No police report after the crash
Report a car accident yourself, on paper that is yours
Many states make you report a car accident yourself when no officer does. Florida gives you 10 days under section 316.066 of its statutes. Oregon gives you 72 hours, by its DMV. Texas takes no driver report at all. Find your state below, then write your own report in a few minutes.
You get your own crash report, written by you. It is not a police report.
24 states read at the source1 state form filled in for youLast checked 13 November 2026
Not a police report
Must you report it yourself?
Three things decide it: the state, what was hurt or damaged, and whether an officer wrote a report.
Pick your state
Tap a plate to see its rule, its deadline, its form and where the form goes.
Read at the sourceNot checked yet
Your state
- Report it yourself when
- Deadline
- Form
- Goes to
- Read at the source
Nothing is picked yet. Tap a plate to see that state's rule.
When police come and write a report, most drivers are done. When no officer comes, or the officer writes nothing, the duty can fall on you. Each state sets its own rule, and the rules do not agree.
We have read the rule for 24 states on the state's own statute or agency page. 14 of them make a driver file a written report in some crashes. 8 take no report from drivers at all: the written report belongs to the officer, and your duty is to tell police at once. Utah asks for a report only if its department requests one (Utah Code 41-6a-402). Ohio makes it optional (R.C. 4509.06).
What usually triggers a driver report
- Someone was hurt or killed. This triggers a report in every state that has one, and it nearly always means police must be called first.
- The damage passed a set amount. The amount differs: over $500 in Kentucky (KRS 189.635), $750 or more in Nevada (NRS 484E.070), over $1,000 in New York (Vehicle and Traffic Law 605), over $2,500 in Oregon (Oregon DMV), over $3,000 in Hawaii (HRS 287-4).
- No officer investigated. Alaska, Kentucky, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Washington ask for the driver's report only then.
A worked example
- The crash
- Abd Shanti is bumped from behind at a stop sign in Orlando on Friday, November 6, 2026.
- The facts
- Nobody is hurt. The two drivers swap their details and both cars drive away. The damage is about $900. No officer comes.
- The rule
- Florida's rule covers this crash. Section 316.066 gives the driver 10 days to report it.
- The due date
- Monday, November 16, 2026.
- What he does
- He fills in form HSMV 90011S, signs it and emails it to the address in the table below.
Driver crash report rules by state
One row per state. Each row was read on the official page named in its last column, on the date shown.
| State | Must you file? | When | Deadline | Form | Where it goes | Read at the source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Alaska | Yes, in some crashes | Injury, death or total property damage of $2,000 or more, when no peace officer investigated | 10 days | DPS Form 12-209, Accident Self-Report | Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, through its online crash report | AS 28.35.080(b), as quoted by the Alaska Department of Transportation 13 November 2026 |
| Arizona | No driver report | No driver report. The officer writes the report. Tell police at once if anyone is hurt or killed | None | None for drivers | Nowhere | A.R.S. 28-666 and 28-667 13 November 2026 |
| Arkansas | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| California | Yes, in some crashes | Anyone injured or killed, or property damage over $1,000 | 10 days | SR 1, Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (REV. 6/2025) Official form | California DMV online, or by mail to P.O. Box 942884, Sacramento, CA 94284-0884 | California DMV accident reporting page and form SR 1 13 November 2026 |
| Colorado | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Connecticut | No driver report | No driver report. The old report sections are repealed. Report to police at once if you could not give your details at the scene | None | None for drivers | Nowhere | Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-108 (repealed), 14-108a and 14-224 13 November 2026 |
| Delaware | No driver report | No driver report. Report to police at once for injury, death, or damage of $2,000 or more on a public highway | None | None for drivers | Nowhere | 21 Del. C. 4203 13 November 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Florida | Yes, in some crashes | A crash with damage that needs no police report: under $2,000 apparent damage, with no injury, death, hit and run, DUI, wrecker or commercial vehicle | 10 days | HSMV 90011S, Driver Report of Traffic Crash (Self Report), rev 11/2019 Official form | Email SelfReportCrashes@flhsmv.gov, or mail to 2900 Apalachee Pkwy, MS 28, Tallahassee, FL 32399 | Section 316.066(1)(e), Florida Statutes, and the FLHSMV crash reports page 13 November 2026 |
| Georgia | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Hawaii | Yes, in some crashes | Anyone injured or killed, or damage over $3,000 to the property of any one person | 24 hours | Set by each county chief of police. Not yet checked by us | The chief of police, in writing or in person | HRS 287-4 13 November 2026 |
| Idaho | No driver report | No driver report. The officer writes the report. Tell police at once for injury, death, or damage over $1,500 to one person's property | None | None for drivers | Nowhere | Idaho Code 49-1305 and 49-1306 13 November 2026 |
| Illinois | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Indiana | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Iowa | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Kansas | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Kentucky | Yes, in some crashes | Property damage over $500, when no law enforcement officer investigated | 10 days | Civilian Collision Report | Kentucky State Police, through its online portal or by email to kspciviliancollision@ky.gov | KRS 189.635(5)(a) and the Kentucky State Police page 13 November 2026 |
