Terms of Service
Last updated: April 2026
The short version
FARS API (farsapi.com) provides access to public NHTSA crash data through a REST API. We do our best to keep the data accurate, the service running, and the experience good. In return, we ask that you use it responsibly and understand the limitations of government data.
If something looks wrong - a data point that doesn't match NHTSA's source, a query that returns unexpected results, or anything else - please tell us. We'd rather fix it than have someone make a decision based on bad data. Reach out at [email protected].
What we provide
FARS API serves data from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. We download the raw CSV files published by NHTSA, normalize them (join tables, decode numeric codes, handle year-over-year schema changes), and serve the result through a REST API.
We do not create, modify, or editorialize the underlying crash data. What NHTSA publishes is what we serve, with formatting and normalization applied.
What we don't guarantee
We try our best, but we can't guarantee:
- Accuracy. The source data comes from NHTSA and is compiled from police reports across 50 states. It has known limitations (GPS precision, coding inconsistencies, 18-month lag). We document these openly on our data guide and field reference. Our normalization process may also introduce errors - if you spot one, please report it.
- Completeness. We currently cover 2017-2023. Not every crash has every field populated. Some GPS coordinates are missing. Some vehicle models fall back to numeric codes. We're transparent about coverage rates on every field.
- Uptime. We aim for high availability but don't offer a formal SLA on the free tier or $19/mo plan. If the service is down, we'll fix it as fast as we can.
- Suitability for your use case. We built this for insurance, legal, fleet safety, and research use cases, but we can't evaluate whether our data meets your specific requirements. That's on you.
Not legal or professional advice
Nothing on farsapi.com - including API responses, intersection reports, pattern analysis, and narrative summaries - constitutes legal, actuarial, engineering, or any other professional advice. The pattern analysis in intersection reports is computed automatically and should not be cited as expert opinion.
If you're using this data for legal proceedings, insurance pricing, safety engineering, or any decision with real consequences, verify the data independently against NHTSA's source files. We provide st_case and year identifiers on every record specifically so you can do this.
How you can use the data
The underlying NHTSA FARS data is public domain (US government work). Our API, normalization, and presentation are our work. You can:
- Use the data in commercial and non-commercial applications
- Include data from intersection reports in legal filings (with appropriate verification)
- Build products and analyses on top of the API
- Cache responses for reasonable periods
Please don't:
- Resell raw API access (build something with it, don't just proxy it)
- Hammer the API beyond your plan's limits
- Use the data to identify or target individuals (NHTSA strips PII, and so do we)
- Misrepresent the data source or our role - we normalize NHTSA data, we don't create it
Payments and refunds
Intersection reports ($9): One-time payment via Stripe. If the report contains no crashes (the location simply didn't have any fatal crashes in our data), that's a valid result, not an error - we can't refund based on the data being what it is. If the report fails to load due to a technical issue on our end, email us and we'll fix it or refund you.
API plans ($19/mo): Monthly billing via Stripe. Cancel anytime - takes effect at the end of your billing period. No refunds for partial months. If we have extended downtime (more than 24 hours in a billing period), email us and we'll credit you.
If something is wrong
We take data quality seriously. If you find:
- A crash record that doesn't match NHTSA's source data
- A field that's consistently wrong or missing when it shouldn't be
- A query that returns results that don't make sense
- A security issue
Email [email protected]. We'll investigate and fix it. We'd genuinely rather hear about problems than not.
Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, farsapi.com is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We are not liable for damages arising from your use of the service or reliance on the data. This includes but is not limited to decisions made based on intersection reports, API responses, or any analysis derived from our data.
Our total liability for any claim related to the service is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.
Changes
We may update these terms. If we make significant changes, we'll note it here with the date. Continued use after changes means you accept the new terms.