The UCR number on a police report is a standardized FBI offense code that identifies the type of crime the responding officer documented. It is not a case number, not a tracking ID, and not unique to your incident. A code like 240 means motor vehicle theft anywhere in the country; 120 means robbery. The code exists so every law enforcement agency classifies crimes the same way, which matters when an insurance adjuster, attorney, or court needs to know exactly what category of offense was reported.1Federal Bureau of Investigation. NIBRS Offense Codes
What the Code Is Doing on Your Report
When a patrol officer fills out a report, they select the offense code that matches the crime. That code travels with the incident data into the FBI’s national crime database, and it stays on your paperwork. For you, the practical value is confirmation of category. If you’re filing an insurance claim after a break-in, the UCR code on the report confirms the incident was classified as a burglary rather than a theft or trespassing, and that classification can affect how the claim is processed.
The code says nothing about the strength of the case, the status of any investigation, or whether an arrest was made. It’s a label for the offense type, chosen from a standardized list.
Common UCR Offense Codes
UCR codes are a mix of numbers and number-letter combinations. Pure numbers usually cover a whole offense category; letters distinguish subcategories. Some of the codes you’re most likely to see:1Federal Bureau of Investigation. NIBRS Offense Codes
- 09A: Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
- 13A: Aggravated assault
- 13B: Simple assault
- 120: Robbery
- 220: Burglary or breaking and entering
- 23C: Shoplifting
- 23F: Theft from a motor vehicle
- 240: Motor vehicle theft
- 290: Destruction, damage, or vandalism of property
- 35A: Drug or narcotic violations
- 520: Weapon law violations
- 90D: Driving under the influence
If the code on your report isn’t in this list, the FBI publishes the full offense-code table through its UCR Program resources, and the records division at the responding agency can tell you what a specific code means.
UCR Code vs. Case Number
These get confused constantly, and they do completely different things. The case number, sometimes labeled report number, DR number, or incident number, is an internal tracking ID your police department assigns to your specific incident. You’ll use it to call for updates, request copies, or reference the incident in court filings. It’s unique to your case at that agency.
The UCR code tells you nothing about your specific case. Every motor vehicle theft reported anywhere in the country carries UCR code 240, but each one has its own case number. When you need to reference your report, you want the case number. The UCR code is only useful for understanding the offense category the officer documented.
What ORI Means
You may also see an “ORI” on the report. That stands for Originating Agency Identifier, a unique ID the FBI assigns to each law enforcement agency so that agencies with identical names in different states can be told apart in the national database.2Decoding FBI Crime Data. Chapter 1 Preface The ORI identifies who filed the report. It’s not the crime code and not the case number.
Part I, Part II, and the Switch to NIBRS
If you’re looking at an older report, you may see references to “Part I” or “Part II” offenses. That was the FBI’s Summary Reporting System: Part I covered serious crimes like murder, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and arson; Part II covered less serious crimes reported only at the arrest stage.3Federal Bureau of Investigation. Offense Definitions
In 2021, the FBI phased out that system and moved entirely to the National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS.4Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime/Law Enforcement Stats (UCR Program) NIBRS captures more detail about each incident, including victims, offenders, relationships, property, and multiple offenses within a single event. In place of Part I and Part II, NIBRS uses Group A offenses, reported for every incident, and Group B offenses, reported only at arrest.1Federal Bureau of Investigation. NIBRS Offense Codes The codes listed earlier are the current NIBRS codes used nationwide.
Getting a Copy of Your Report
If you need a copy of the report that carries the UCR code, contact the records division of the agency that responded. Most departments take requests in person, by mail, or through an online portal. You’ll usually need to provide the case number if you have it, the date and location of the incident, and your name or the victim’s name. Some agencies charge a small fee, and processing times run anywhere from same-day to several weeks depending on backlog.
The case number speeds things up. Without it, the date, location, and names involved are typically enough for a records clerk to find the report. Victims and their authorized representatives generally have the clearest right to obtain a copy, though the specific access rules vary by jurisdiction.