| Louisiana | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Maine | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Maryland | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Massachusetts | Yes, in some crashes | Anyone killed or injured, or damage over $1,000 to any one vehicle or other property | 5 days | Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report Official form | Crash Records, Registry of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 55889, Boston, MA 02205-5889, with a copy to the police and to your insurer | M.G.L. c. 90 s. 26 13 November 2026 |
| Michigan | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Minnesota | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Mississippi | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Missouri | Yes, in some crashes | Someone in the crash was uninsured, and there was injury, death or more than $500 of damage | 30 days in the statute. The Department of Revenue takes the form for up to one year | Form 1140, Motor Vehicle Accident Report (REV. 6-2006) Official form | Driver License Bureau, P.O. Box 200, Jefferson City, MO 65105-0200, or fax (573) 526-7365 | RSMo 303.040 and Form 1140 13 November 2026 |
| Montana | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Nebraska | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Nevada | Yes, in some crashes | Injury, death or damage of $750 or more, when no officer investigated | 10 days | SR-1 Official form | Nevada DMV, 555 Wright Way, Carson City, NV 89711 | NRS 484E.070 and the Nevada DMV 13 November 2026 |
| New Hampshire | Yes, in some crashes | Anyone injured or killed, or property damage over $1,000, unless a police officer investigated | 15 days | In the form the director prescribes. Not yet checked by us | The Division of Motor Vehicles | RSA 264:25 13 November 2026 |
| New Jersey | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| New Mexico | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| New York | Yes, in some crashes | Anyone killed or injured, or damage over $1,000 to the property of any one person | 10 days | MV-104, Report of Motor Vehicle Crash (5/25) Official form | Crash Records Center, 6 Empire State Plaza, PO Box 2925, Albany, NY 12220-0925, or the DMV online crash report | Vehicle and Traffic Law 605 13 November 2026 |
| North Carolina | No driver report | No driver report. Tell police at once. If you hit a parked car, report to its owner within 48 hours | None | None for drivers | Nowhere | G.S. 20-166.1 13 November 2026 |
| North Dakota | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Ohio | Optional | No duty. You may report an uninsured driver to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles | Six months, for the optional report | BMV 3303, Uninsured Accident Report (9/25) | Ohio BMV, Attn: Compliance Unit, P.O. Box 16583, Columbus, OH 43216-6583, or BMV3303@dps.ohio.gov | R.C. 4509.06(A) 13 November 2026 |
| Oklahoma | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Oregon | Yes, in some crashes | Injury or death, damage over $2,500 to your vehicle or to other property, or damage over $2,500 to any vehicle that is towed | 72 hours | Form 735-32, Oregon Traffic Collision and Insurance Report Official form | Oregon DMV online, or DMV Crash Reporting Unit, 1905 Lana Ave NE, Salem, OR 97314, or fax 503-945-5267 | Oregon DMV collision reporting page 13 November 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Rhode Island | Yes, in some crashes | Anyone injured or killed, or damage over $1,000 to the property of any one person | 21 days | Motorist accident report form. Not yet checked by us | The Division of Motor Vehicles | R.I. Gen. Laws 31-26-6 13 November 2026 |
| South Carolina | Yes, in some crashes | Injury, death or total property damage of $1,000 or more, when law enforcement did not investigate | 15 days | FR-309, Traffic Collision Report (Est. 7/05) Official form | SC Department of Motor Vehicles, Financial Responsibility, P.O. Box 1498, Blythewood, SC 29016-0040 | S.C. Code 56-5-1270, as printed on form FR-309 13 November 2026 |
| South Dakota | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Tennessee | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Texas | No driver report | No driver report since September 1, 2017. The state no longer keeps the old driver form | None | None in use | Nowhere | Texas Department of Transportation, crash report forms page 13 November 2026 |
| Utah | Only if asked | Only if the department asks you, for a crash with injury, death or damage of $2,500 or more | 10 days after the request | In the manner the department specifies | The Department of Public Safety | Utah Code 41-6a-402 13 November 2026 |
| Vermont | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Virginia | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Washington | Yes, in some crashes | Injury, death or damage of $1,000 or more to the property of any one person, unless an officer makes the report | 4 days | Motor Vehicle Collision Report | Washington State Patrol online, or Collision Records Section, P.O. Box 42628, Olympia, WA 98504-2628, or collisionrecords@wsp.wa.gov | RCW 46.52.030 and the Washington State Patrol 13 November 2026 |
| West Virginia | No driver report | No driver report. The officer writes the report. Tell police at once for injury, death, or damage of $1,000 or more | None | None for drivers | Nowhere | W. Va. Code 17C-4-6 and 17C-4-7 13 November 2026 |
| Wisconsin | Not checked yet | We have not read this state's rule at its source yet. | ||||
| Wyoming | No driver report | No driver report since July 1, 2013. Tell police at once for injury, death, or a vehicle that cannot be driven | None | None for drivers | Nowhere | W.S. 31-5-1105 and 31-5-1106 13 November 2026 |
Sources are named in each row. A row marked Not checked yet is a state we have not read at its source, so we state no rule for it. The whole table is free to reuse with credit: download it as a CSV file (CC BY 4.0). Nevada's SR-1 is explained step by step on our sister site: Nevada crash report and SR-1.
