California Accident Reporting Requirements (2026)
Contributor
Reviewed By Adam Ramirez, J.D.
Editor
- Understanding California's Legal Duty to Report Car Accidents
- Reporting Deadlines for Police and DMV
- How to File a Police Report After an Accident
- Filing the SR-1 Form With the California DMV
- Consequences of Not Reporting an Accident
- Insurance Reporting Requirements vs. Legal Requirements
- Special Reporting Rules for Commercial Vehicles
- Get Legal Help With Your California Accident Reporting Requirements
Summary
- You must report accidents that cause injuries, death or property damage
- You have 24 hours to report the accident to the police
- You have 10 days to report the accident to the DMV
California accident reporting requirements aim to ensure that law enforcement is aware of any motor vehicle accidents that cause injuries, deaths or property damage. When you don’t report an accident that meets these conditions, you can face serious legal consequences.
Whether you’re a visitor or long-time resident of the Golden State, it’s important to take a closer look at what these laws involve and when an attorney may be necessary.
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Understanding California's Legal Duty to Report Car Accidents
All drivers in California have a duty to report accidents that meet certain criteria.
When You Must Report an Accident in California
California accident reporting requirements state that you must alert the police that an accident occurred if it resulted in injuries or fatalities. You must also report it to the DMV if it resulted in injuries, death or property damage that adds up to $1,000 or more.
Reporting Deadlines for Police and DMV
The length of time you have to report the accident can depend on how serious it was. If it caused an injury or fatality, you must report it to the police within 24 hours and the DMV within 10 days. If there was only property damage, you will still need to report it to the DMV in that timeframe.
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How to File a Police Report After an Accident
After an accident, it’s essential to call emergency services. This will summon medical assistance and law enforcement to the site of the accident. The police officer can then write and file the report for you.
If a police officer doesn’t arrive at the scene, as can sometimes occur for minor accidents, you will have to file the report yourself. Contact the local police or California Highway Patrol (CHP) to do so.
You can go in person to the nearest station or office. Certain departments allow online reporting, but these are typically only for minor accidents.
Filing the SR-1 Form With the California DMV
One of the key California accident reporting requirements to know is that you will need to fill out the SR-1 form. You can obtain it from the DMV website or from a DMV/CHP office.
You will need your driver’s license, vehicle license plate or VIN and the pertinent insurance information. You’ll need to include details on all of the injuries and losses you and any passengers sustained. You can file it yourself or have a California car accident lawyer do it for you.
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Consequences of Not Reporting an Accident
If you don’t meet California accident reporting requirements, the DMV could revoke your driving privileges until you file the report. For an accident that caused injuries, you could face even more serious consequences, such as up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
If the accident resulted in severe injuries or death, you could face two to four years in prison or 90 days to a year in jail. Additionally, you could see a fine of up to $10,000.
Insurance Reporting Requirements vs. Legal Requirements
There is no statewide requirement to report the accident to an insurance company. That’s because California is an at-fault state, which means you would be filing against the other party’s insurance to obtain compensation.
That doesn’t mean that you won’t be required to report it, however. The contract you signed with your insurance provider may include provisions about letting them know if you’re in an accident. If the policy clearly states that this is the case, then you could run the risk of being denied coverage.
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Special Reporting Rules for Commercial Vehicles
As the driver of a commercial vehicle involved in a collision in California, you must report the accident to the DMV within 10 days if there were injuries, deaths or property damage exceeding $1,000.
You must also report the crash to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). FMCSA requires carriers to keep an Accident Register for every accident that required a vehicle to be towed from the scene or that resulted in injuries or death.
If the vehicle carried hazardous materials and there were spills, the collision has to be reported to the CHP within 30 days of the discovery of the spill.
Get Legal Help With Your California Accident Reporting Requirements
Being in a collision is difficult enough. The last thing you need to worry about is ensuring that you meet all the California accident reporting requirements. To help you through this process, hiring an attorney could be the right option.
At ConsumerShield, we can match you with leading and trusted attorneys in your area. Contact us to learn more about the services we offer today.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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It can. You will need to have a police report to file a personal injury claim. Without this document, it can be challenging to demonstrate that the accident caused your losses.
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The report will include information on the incident, like the time and location, as well as who was involved. You can find all of the contact information on the parties, as well as the names of the witnesses. The report will include a description of any injuries, too.
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The police report offers an idea of what the officer saw and what the evidence at the site suggests happened. This does not mean that what they state is what insurance companies will accept. There may be further investigations to understand the exact cause of the crash.
