The short version
- At the scene: get to a safe place and call 911 if anyone is hurt. Stay there, trade names, plates and insurance details with the other driver, take photos and write down the names of witnesses. California law requires a driver in a crash to stop at once, give a name, address and vehicle registration, show a license if asked, and give reasonable help to anyone injured.
- The same day: see a doctor, even if you feel mostly fine, and write down what you remember. When a crash injures or kills anyone, the driver must make a written report to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) or the city police within 24 hours.
- The first days: the driver must also report the crash 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. Be careful what you say on a recorded call with an insurance company.
- The first weeks: keep up with your medical care, keep every bill and record in one place, ask for the crash report, and read your own auto policy for coverage you may not know you have.
- California’s general deadline to sue for an injury is two years. Some deadlines are much shorter. For a claim against a government agency, a written claim must be presented to the city, county, state agency or other public entity within six months.
At the scene
Safety comes first. Everything else on this page can wait until people are safe.
The numbered steps on this page are practical. They are not statements of law. Where California law sets a duty or a deadline, the rule is set apart under the steps, with its source. The rules were checked against their sources on October 3 and October 4, 2026.
Get to a safe place
Move out of traffic if you can. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, and tell the dispatcher where you are.
Stay at the scene
Do not drive off. The rules under these steps say what California law asks of a driver at the scene.
Trade information with the other driver
Write down the name, phone number, license number, plate number, insurance company and policy number. Give your own.
Photograph the scene
Take the whole scene and the details: each vehicle and its plate, the damage, skid marks, signals and signs, and any injury you can see.
Write down the names of witnesses
A name and a phone number is enough. People leave quickly and are hard to find later.
If an officer comes, ask for the report number
Ask which agency the officer works for and how to get a copy of the report.
Say what you saw and did
Leave guesses about who was at fault, and about how badly anyone is hurt, for later.
California law sets duties for a driver in a crash.
Duties at the scene. Stop at once, give your name, address and vehicle registration, show your license if asked, and give reasonable help to anyone injured, including arranging for medical care.
Cal. Veh. Code §§ 20001 to 20003When a crash damages only property, including another vehicle, the driver must stop at once at the nearest place that does not block traffic or put other drivers in danger. The driver must then do one of two things. One is to find the owner or person in charge and give the name and address of the driver and of the vehicle’s owner. The other is to leave a written notice with that information and what happened, in a place where it will be seen, and to notify the city police or the CHP without unnecessary delay.
Cal. Veh. Code § 20002, subd. (a)These rules are written for drivers. This page has no verified rule on what a passenger, a pedestrian or a person on a bicycle must do at the scene.
If the other driver left, see “The same day” below. This site’s checklist “The first 72 hours after an injury” has steps like these as a list you can tick off and print.
The same day
Once people are safe, the rest of the day is about your health and the record of what happened.
See a doctor, even if you feel mostly fine
Some injuries take hours or days to show. Tell the provider about every part of your body that hurts and how the crash happened, so it is in the record.
Write down what you remember
The time, the place, the weather, what you saw and heard, and what anyone said. Do it today, while it is fresh.
Start one folder for everything
Photos, the report number, claim numbers, the names of adjusters, medical bills and receipts. Paper or on your phone, as long as it is in one place.
Keep the evidence as it is
Do not repair or get rid of the vehicle until it has been photographed. If a store or building camera may have caught the crash, ask in writing that the video be kept.
One report is counted in hours. The statute puts it on the driver.
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 § 20004The 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?”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.
If the other driver left and was never identified, a report to the police within 24 hours is also one of the conditions in California’s statute on uninsured motorist coverage.
Hit and run and unidentified drivers. To use uninsured motorist coverage for a driver who was never identified, there must have been physical contact with that vehicle, the crash must be reported to the police within 24 hours, and a sworn statement must be filed with your insurer within 30 days after that.
Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(b)For who must report, to whom and on what form, see this site’s page “Do I have to report a car accident, and to whom?”. For a driver who was never found, see this site’s page “The driver who hit me left and was never found. What now?”.
The first days
In the first days the paperwork starts and insurance companies begin to call.