State pages and guides
One state or one question at a time. Each page was read at the source, like the table above.
- THE BUILDERFree car accident report formTen steps, a sheet of paper that fills in as you answer, and a PDF made on your own device.
- STATE PAGEFlorida self reportForm HSMV 90011S part by part, the 10 days, the address in Tallahassee, and what the builder fills in for you.
- STATE PAGETexas blue formWhy the CR-2 cannot be found any more, what TxDOT does with one, and the duties a driver still has at the scene.
- GUIDEReport an accident to the DMVWho takes a driver's report in each state, and what each source says can follow when it is not sent.
- GUIDEHow long to report an accidentThree clocks: police, the state and your insurer. The written deadlines, sorted from the shortest up.
- GUIDEReport a hit and runThe call to make, the notes to take while you remember, and the note a driver must leave on a parked car.
What a driver report asks, box by box
We read four official driver forms field by field. Nineteen boxes appear on all four.
The four forms are New York's MV-104 (5/25), the Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report, Nevada's SR-1 and Pennsylvania's AA-600. They ask for the same core: who you are, what you drove, when and where it happened, what happened, and your signature.
They differ at the edges. Massachusetts does not ask for the VIN. Only New York and Pennsylvania ask for the insurance policy number on the form itself. Nevada has no diagram box and takes attachments. Only Massachusetts asks for witnesses.
Florida's HSMV 90011S has room for three vehicles, their passengers and two witnesses, and no diagram box. The builder adds one sheet of its own with your description and your drawing, marked as not part of the state form.
Three boxes people get wrong
- The name. Write it as the license prints it, not as you sign it.
- The place. A street alone is not a place. Add the cross street, the address number or the mile marker.
- What happened. Write what you saw, in order. Leave out who you think was at fault.
| Box | What to write | Where you find it |
|---|---|---|
| Date, time and place | The day, the hour, the city and the road. Add the cross street or the nearest address. | Your phone's call log or photos often hold the exact time. |
| Your name and address | As printed on your driver license. | Driver license |
| Date of birth | Month, day, year. | Driver license |
| License number and state | Every character, with no spaces added. | Driver license |
| Plate and state | The plate on the vehicle you drove. | Registration card or the plate itself |
| Vehicle year and make | For example 2019 Toyota. | Registration card |
| Owner name and address | Only if the owner is not you. A company car lists the company, for example Outline Technologies. | Registration card |
| What happened | Plain facts in order. Where each car was, which way it moved, what struck what. | Your own memory, written the same day if you can |
| Signature and date | Your own signature, and the day you sign. | You |
How to draw the diagram
A simple drawing from above says in seconds what a paragraph says badly.
- Pick the road shape. Four way, T junction, straight road or parking lot. Choose the one closest to the place.
- Place car A, which is you. Put it where it was at the moment of contact, pointing the way it was moving.
- Place car B. Do the same for the other vehicle. When the two touch, a red cross marks the point of impact.
- Check the directions. Turn each car until it points the way it was travelling.
You can drag the cars with a finger or a mouse. You can also tap a car and use the Left, Right, Up, Down and Turn buttons, or the arrow keys. Every route gives the same drawing.
What to do with the finished report
The builder stops at the download. The last three steps are yours.
- Read it and sign it. Check every box against your license, your registration and your insurance card. Sign and date it by hand. Florida's page says the driver must sign the report.
- Send it where your state says. Florida takes it by email or by mail. California, Oregon, New York, Kentucky, Alaska and Washington also take reports online. Massachusetts wants one copy for the Registry, one for the police where the crash happened and one for your insurer (M.G.L. c. 90 s. 26).
- Keep a copy. Your insurer will ask what happened. A dated report in your own words answers it once.
If your state takes no driver report, the Crash Record still earns its place. It fixes the facts while you remember them, and it gives your insurer one clear page.
