Reporting a Car Accident: California SR 1, Texas, Washington

The short version

California: when a crash injures or kills anyone, the driver must make a written report to the California Highway Patrol or the city police within 24 hours. The driver must also report to the DMV within 10 days after an injury, a death, or more than $1,000 in damage to any one person’s property. The DMV’s form is the SR 1.
Texas: the operator must give notice to the police or the sheriff immediately when a crash injures or kills a person, or leaves a vehicle that cannot be normally and safely driven. Texas repealed its state report for drivers in 2017. The state no longer keeps the old form, the CR-2.
Washington: unless a law enforcement officer is to make a report, the driver must make a written report within four days after an injury, a death, or $1,000 or more in apparent damage to any one person’s property.
Someone else can sometimes file. California lets a driver make the DMV report through an insurance agent, broker or legal representative. California and Washington both say who reports when the driver is physically unable.
These rules were read on October 4, 2026. Dollar amounts and forms change, and part of California’s law gets new wording on January 1, 2027.

The short answer, state by state

A crash can set off more than one duty to report, and the reports go to different places. One kind goes to the police. In California a second one goes to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The statutes put these duties on the driver, so this page states them for drivers.

The statutes use their own words. California and Washington say “accident”. The Texas Transportation Code says “collision”. This page says crash, and keeps each source’s word when it gives that source’s rule.

The main rule in each state. Deadlines and dollar amounts as read on October 4, 2026.
California	Texas	Washington
California When an accident injures or kills anyone, the driver must make a written report within 24 hours to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) or the city police. Cal. Veh. Code § 20008, subd. (a) The driver must also report the accident to the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed, or if the damage to any one person’s property was over $1,000. Cal. Veh. Code § 16000, subd. (a)	Texas The operator of a vehicle must give notice of a collision immediately when it injures or kills a person, or damages a vehicle so much that it cannot be normally and safely driven. Tex. Transp. Code § 550.026(a) The two Texas sections that had drivers file a written report with the state were repealed, effective September 1, 2017. S.B. 312, 85th Leg., R.S. (2017), §§ 74(2), 81; Tex. Transp. Code § 550.065(a)(1)(B)	Washington Unless a law enforcement officer is to make a report, the driver must make a written report within four days when an accident injures or kills anyone, or when the apparent damage to any one person’s property is $1,000 or more. RCW 46.52.030(1); WAC 446-85-010

The sections below give each rule in full, with who gets the report and what form it goes on.

Reporting to the police

This part is about reporting to the police. It does not cover what happens at the scene itself.

When a driver must report to the police, and how fast. As read on October 4, 2026.
California	Texas	Washington
California When an accident injures or kills any person, the driver must make a written report within 24 hours, or have one made. The report goes to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). If the accident was in a city, it can go to the CHP or to that city’s police department. Cal. Veh. Code § 20008, subd. (a) When a person dies and no traffic or police officer is at the scene, the driver must report the accident without delay to the nearest CHP office or police office. Cal. Veh. Code § 20004 When an accident damages only property, a driver who leaves a written notice on the damaged vehicle or property must also notify the police department of that city without unnecessary delay. Outside a city, the notice goes to the local CHP headquarters. Cal. Veh. Code § 20002, subd. (a)(2) The CHP says a person may visit any CHP office in California to file a traffic collision report, wherever the collision occurred. CHP, Frequently Asked Questions, “Can I file a traffic collision report online?”	Texas The operator of a vehicle must give notice of a collision immediately, by the quickest means of communication, when the collision injures or kills a person or damages a vehicle to the extent that it cannot be normally and safely driven. Tex. Transp. Code § 550.026(a) If the collision was in a city, the notice goes to the local police department. Within 100 feet outside the city limits, it goes to the local police department or the sheriff’s office. Anywhere else, it goes to the sheriff’s office or the nearest office of the Department of Public Safety. Tex. Transp. Code §§ 550.026(a), 541.002(1)	Washington Unless a law enforcement officer is to make a report, the driver must make a written report within four days after the accident. The duty applies when the accident injures or kills any person, or when the apparent damage to any one person’s property is $1,000 or more. A State Patrol rule has set the amount at $1,000 since January 1, 2015. RCW 46.52.030(1); WAC 446-85-010 The statute sends the report to the chief of police if the accident was inside a city or town. Outside one, it goes to the county sheriff or the State Patrol. RCW 46.52.030(1); WAC 446-85-010 Nothing in the statute stops a driver from filing a report when the damage is under that amount, or when an officer has already submitted a report. RCW 46.52.030(1); WAC 446-85-010 If no one at the scene is in a condition to receive the driver’s information and no police officer is present, the driver must report the accident right away to the nearest police office and give the information there. RCW 46.52.020(7)