Report the crash to the DMV if the rule applies
The rule and the form are under these steps. The deadline is counted in days.
Tell your own insurance company
Give the basic facts: when, where and who was involved.
Find out which company is calling
Two companies may call: your own insurer and the other driver’s insurer. Ask which one is on the line and whether the call is being recorded.
Be careful what you say on a recorded call
Say what you saw and did. Leave out guesses about fault and about how badly you are hurt.
Keep track of missed work and what you spend
The dates you missed, the hours you lost, prescriptions, rides and parking. Keep the receipts in your folder.
The report to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is separate from the report to the police. The DMV’s form for it is the SR 1.
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 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 CaliforniaThe driver may make the report to the DMV personally or through an insurance agent, broker or legal representative.
Cal. Veh. Code § 16000, subd. (a)This site’s page “Do I have to report a car accident, and to whom?” has the steps for the SR 1 and what the statute says if no report is made.
Then the calls. An adjuster may ask to record your account of what happened. We found no California statute or insurance regulation that requires a person to give a recorded statement to another driver’s insurer. That is not a rule that a statement is never required. This site has no verified rule either way. Two California rules bear on a recorded call.
It is a crime to intentionally record a confidential communication, including a phone call, without the consent of all parties. A communication is not confidential when the parties may reasonably expect that it may be overheard or recorded.
Cal. Penal Code § 632(a), (c)Evidence of a statement is not made inadmissible by the hearsay rule when it is offered against the person who made it, in a case to which that person is a party.
Cal. Evid. Code § 1220In plain terms, what you say to an insurance adjuster can later be offered as evidence against you. That does not mean a statement will be used or admitted in any given case.
Your own insurer is a different matter. Your duties to your own insurer normally come from your policy, and no policy was read for this page. One California statute speaks to notice.
Outside life, marine and fire insurance, notice of an accident, injury or death may be given to the insurer within 20 days after the event. A policy cannot require notice in a shorter time.
Cal. Ins. Code § 551For more on these calls, see this site’s page “The insurance company wants a recorded statement. What should I know first?”.
The first weeks
By now the urgent steps are done. The weeks after are about your treatment, your records and finding out what insurance applies.
Keep up with your medical care
Go to your follow up appointments, and keep the paperwork from each visit.
Keep every bill and record
Medical bills, receipts, repair estimates, letters from insurance companies and the dates you missed work. Put them in your one folder.
Ask for the crash report
The report comes from the agency whose officer wrote it. The rules under these steps say where to ask.
Read your own auto policy
Look at the declarations page for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage and for medical payments coverage. Ask your insurer what your policy has.
Check whether a government agency was involved
A city bus, a public school or a road defect, for example. The deadline for those claims is much shorter, and it is in the last part of this page.
Where to ask for the crash report depends on which agency investigated.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) says it can only provide reports of crashes the CHP investigated. A report written by another police department has to be requested from that department. The CHP says it or a local police department can help identify which agency investigated.
CHP, Collision Report (CHP 190) web pageFor a crash the CHP investigated, a proper party of interest can ask for the report online through the CHP Crash Portal. The other way is in person or by mail at any CHP Area office, with form CHP 190, Application for Release of Information.
CHP, “Request a Crash Report”For the fee, the wait and how to read the report, see this site’s page “How do I get the crash report, and what does it tell me?”. For a report written by city police, see this site’s page “How do I get a crash report from city police?”.
Next, your own policy. Two kinds of coverage on a person’s own auto policy come up after a crash.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Every auto liability policy includes uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage unless the insurer and a named insured removed or reduced it in a signed written agreement.
Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(a)The California Department of Insurance lists medical payments coverage among the other coverage options commonly available for purchase. It says this coverage pays medical expenses if you or your passengers are injured, and that it can pay for immediate medical care, no matter who is at fault.
California Department of Insurance, “Automobile Insurance” information guide (Form 101, revised February 5, 2025), “Other Kinds of Coverage” and “Coverage Summary”This page has no verified rule on which coverage pays first. What it has is how the California Department of Insurance describes medical bills after a crash. It is a general description, and it is not a rule of law.
The California Department of Insurance says that usually your health insurance pays for your immediate medical care.
