The short version
- 11 states require your own written report above a damage or injury threshold, even if police came.
- 14 states require your own report only when police didn't investigate.
- 17 states only require you to notify police (or accept no driver report at all).
- The rest apply only in specific situations, such as an uninsured driver — or couldn't be confirmed and say so.
Whatever your state, call 911 if anyone is hurt, exchange information with the other driver, and photograph everything. Our free accident information worksheet covers it all.
All 50 states and D.C.
| State | Rule | Deadline | Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Only if a driver was uninsured | — | SR-31 |
| Alaska | You must file your own report | Within 10 days | Alaska Motor Vehicle Crash Form 12-209 |
| Arizona | Call police — no driver form | Immediately | — |
| Arkansas | You must file your own report | Within 30 days | SR-1 Motor Vehicle Accident Report |
| California | You must file your own report | Within 10 days | SR-1, Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California |
| Colorado | Optional online report | — | Online crash report ("counter report") |
| Connecticut | Confirm with your state | — | — |
| Delaware | Call police — no driver form | Immediately | — |
| Florida | You file only if police didn't | — | Driver Report of Traffic Crash (Self Report), HSMV 90011S |
| Georgia | Call police — no driver form | Immediately | — |
| Hawaii | You must file your own report | Within 24 hours | — |
| Idaho | Call police — no driver form | Immediately | — |
| Illinois | You file only if police didn't | Within 10 days | Illinois Motorist Report |
| Indiana | You must file your own report | Within 10 days | Indiana Operator's Proof of Insurance/Crash Report (SR21) |
| Iowa | You file only if police didn't | Within 72 hours | Iowa Accident Report |
| Kansas | Call police — no driver form | — | — |
| Kentucky | You file only if police didn't | Within 10 days | Commonwealth of Kentucky Civilian Traffic Collision Report |
| Louisiana | Call police — no driver form | Immediately | — |
| Maine | Call police — no driver form | Immediately | — |
| Maryland | You file only if police didn't | Within 15 days | — |
| Massachusetts | You must file your own report | Within 5 days | Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report |
| Michigan | Call police — no driver form | Immediately | — |
| Minnesota | No driver form accepted | — | — |
| Mississippi | Confirm with your state | — | — |
| Missouri | Only if a driver was uninsured | Within 30 days | Form 1140, Motor Vehicle Accident Report |
| Montana | You file only if police didn't | Written report within 10 days | — |
| Nebraska | You file only if police didn't | Within 10 days | Driver's Motor Vehicle Crash Report (online) |
| Nevada | You file only if police didn't | Within 10 days | SR-1, Report of Traffic Accident |
| New Hampshire | You file only if police didn't | Within 15 days | Operator's Report (DSMV 400) |
| New Jersey | You file only if police didn't | Within 10 days (written report) | Self-Reporting Crash Form (NJDOT) |
| New Mexico | Confirm with your state | — | — |
| New York | You must file your own report | Within 10 days | MV-104, Report of Motor Vehicle Crash |
| North Carolina | Call police — no driver form | Immediately | — |
| North Dakota | Call police — no driver form | — | — |
| Ohio | Only if a driver was uninsured | — | BMV 3303, Uninsured Accident Report |
| Oklahoma | Call police — no driver form | Immediately (injury or death) | Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Collision Report (for the six-month written report) |
| Oregon | You must file your own report | Within 72 hours | Oregon Traffic Collision and Insurance Report |
| Pennsylvania | You file only if police didn't | Within 5 days | AA-600, Driver's Accident Report |
| Rhode Island | You must file your own report | Within 21 days | — |
| South Carolina | You file only if police didn't | Within 15 days | FR-309, Traffic Collision Report |
| South Dakota | Confirm with your state | Immediately | — |
| Tennessee | You must file your own report | Within 20 days | Owner Operator Report |
| Texas | No driver form accepted | — | — |
| Utah | Only if the state asks | Within 10 days after DPS requests it | — |
| Vermont | You must file your own report | Within 72 hours | Operator Crash Report |
| Virginia | Call police — no driver form | — | FR200 accident report (with CRD-93 request form) |
| Washington | You file only if police didn't | Within 4 days | Motor Vehicle Collision Report (MVCR) |
| Washington, D.C. | Call police — no driver form | — | Motor Vehicle Crash Report for Property Damage Only (for minor crashes) |
| West Virginia | Call police — no driver form | Immediately | — |
| Wisconsin | You file only if police didn't | Within 10 days | Driver Report of Crash (DT4002) |
| Wyoming | Call police — no driver form | Immediately | — |
Why some states say "confirm with your state"
We only publish a rule when we could confirm it from an official source. Several widely copied lists online are out of date — Minnesota repealed its driver report in 2021, Texas stopped accepting its driver form in 2017, and Delaware and Nebraska raised their thresholds. Where the official text wasn't clear, the state's page says so and links the source instead of guessing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to report a car accident to the DMV?
It depends on the state. In 11 states you must file your own written report above a damage threshold even if police came; in 14 more you file only if police didn't investigate. Elsewhere you notify police and they write the report. Find your state in the table.
What happens if you don't report a car accident?
In many states, failing to file a required report can lead to suspension of your driver's license and registration, and in some it is a misdemeanor. Your state's page lists what the official source says.
Is a police report the same as a DMV report?
No. A police report is written by an officer. Some states also require a separate driver report to the DMV or another agency — California's SR-1 and New York's MV-104 are examples — in addition to any police report.