The California statute on the 24 hour report does not name a form. This page has no verified rule on which form it goes on, or on whether a report an officer writes at the scene takes its place.

This page has no verified rule, in any of the three states, that requires a report to the police after every crash. The rules above are the ones it found.

Reporting to a state agency

California has a second report, to the DMV. In Washington the driver’s written report ends up with the State Patrol. Texas no longer has a state form for drivers, though people still ask about the old one, the CR-2, often called the blue form.

The report to the state: who files it, when, and on what form. As read on October 4, 2026.
California	Texas	Washington
California The driver of a motor vehicle involved in an accident on a street or highway must report it to the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed, or if the damage to any one person’s property was over $1,000. The statute also covers some accidents off the highway. Cal. Veh. Code § 16000, subd. (a) The DMV’s form is the Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California. The form is numbered SR 1, and the DMV’s page writes it SR-1. The DMV says the report is due if someone is injured, no matter how minor the injury, or killed, or if property damage is over $1,000. California DMV, “Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1)” The DMV says the driver must file the SR 1 regardless of fault. It says the SR 1 is required in addition to any report filed with a law enforcement agency, the CHP or an insurance company, and that those reports do not satisfy the filing requirement. California DMV, form SR 1 (Rev. 6/2025), Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California The DMV’s page has a button to start the SR 1 online and a printable form in English and in Spanish. The DMV says paper submissions are likely to take longer to process. Before you begin, it says to gather your driver’s license or ID card, your vehicle’s license plate number or vehicle identification number (VIN), your vehicle’s insurance information, and the other party’s vehicle and insurance information, if applicable. California DMV, “Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1)” The paper form asks for the date, time and place of the accident, each driver and vehicle, each insurance company and policy number, and the name and address of anyone injured or killed. It is signed under penalty of perjury. The form says to mail it to the Department of Motor Vehicles, Insurance Unit, Mail Station J237, P.O. Box 942884, Sacramento, CA 94284-0884. California DMV, form SR 1 (Rev. 6/2025), Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California No report to the DMV is required if the vehicle was owned or leased by, or under the direction of, the United States, California, another state or a local agency. Cal. Veh. Code § 16000, subd. (b) The statute has a separate section for a driver who was driving an employer’s vehicle with the employer’s permission. That driver reports the accident to the employer within five days, on a form the employer approves. The employer then sends a report to the DMV within 10 days after receiving it, with some exceptions. Cal. Veh. Code § 16002, subd. (a)	Texas Texas had two sections that made drivers file a written report with the state. Both were repealed, effective September 1, 2017. S.B. 312, 85th Leg., R.S. (2017), §§ 74(2), 81; Tex. Transp. Code § 550.065(a)(1)(B) The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) says that since September 1, 2017 it no longer keeps the Driver’s Crash Report, Form CR-2. It says it no longer hosts or provides copies of the form, and that any CR-2 or similar local form sent to TxDOT will be destroyed. It also says drivers who were given a CR-2 or a similar local form, after a crash that no police officer investigated, should keep it for their records. TxDOT, “Crash reports and records” An officer who investigates a collision that caused an injury, a death, or apparent damage of $1,000 or more to any one person’s property must write a report and file it with TxDOT no later than the 10th day after the collision. Tex. Transp. Code § 550.062(a), (b) A city may, by ordinance, require the operator of a vehicle in a collision to file a report with a city department. The statute allows this when the collision injures or kills a person, or when the apparent total property damage is $25 or more. Tex. Transp. Code § 550.067(a)	Washington The authority that receives a driver’s report must immediately forward the original to the chief of the State Patrol in Olympia. The State Patrol must give the Department of Licensing full access to the report. RCW 46.52.030(2) The driver’s form is the Motor Vehicle Collision Report, State Patrol form 3000-345-161. The State Patrol’s instructions say that if a police officer is present and indicates they will submit a collision report, you are not required to submit one. They also say the report will not be investigated by law enforcement. Washington State Patrol, form 3000-345-161 (R 3/26), Motor Vehicle Collision Report, instructions The State Patrol gives two ways to file. One is online, through its Online Motor Vehicle Collision Reporting system (OMVCR), which sends a copy of the report and a report number by email. The other, for a person who cannot file online, is the paper form. It is filled in by keyboard or with a black ballpoint pen, signed, and mailed to the Washington State Patrol, Collision Records Section, PO Box 42628, Olympia, WA 98504-2628, or emailed to the Collision Records Section. The State Patrol says processing may take up to 7 business days, and that photos, estimates and statements should not be sent. Washington State Patrol, form 3000-345-161 (R 3/26), Motor Vehicle Collision Report, instructions The Department of Licensing says that if a law enforcement officer investigates the collision, the officer will file a collision report. If no officer investigates, it says each driver involved must submit a report within 4 days. It says to submit the report online, or to get the forms from a local police department, a county sheriff’s office or a State Patrol district office. Washington State Department of Licensing, “Reporting collision damage”

