaragoza Road from Azogue to Don Haskins.30 The planning agency names IH-10, Loop 375, US 54 and others as hot spots.31

The Ysleta/Zaragoza port handles more than 1.3 million cargo trucks a year, according to the city.32 TxDOT counted 1,014 crashes involving commercial vehicles in El Paso County in 2025, with 7 deaths.33 Overall the county had 17,848 crashes and 70 deaths.34 From 2017 to 2021 the city recorded 846 crashes that killed or badly injured someone.35 If a truck hit you near a crossing, write down the company name, truck number and plates.

What to do this week in El Paso

  1. Get your records. University Medical Center is a Level 1 Trauma Center.36 Main number: (915) 544-1200.37 On the east side, The Hospitals of Providence East Campus is a Level II center.38
  2. Find your car. If it was towed after a crash, it may be at the Municipal Vehicle Storage Facility, 11615 Railroad Drive, (915) 212-0205, open 24 hours.3940
  3. Check the towing rules. The city changed its towing ordinance on June 1, 2026.41
  4. Write down the date your 90 days end, and treat it as the last day.

Justice court and fault in El Paso

El Paso County's Justice of the Peace page says civil cases up to $10,000.42 The Texas justice court rules allow small claims up to $20,000.43 These sources differ, so call the court before you file.

Texas lets you recover if you were 50% at fault or less, with your share taken off. Above 50%, you recover nothing.44

Questions

How much is an El Paso police accident report?

$6.00. A certified copy is $2.00 more. Requests by mail add $1.50.22120

How long do I have to tell the City of El Paso about an injury?

90 days, or 6 months for good cause, in a sworn written notice to the Mayor.56

Does a Sun Metro bus crash count as a claim against the city?

Sun Metro is the City of El Paso's Mass Transit Department.7

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Accidents in El Paso

    Texas

    Sources

    1. El Paso Police Department, Records & Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “EPPD RECORDS DIVISION 911 N. Raynor St El Paso, TX 79903”
    2. El Paso Police Department, Records & Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident or Crash Reports $6.00”
    3. El Paso County Sheriff, Criminal / Accident Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “Crash Reports - $6.00”
    4. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
    5. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “shall within 90 days or within 6 months for good cause shown from the date the damage occurred or the injury was received, give notice in writing to the mayor”
    6. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be sworn to by the person claiming damages or by someone authorized by him to do so on his behalf”
    7. Sun Metro Suspension of Service Policy, checked 2026-11-08. “the City of El Paso's Mass Transit Department (Sun Metro)”
    8. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
    9. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “the name of the doctors, if any, to whose care the injured person is committed”
    10. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Office of the Mayor P.O. Box 1890 El Paso, Texas, 79950”
    11. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident report, if available, Photocopy of Certificate of Title of damaged vehicle, Photocopy of medical bills, if any, and Doctor’s narrative”
    12. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “within 90 days or within 6 months for good cause shown from the date of the injury or accident causing such death”
    13. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “no suit shall be instituted against the City unless the claimant shall aver and prove that, previous to filing the original petition, the claim was presented to the Council”
    14. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
    15. City of El Paso, Vision Zero Action Plan (June 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “73% of fatal pedestrian [...] crashes happen in dark lighting conditions”
    16. City of El Paso, Vision Zero Action Plan (June 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “Pedestrians make up only 3.78% of all crashes, but of KSI crashes 21%”
    17. City of El Paso, Vision Zero Action Plan (June 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “24% of bicycle and pedestrian KSI crashes are hit and run”
    18. City of El Paso, Vision Zero, checked 2026-11-08. “Between 2016 and 2020, 124 pedestrians were killed in El Paso”
    19. City of El Paso, Vision Zero Action Plan (June 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “68% of all fatal and serious injury crashes involving someone walking or biking occur on 5% of El Paso’s local streets”
    20. El Paso Police Department, Records & Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “Allow 10 business days for a response. The fee for reports requested by mail is $1.50.”
    21. El Paso Police Department, Records & Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident Reports $6.00 plus $2.00 extra for a certified copy”
    22. El Paso County Sheriff, Criminal / Accident Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM at any of the three locations: Sheriff’s Office Headquarters, 3850 Justice Drive”
    23. El Paso County Sheriff, Traffic Section, checked 2026-11-08. “minor accident investigations to accidents involving serious injuries and death”
    24. Texas DPS, Highway Patrol Service, checked 2026-11-08. “responsible for general police traffic supervision, traffic, and criminal law enforcement on the rural highways of Texas”
    25. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “TxDOT is the custodian of crash records for the state of Texas”
    26. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “$6 for a regular copy. $8 for a certified copy”
    27. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “receive their report(s) via email following the purchase”
    28. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “to any person directly concerned in the accident or having proper interest therein”
    29. City of El Paso, Vision Zero Action Plan (June 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “Over 40% of the most severe crashes in El Paso occurred on a state roadway, resulting in 371 deaths or serious injuries”
    30. City of El Paso, Vision Zero Action Plan (June 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “ROADWAYS WITH THE HIGHEST FREQUENCY OF SEVERE CRASHES [...] Dyer St. Sun Valley Dr. – US 54 [...] Zaragoza Rd. Azogue Ave. – Don Haskins Dr.”
    31. El Paso MPO, RMS 2052 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, Chapter 4, checked 2026-11-08. “particularly Downtown El Paso and along major corridors such as IH-10, SH 20, US 62, Loop 375, US 54, and US 85”
    32. City of El Paso news release, October 14, 2025, checked 2026-11-08. “The port processes more than 1.3 million cargo trucks, 6.9 million personal vehicles, and 2.4 million pedestrians each year”
    33. TxDOT, 2025 CMV Involved Crashes and Injuries by County, checked 2026-11-08. “El Paso 7 7 14 15 117 165 84 119 780 2,327 12 114 1,014”
    34. TxDOT, 2025 Crashes and Injuries by County, checked 2026-11-08. “El Paso 67 70 274 308 3,129 4,407 1,792 2,894 11,629 34,177 957 3,629 17,848”
    35. City of El Paso, Vision Zero Action Plan (June 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “846 KSI CRASHES 2017–2021”
    36. UMC El Paso, 2024 Annual Report, checked 2026-11-08. “UMC Receives Reverification as Level 1 Trauma Center”
    37. University Medical Center of El Paso, checked 2026-11-08. “Main Number: (915) 544-1200”
    38. The Hospitals of Providence, Awards & Distinctions, checked 2026-11-08. “The Hospitals of Providence East Campus is recognized as a Major Level II Trauma Center”
    39. El Paso Police Department, Vehicle Towing, checked 2026-11-08. “City Of El Paso Municipal Vehicle Storage Facility 11615 Railroad Drive El Paso, Texas 79934 (915) 212-0205 Open 24 hours”
    40. El Paso Police Department, Vehicle Towing, checked 2026-11-08. “Involved in an accident or deemed unsafe to drive”
    41. El Paso Police Department, Vehicle Towing, checked 2026-11-08. “Chapter 12.54 (Towing Regulations and Fees), effective June 1st, 2026”
    42. El Paso County, Justices of the Peace, checked 2026-11-08. “civil matter when the amount in controversy does not exceed $10,000”
    43. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, Part V, as posted by Hidalgo County, checked 2026-11-08. “A small claims case is a lawsuit brought for the recovery of money damages, civil penalties, personal property, or other relief allowed by law. The claim can be for no more than $20,000”
    44. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”

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