Last Updated 28th of January, 2010

When do I have to file an accident report?

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An accident report usually needs to be filed whenever there is an injury or death, or property damage of a certain dollar amount, or both. Even if the police come and take a report at the scene of the car accident, it’s your responsibility to make sure it’s properly filed and to file it yourself if it wasn’t.

Make sure you have enough insurance to cover any incident that might arise.

Report to Motor Vehicle Office Report to Police Report to Other Agency No Report Required
Alabama
x
More than $250 property damage, injury/death.
Alaska
x
x
To police for more than $2,000 or injury/death. File Certificate of Insurance for damages of $501 or more.
Arizona
x
Injuries/death.
Arkansas
x
More than $1,000 property damage, or injury/death.
California
x
x
Report damages of $750 or more to the DMV. Report injuries/death/DUIs to police.
Colorado
x
x
Report all accidents online; report injuries and deaths to police too.
Connecticut
x
Injury/deaths.
Delaware
x
More than $500 damages, injuries/deaths/DUIs.
Florida
x
x
$500 damages, injuries/deaths to police; file a DMV report if there was no police report filed.
Georgia
x
$500 or more property, injuries/death. Also create own Personal Accident Report for records.
Hawaii
x
More than $3,000 damages, injury/deaths.
Idaho
x
$1,500 or more damages.
Illinois
x
x
$1,500 or more damages, injuries/death to police; all accidents to DOT regardless of dollar amount.
Indiana
x
$1,000 or more damages.
Iowa
x
x
$1,000 of more damages, injury/death to DOT within 72 hrs; get form from police; police may also file.
Kansas
x
$1,000 property damage, death/injuries.
Kentucky
x
$500 or more property damage; state police.
Louisiana
x
Always.
Maine
x
$1,000 property damage, injury/death.
Maryland
x
x
Call police for injuries/deaths; if no police file with MVA within 15 days for injury accidents; property damage does not need to be reported.
Massachusetts
x
x
$1000 or more property damage, injury/death, file with DMV even if police were there.
Michigan
x
$1,000 property damages, injury/death.
Minnesota
x
x
Only injury/death, call police. Only property, file with DMV.
Mississippi
x
Missouri
x
$500 property damage, injury/death within 30 days.
Montana
x
If accident in municipality: Injured/killed, $500 more, local police. Outside municipality: $1,000 or more, injury/death, call Highway Patrol.
Nebraska
x
$1,000 or more property damage/injury/death.
Nevada
x
$750 more property damage, injury/death, within 10 days.
New Hampshire
x
$1,000 or more damages, injury/death within 15 days.
New Jersey
x
x
$500 property, injury/death: police. Less than $500 damages and no injuries/deaths: MVC.
New Mexico
x
x
$500 or more property damage, injury/death; also file report within 5 days.
New York
x
x
Damages $1,001 or more, file with motor vehicles within 10 days. Injuries/deaths: police.
North Carolina
x
$1,000 or more property, injury/death.
North Dakota
x
$1,000 or more property, injury/death.
Ohio
x
$400 or more property damages, injury/death, or uninsured driver, with BMV within 6 months.
Oklahoma
x
$300 or more property, injury/death: Dept. of Public Safety.
Oregon
x
$1,500 damages, injury/death.
Pennsylvania
x
Injury/death and cars that can't be driven from the scene.
Rhode Island
x
$1,000 or more property damages, injury/death.
South Carolina
x
x
$1,000 or more property damage, injury/death, report to both.
South Dakota
x
$1,000 or more property damage, injury/death.
Tennessee
x
x
$400 or more property, injury death: report to DOS within 20 days and police.
Texas
x
x
$1,000 property damage, injury and death: DMV within 10 days if police didn't file.
Utah
x
x
$1,000 or more property damage, injury/death: report to DMV if no police report was filed.
Vermont
x
$1,000 or more property, injury/death: DMV.
Virginia
x
$1,000 property, injury/death.
Washington
x
x
$700 or more property; injury/death. File with DMV within 4 days if the police didn't file.
West Virginia
x
x
$500 or more property damage, injury/death; file with DMV within 10 days if the police didn't file.
Wisconsin
x
x
$1,000 or more property damage; injury/death; file with DMV within 10 days if no police report was filed.
Wyoming
x
$1,000 or more property damage; injury/death.
Washington DC
x

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