California, for the SR 1:

Gather what the DMV lists
Your driver’s license or ID card, your plate number or VIN, your insurance information, and the other party’s vehicle and insurance information if there is another party.
Start the report
Use the button on the DMV’s SR 1 page to file online, or print the form from the same page. The DMV says paper is likely to take longer to process.
Fill it in and sign
The form asks for the date, time and place, each driver and vehicle, the insurance companies and policy numbers, and anyone who was injured or killed. The paper form is signed under penalty of perjury.
Get it to the DMV within 10 days
A paper form is mailed to the DMV’s Insurance Unit, at the address printed on the form.

Washington, for the Motor Vehicle Collision Report:

Check whether an officer is reporting
The statute puts the duty on the driver unless a law enforcement officer is to make a report.
File online if you can
The State Patrol’s online system sends a copy of the report and a report number by email.
Or use the paper form
Fill it in by keyboard or with a black ballpoint pen, sign it, and mail or email it to the Collision Records Section. The State Patrol says processing may take up to 7 business days.
Send only the report
The State Patrol says not to send photos, estimates or statements.

Texas has no steps here, because the state no longer has a form for drivers. This page did not research which Texas cities require a report of their own.

Who can file for you, and who else may have to report

Sometimes another person makes the report. The rules differ for each report.

Who may make the report in the driver’s place, and who else the sources name. As read on October 4, 2026.
California	Texas	Washington
California The driver may make the report to the DMV personally or through an insurance agent, broker or legal representative. Cal. Veh. Code § 16000, subd. (a) The DMV’s form says an insurance agent, attorney or other designated representative may file the SR 1 for the driver. California DMV, form SR 1 (Rev. 6/2025), Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California For the report to law enforcement within 24 hours, the DMV’s driver handbook says your insurance agent, broker or legal representative can also file the report. California DMV, California Driver’s Handbook, Section 10, “What to Do if You Are in a Collision” If the driver is physically incapable of making the report to the DMV and is not the owner of the vehicle, the owner must report the matter to the DMV in writing as soon as the owner learns of the accident. Cal. Veh. Code § 16003 If the driver is physically incapable of making the written report to the police, any occupant who was in the vehicle at the time of the accident must make the report or have it made. Cal. Veh. Code § 20010	Texas This page has no verified rule on this for Texas. Ask us.	Washington If the driver is physically incapable of making the report, another occupant of the vehicle who is able to make it must make it or have it made. The statute leaves out a passenger for hire. Once recovered, the driver must make the report. RCW 46.52.040 The State Patrol’s instructions say that any driver, pedestrian, pedal cyclist or property owner involved in a collision in Washington with $1,000 or more in damage to any one unit, or an injury to any person, must complete a Motor Vehicle Collision Report. The statute itself names the driver of a vehicle. Washington State Patrol, form 3000-345-161 (R 3/26), Motor Vehicle Collision Report, instructions; RCW 46.52.030(1)

