FARS release dates: the years on file
This site holds FARS years 1975 to 2024. FARS 2024 is the newest year. NHTSA serves its annual file. The final file is not released.
The next file
NHTSA released the last 5 annual files 14 to 15 months after the end of the data year.
With the same delay, the FARS 2025 annual file comes in about April 2027. This month is an estimate of this site. It is not a date from NHTSA.
For the years 2019 to 2023, NHTSA released the final file on the day of the annual file of the next year.
NHTSA wrote about the next files in its early estimate for 2025:
The fatality counts for 2024 and 2025 and the ensuing percentage change from 2024 to 2025 will be slightly revised when the FARS Final File for 2024 and the FARS Annual Report File (ARF) for 2025 are made available in early 2027.
NHTSA gives the time as "early 2027" and gives no day.
Each year from 2015
| FARS year | File that NHTSA serves now | Annual file released | Months after the end of the year | Final file released | Later updates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Annual file | 15 | Not released | None | Release notes of 2024 | |
| 2023 | Final file | 15 | 3 Jul 2025 | Release notes of 2023 | ||
| 2022 | Final file | 15 | 11 Feb 2025, 1 Apr 2026 | Release notes of 2022 | ||
| 2021 | Final file | 15 | 8 Apr 2025, 24 Jun 2026 | Release notes of 2021 | ||
| 2020 | Final file | 14 | 8 Mar 2022, 1 Apr 2024, 8 Apr 2025 | Release notes of 2020 | ||
| 2019 | Final file | 12 | None | Release notes of 2019 | ||
| 2018 | Final file | 10 | 28 Sep 2018, 30 Oct 2019, 14 Aug 2020, 2 Mar 2022 | Release notes of 2018 | ||
| 2017 | Final file | 9 | 30 Oct 2019, 19 Feb 2020, 14 Aug 2020, 18 Dec 2020, 2 Mar 2022 | Release notes of 2017 | ||
| 2016 | Final file | 6 | 22 Oct 2019, 30 Oct 2019, 14 Aug 2020, 18 Dec 2020, 2 Mar 2022 | Release notes of 2016 | ||
| 2015 | Final file | No date in the notes | n/a | 12 Sep 2016, 22 Sep 2017, 27 Sep 2018, 14 Aug 2020, 2 Mar 2022, 3 Apr 2023 | Release notes of 2015 |
Note: the dates are those in the release notes that NHTSA keeps with the files of each year. FARS years 1975 to 2014 are on file from one fixed copy. This site does not track revisions of these years.
The words of NHTSA for each release
Each quotation is the first sentence of the entry in the release notes of NHTSA.
This is the first release of the 2024 FARS annual file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2024, annual file, . Release notes of 2024
This is the first release of the 2023 FARS final file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2023, final file, . Release notes of 2023
This is the first release of the 2023 FARS annual file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2023, annual file, . Release notes of 2023
This is the first release of the 2022 FARS final file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2022, final file, . Release notes of 2022
This is the first release of the 2022 FARS annual file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2022, annual file, . Release notes of 2022
This is the first release of the 2021 FARS final file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2021, final file, . Release notes of 2021
This is the first release of the 2021 FARS annual file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2021, annual file, . Release notes of 2021
This is the first release of the 2020 FARS final file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2020, final file, . Release notes of 2020
This is the first release of the 2020 FARS annual file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2020, annual file, . Release notes of 2020
This is the first release of the 2019 FARS final file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2019, final file, . Release notes of 2019
This is the release of the FARS 2019 annual files.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2019, annual file, . Release notes of 2019
This is the release of FARS 2018 final files.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2018, final file, . Release notes of 2018
This is the release of FARS 2018 annual file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2018, annual file, . Release notes of 2018
this is the first release of the FARS 2017 final file.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2017, final file, . Release notes of 2017
files are released for FARS 2017 annual data.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2017, annual file, . Release notes of 2017
files are released for FARS 2016 final data.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2016, final file, . Release notes of 2016
files are released with FARS 2016 annual data.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2016, annual file, . Release notes of 2016
Updated with the FARS final data for 2015.
NHTSA, release notes of FARS 2015, final file, . Release notes of 2015
The record of this site
The change log records the day on which this site first has a new FARS year. The guide When a new year of data arrives gives more detail. The RSS feed has one item for each release.