California Department of Insurance, “Automobile Insurance” information guide (Form 101, revised February 5, 2025), “If You Have an Accident”None of this says what is on your own policy. Medical payments coverage is something a person can choose not to buy.
This site’s California page, “California injury law: the rules that matter”, has the state’s other rules, including the rule on shared fault and what drivers must carry.
The deadlines for a claim
The reports above are counted in hours and days. The deadlines for a claim are longer. These are California’s general rules. This page does not say what your own deadline is, and some deadlines are much shorter than the general rule.
Deadline to sue for an injury. Generally two years for an injury caused by someone else’s wrongful act or carelessness.
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1Deadline for vehicle and property damage. Three years for damage to a vehicle or other personal property.
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 338(c)(1)Claims against a government agency. A written claim must be presented to the city, county, state agency or other public entity within six months. If the entity sends a proper written rejection, a lawsuit generally has to be filed within six months of that notice. A request to file late must be made within a reasonable time, not to exceed one year after the claim arose. The statute leaves a few narrow kinds of time out of that year.
Cal. Gov. Code §§ 911.2, 911.4, 945.6Deadline for a claim under your own policy. For an uninsured motorist claim, one of three things must happen within two years of the crash.
Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(i)The three things are set out on this site’s page “The driver who hit me left and was never found. What now?”. This site’s page “How long do I have to sue after an injury in California?” goes through every California deadline one at a time.
These are general rules. Exceptions exist, and some deadlines are much shorter. If a child was hurt, see this site’s page “My child was hurt. Who brings the claim, and how long is there?”.
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 call the police after a car accident in California?
California law requires a written report to the CHP or the city police within 24 hours when an accident injures or kills anyone. 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. This page has no verified rule that requires a report to the police after every crash. As a practical step, call 911 if anyone is hurt.
How soon does a car accident have to be reported in California?
There are two separate reports. When an accident injures or kills anyone, the driver must make a written report to the CHP or the city police within 24 hours. 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. The DMV’s form for this is the SR 1.
Do I have to file an SR 1 if the crash was not my fault?
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. The statute lets the driver make the report personally or through an insurance agent, broker or legal representative.
After a crash in California, do I have to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement?
This site has no verified rule either way. We found no California statute or insurance regulation that requires a person to give a recorded statement to another driver’s insurer. That is not a rule that a statement is never required. What you say can later be offered as evidence against you. A lawyer can advise on your facts.
What is the deadline to sue after a car accident in California?
California’s general deadline to sue for an injury is two years. The deadline for damage to a vehicle or other personal property is three years. Some deadlines are much shorter. For a claim against a government agency, a written claim must be presented to the city, county, state agency or other public entity within six months. These are general rules. This page does not say what your own deadline is.
What if the other driver left and was never identified?
To use uninsured motorist coverage for a driver who was never identified, there must have been physical contact with that vehicle, the crash must be reported to the police within 24 hours, and a sworn statement must be filed with your insurer within 30 days after that. This site’s page on a driver who left and was never found covers the rest.
Sources
Primary sources for the rules on this page. Checked on October 3, 2026.
Also cited
- Cal. Veh. Code §§ 20001 to 20003
- Cal. Veh. Code § 20002, subd. (a)
- Cal. Veh. Code § 20008, subd. (a)
- Cal. Veh. Code § 20004
- CHP, Frequently Asked Questions, “Can I file a traffic collision report online?”
- Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(b)
- Cal. Veh. Code § 16000, subd. (a)
- California DMV, form SR 1 (Rev. 6/2025), Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California
- Cal. Penal Code § 632(a), (c)
- Cal. Evid. Code § 1220
- Cal. Ins. Code § 551
- CHP, Collision Report (CHP 190) web page
- CHP, “Request a Crash Report”
- Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(a)
- California Department of Insurance, “Automobile Insurance” information guide (Form 101, revised February 5, 2025), “Other Kinds of Coverage” and “Coverage Summary”
- California Department of Insurance, “Automobile Insurance” information guide (Form 101, revised February 5, 2025), “If You Have an Accident”
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 338(c)(1)
- Cal. Gov. Code §§ 911.2, 911.4, 945.6
- Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(i)
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.