For Texas, this page has no verified rule that lets another person give the notice for the operator, and none on who gives it when the operator is physically unable.

For Washington, this page has no verified rule that lets an insurance agent or a lawyer file the driver’s report.

Apart from the rules above, this page has no verified rule that puts a reporting duty on a passenger, a pedestrian or a person on a bicycle. The statutes on this page name the driver, or in Texas the operator.

What the statutes say if no report is made

This part gives the words of the statutes and nothing more. It does not say what will happen in any one case.

What the statute itself ties to a missing report
California	Texas	Washington
California The statute says the DMV shall suspend the driving privilege of any person who fails, refuses or neglects to make a report of an accident that this chapter of the Vehicle Code requires. The suspension stays in effect until the DMV receives the report or receives evidence of financial responsibility. Cal. Veh. Code § 16004, subds. (a), (b) The DMV’s form says untimely reporting could result in the DMV suspending a driver license. California DMV, form SR 1 (Rev. 6/2025), Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California	Texas This page has no verified rule on this for Texas. Ask us.	Washington The statute says the director of licensing may suspend the license or permit to drive of any person who fails to report an accident as the statute requires, until the report has been filed. RCW 46.52.035; RCW 46.04.163

The Texas section on immediate notice does not name a consequence of its own. This page does not go into the general penalties in Texas traffic law.

This page has no verified rule on what a statute says when the California 24 hour report to the police is not made.

Is the report confidential?

The statutes below say who may use a driver’s report and what must be shared from it. Each rule has two parts: who the report is kept for, and what can still be shared from it.

Who may use a driver’s report, and what must be disclosed
California	Texas	Washington
California Reports to the DMV under this chapter are for the confidential use of the DMV and any other state department that requires the information. On request, the DMV must still disclose certain facts from them: the names and addresses of the persons involved, the registration numbers and descriptions of the vehicles, the date, time and location, any suspension action the DMV took, and the names and addresses of insurers. Cal. Veh. Code § 16005, subds. (a), (b) Those facts may be given to any person with a proper interest. The statute’s list includes the drivers involved, or their employer, parent or legal guardian. It also includes the authorized representative of any person involved, any person injured, the owners of damaged vehicles or property, any law enforcement agency and any court of competent jurisdiction. Cal. Veh. Code § 16005, subds. (a), (b) As the Vehicle Code read on October 4, 2026, required accident reports are for the confidential use of the DMV and the CHP. The CHP, or the law enforcement agency the accident was reported to, must still disclose the entire contents to any person with a proper interest. The statute’s list includes the drivers involved, any named person injured, the owners of damaged vehicles or property, and persons who may incur civil liability. Cal. Veh. Code § 20012 A law signed on September 30, 2026 rewrites that section, and the new text takes effect on January 1, 2027. The new text speaks of “crash investigation reports”. The same law keeps the driver’s 24 hour written report. This page has not confirmed how the new words apply to a report a driver makes. A.B. 2761 (2025 to 2026 Reg. Sess.), Stats. 2026, ch. 964, §§ 5, 7; Cal. Const., art. IV, § 8, subd. (c)(1)	Texas A report that a city requires from an operator by ordinance is for the confidential use of the city department. It is subject to the same section that governs the release of an officer’s collision report. Tex. Transp. Code §§ 550.067(b), 550.065(a)	Washington Required accident reports are for the confidential use of the county prosecuting attorney, the chief of police or county sheriff, the director of licensing, the chief of the State Patrol, and other officers or commissions authorized by law. Those officers must still disclose certain facts to any person with a proper interest: the names and addresses of the persons involved and of witnesses, the license plate numbers and descriptions of the vehicles, and the date, time and location. RCW 46.52.080 The statute’s list of persons with a proper interest includes the drivers involved or their legal guardian, the parent of a minor driver, any person injured, and the owner of damaged vehicles or property. It also includes an authorized representative of any of them, and their attorney or insurer. RCW 46.52.080 The factual data that officers submit in report form, and the signed statements of witnesses, must be made available on request to those same interested parties. The statute excepts the reports signed by the drivers involved. RCW 46.52.083