When police must be called instead
A driver report never replaces the call to police. These are the triggers we read at the source.
| State | Call police when the crash involves | Read at the source |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | Any injury or death, a hit and run, a DUI, a vehicle that needs a wrecker, a commercial vehicle, or apparent damage of at least $2,000 | FLHSMV crash reports page |
| Georgia | Anyone injured or killed, or property damage over $500 | Georgia DDS driver manual, section 11 |
| Hawaii | Injury, death, or total damage of $3,000 or more | HRS 291C-16 |
| Idaho | Injury, death, or damage over $1,500 to one person's property | Idaho Code 49-1305 |
| Louisiana | Injury, death, or property damage over $500 | R.S. 32:398 |
| North Carolina | Any reportable accident, at once | G.S. 20-166.1 |
| North Dakota | Injury, death, or damage of at least $4,000 | N.D.C.C. 39-08-09 |
| Delaware | Injury, death, or damage of $2,000 or more on a public highway | 21 Del. C. 4203 |
| West Virginia | Injury, death, or total damage of $1,000 or more | W. Va. Code 17C-4-6 |
If you could not call at the time, call now. A late call is better than none. This page is not legal advice.
Were you hurt?
A report records the crash. It does not put a value on an injury.
Pain often shows up a day or two after a crash. If you were hurt, see a doctor first and keep every record. The report you write here will help anyone who later asks what happened.
What stays on your device
Everything you type.
What you type into the report stays on your device. The PDF is made inside your browser. We run no accounts and no database, so there is nothing of yours for us to hold.
Your answers are saved only in this browser, so you can come back. They stay until you press Clear my answers or clear your browser data. Safari can remove them after seven days away from the site, any browser can remove them if the device runs low on space, and a private window forgets them when it closes. The Save file button keeps a copy that is yours to store.
Questions people ask
Do I have to report a car accident myself?
It depends on the state and on the crash. Of the 24 states we have read at the source, 14 make a driver file a written report in some crashes, 8 take no driver report at all, Utah asks only if its department requests one, and Ohio makes it optional. Find your state in the table on this page.
How long do I have to report a car accident?
The deadlines we read run from 24 hours in Hawaii (HRS 287-4) to 30 days in Missouri (RSMo 303.040). Ten days is the most common: Alaska, California, Florida, Kentucky, Nevada and New York all use it. Oregon gives 72 hours, Washington 4 days and Massachusetts 5 days. The clock starts on the day of the crash.
Is the report I make here a police report?
No. A police report is written by an officer. The report you make here is your own account of the crash, written and signed by you. In Florida it is typed onto the state's own driver form, HSMV 90011S. In other states it is a plain document we call a Crash Record.
Does this site send my report to the state?
No. We never see your report. It is made inside your browser and saved to your device. You print it, sign it and send it yourself to the office named for your state.
Is the builder free?
Yes. The builder is free and it asks for no account, no email and no card. The official forms belong to the states, and each state decides what its own services cost.
What if someone was hurt in the crash?
Call the police. In Florida a crash with any injury must go to law enforcement and cannot be self reported, by the FLHSMV crash reports page. Other states set their own rule, and most require a call to police at once when anyone is hurt or killed.
What if the other driver left the scene?
Report it to police. Florida lists a hit and run crash among those that must go to law enforcement, by the FLHSMV crash reports page. You can still write down everything you saw here: the plate, the colour, the make and which way the car went.
Which form does my state use?
Each state names its own. Florida uses HSMV 90011S, California the SR 1, New York the MV-104, Oregon form 735-32, Nevada the SR-1 and South Carolina the FR-309. The table on this page lists the form for every state we have read.
Does Texas require a driver crash report?
No. The Texas Department of Transportation states that since September 1, 2017 it no longer keeps the driver's crash report, the old Form CR-2, and no longer provides copies of it. A Texas driver can still write a Crash Record for an insurer.
What if police already wrote a report?
Then in several states you file nothing more. Alaska, Kentucky, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Washington ask for the driver's report only when no officer investigated or reported the crash. California is different: its DMV asks for the SR 1 in addition to any police report.
Can I fill in the report on my phone?
Yes. On a phone the builder shows one thing at a time. Two buttons at the bottom switch between the questions and the paper, and they stay above the keyboard.
Where are my answers kept?
Only in your browser, on your device. They stay until you press Clear my answers or clear your browser data. Safari can remove them after seven days away from the site, and a private window forgets them when it closes. You can save them as a file and load that file later.
How this page is checked
Official pages only, each with the date it was read.
Every rule on this page was read on the state's own statute site or on the page of the agency that takes the report. We keep a dated copy of each page and the exact words we relied on. We do not use law firm pages or form reseller sites as sources.
Where a state's site refused us, or we have not reached it yet, the table says Not checked yet and states no rule. 24 of 51 rows are read at the source today. Rules change. If you see one that is out of date, write to info@getaccident.report and we will read it again.