In law enforcement, a CAD number is the unique tracking code a Computer-Aided Dispatch system assigns to every call for service the moment a dispatcher logs it. It works like a receipt number for a 911 call or any other request for police, fire, or EMS response, and it follows the incident through every status change, unit assignment, and update until the call closes.1NENA. CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch)
Nearly every 911 center in the country runs some version of a CAD system, and the number it generates is how the agency finds your call again later.
What a CAD Number Tracks
At the moment the call is created, the record captures the date and time, the caller’s information, the incident location verified against the system’s geographic database, the nature of the emergency, and the priority level the dispatcher assigned.2Bureau of Justice Assistance. Law Enforcement Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Systems
As the event unfolds, the record grows. It logs which units were dispatched, when each unit went en route, when they arrived on scene, and when they cleared the call. Dispatcher notes get appended in real time, including updates from officers in the field. Every status change is timestamped automatically, creating a detailed chronological log of the response. That timeline is useful for supervisors reviewing response times, officers writing reports, and investigators reconstructing events after the fact.
One quirk worth knowing: CAD numbers are typically unique within a given time window, but some systems recycle numbers over longer periods. A CAD number reliably identifies one specific call on a given date, but it may not be globally unique across years of data. If you’re looking up an older incident, you’ll generally need the date alongside the CAD number to pull the right record.
CAD Number vs. Case Number
This is where people get confused, and the distinction matters if you ever need to track down records. A CAD number identifies the dispatch event itself. A case number, sometimes called an incident report number, identifies the formal investigative record that may follow. Not every dispatched call generates a case number. If officers respond to a noise complaint and resolve it on the spot with no report, that call has a CAD number but no case number.
An agency may assign a case number at any point before transferring the call data to its records management system, though it most often happens after someone determines that a formal report will be filed.2Bureau of Justice Assistance. Law Enforcement Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Systems The CAD number stays linked as a cross-reference, so a detective or records clerk can trace a case back to the original dispatch log. The records management system handles long-term storage, evidence tracking, and the documentation that feeds into court proceedings.3Bureau of Justice Assistance. Law Enforcement Records Management Systems (RMS)
In short, the CAD number proves a call happened and documents how it was handled. The case number documents what the agency did about it after the fact.
How to Request a Copy of a CAD Report
If you were involved in an incident and need the dispatch record, you can typically request a copy of the CAD log from the agency that handled the call. These records are generally available through public records or freedom of information request processes, though the exact procedure varies by jurisdiction. You’ll usually need to provide the date and approximate time of the incident, the location, and the nature of the call. If you already have the CAD number, that simplifies the search considerably.
Expect a small administrative fee. Costs vary widely between agencies, from free to modest per-page or hourly charges for staff time spent locating records. Some agencies handle requests by email, others require a written submission, and turnaround times depend on the complexity of the request and the agency’s workload.
People most commonly request CAD logs to support insurance claims. After a car accident, theft, or property damage, your insurer may want documentation that you reported the incident to police. The CAD log provides timestamped proof that a call was made, when officers responded, and the basic nature of the reported event. Having your CAD number ready when you file a claim speeds this up considerably.
What Will Be Redacted
CAD logs often contain sensitive information, and agencies routinely redact portions before releasing them. At the federal level, the Freedom of Information Act exempts law enforcement records from disclosure when release could interfere with an ongoing investigation, reveal a confidential source, endanger someone’s safety, or constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 552 – Public Information Most state public records laws include similar carve-outs.
In practice, this means agencies will typically black out names and contact information for witnesses, victims’ personal or medical details, and any notes that touch on investigative techniques or active cases. The Privacy Act adds a separate layer of protection for records in federal systems, generally prohibiting disclosure without the subject’s written consent unless a statutory exception applies.5U.S. Department of Justice. Overview of the Privacy Act – Conditions of Disclosure to Third Parties You can always request your own records, but getting the full, unredacted CAD log for someone else’s incident is unlikely unless you have a court order or qualify under a recognized exception.
CAD Logs as Court Evidence
CAD logs regularly show up in court proceedings, and they carry real weight because of how they’re created. Every entry is timestamped automatically by the system at or near the time each event occurs, and dispatchers make entries as part of their routine duties during every shift.
Under the Federal Rules of Evidence, a record qualifies as an exception to the hearsay rule if it was made at or near the time of the event by someone with knowledge, kept as part of a regularly conducted activity, and created as a regular practice of that activity. The record must be authenticated by a custodian or qualified witness, and the opposing side can challenge it by showing the source or preparation method is untrustworthy.6Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Evidence Rule 803 – Exceptions to the Rule Against Hearsay CAD logs fit this framework well. Dispatch centers create these records continuously as a core part of their operations, and the automated timestamps remove the kind of memory-based inaccuracies that make other records unreliable.
Attorneys use CAD logs to establish exactly when a call came in, how quickly officers responded, and what information was relayed at each stage. In cases involving police response times, use-of-force disputes, or conflicting accounts of when events occurred, the CAD log often provides the most objective timeline available.
How Long Agencies Keep CAD Records
Retention periods for CAD data vary significantly between agencies and states. Closed call history typically stays in the active CAD system for a relatively short period before being archived or transferred to long-term storage.2Bureau of Justice Assistance. Law Enforcement Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Systems State records retention schedules then govern how long the archived data must be preserved before it can be destroyed. Some states require agencies to keep dispatch logs for as few as two or three years, while others mandate seven years or longer.
If you think you might need a CAD record for a legal matter, don’t wait. The sooner you request it, the less likely you are to discover it’s already been purged. For incidents that generate a formal case number, the associated records in the records management system are typically kept much longer than the raw CAD data, so the case file may survive even after the original dispatch log has been deleted.