This page does not cover whether a report can be used as evidence in court.

What people commonly have ready

Nothing in this part is law. It is a list of what the forms tend to ask for, so that filling one in goes faster.

Your driver’s license, and your vehicle’s plate number or VIN.
Your insurance company’s name, your policy number and the dates the policy covers.
The other driver’s name, license number, plate number and insurance details, as far as you have them.
The date, the time and the place of the crash, with the nearest cross street or landmark.
The names and addresses of anyone who was hurt, and of any witnesses.
A short, plain account of what happened.

Many people keep a copy of what they file and note the date they sent it.

This page gives the rules as they are written. It does not say how they apply to your crash. If you were hurt in a crash someone else caused, the intake team can tell you whether the firm can help: 800-411-9049.

Questions and answers

Do I have to file an SR 1 in California?

A driver must report an accident to the California DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed, or if the damage to any one person’s property was over $1,000. The DMV’s form for this is the SR 1. The DMV says it must be filed regardless of fault, and in addition to any report made to the police, the CHP or an insurance company. These rules were read on October 4, 2026.

How long do I have to report a car accident?

It depends on the state and on who gets the report. In California, a written report to the CHP or city police is due within 24 hours when anyone is injured or killed, and the report to the DMV is due within 10 days. In Texas, the operator must give notice to the police or the sheriff immediately when a person is injured or killed, or when a vehicle cannot be normally and safely driven. In Washington, the driver’s written report is due within four days, unless a law enforcement officer is to make a report. These deadlines were read on October 4, 2026.

Do I have to call the police after a car accident?

Texas law requires immediate notice to the police or the sheriff, by the quickest means of communication, when a collision injures or kills a person or leaves a vehicle that cannot be normally and safely driven. California law requires a written report to the CHP or city police within 24 hours when anyone is injured or killed. Washington law requires a written report within four days after an injury, a death, or $1,000 or more in apparent damage to one person’s property, unless an officer is to make a report. This page has no verified rule that requires a police report after every crash.

Can my insurance company file the report for me?

In California, the statute lets a driver make the DMV report personally or through an insurance agent, broker or legal representative. The DMV says a report made to your insurance company does not satisfy the SR 1 requirement. For Texas and Washington, this page has no verified rule that lets an insurance agent or a lawyer file for the driver.

What if I miss the deadline to report?

The statutes say this much. In California, the DMV shall suspend the driving privilege of a person who does not make a required report to the DMV, and the suspension stays in effect until the DMV receives the report or evidence of financial responsibility. In Washington, the director of licensing may suspend a license or permit to drive until the report has been filed. The Texas section on immediate notice names no consequence of its own. This page does not say what will happen in any one case.

Does Texas still use the CR-2, the blue form?

Texas repealed the sections that had drivers file a written report with the state, effective September 1, 2017. TxDOT says it no longer keeps the Driver’s Crash Report, Form CR-2, no longer provides the form, and destroys any that are sent to it. A Texas city may still require a report of its own by ordinance.

Sources

Primary sources for the rules on this page. Checked on October 4, 2026.

California

Texas

Washington

This site gives general legal information. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney client relationship. Deadlines depend on the facts. Some are much shorter than the general rule. Do not rely on this page to decide how long you can wait.