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Last updated: November 27, 2023

Can You File a Car Insurance Claim Without a Police Report?

More importantly, should you?

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If you’re unlucky enough to get into an auto accident, filing a police report may or may not be required in your state. But regardless of the legal requirement, filing a car insurance claim with a police report makes it more likely that you’ll be eligible for insurance compensation than if you file without. A police report is a form of evidence, and the more evidence you have, the better the chance your provider will cover your claim.

Can You File a Car Insurance Claim Without a Police Report?

To answer a frequently asked car insurance question, yes, you can file a car insurance claim without a police report. However, we don’t recommend it; if you have the chance, file a police report to include in your claim.

Why Police Reports Help Claims

Police reports help claims because they provide more evidence of whose fault the accident was, which will ultimately determine who pays for damages and bodily injuries. If the car accident wasn’t your fault and you need to make a third-party claim, a police report can substantiate the damages and/or injuries. Note that the cost of auto insurance won’t rise after an accident that wasn’t your fault.

What Happens if You Don’t Report a Car Accident?

Even if a car accident is your fault, you should call the police to make a report.

If your accident falls under required reporting laws (which we’ll detail below), you could face legal penalties for not reporting it. But even if it’s not required, without a police report, your insurance provider may deny that the collision happened or otherwise deny coverage.

This could leave you liable to pay out of pocket for any damages that result from the accident (unless you live in New Hampshire or Virginia, neither of which require property damage liability for the other party). Of course, you’ll have to pay for your own damages if you want to keep your car in use.

Will I Receive Compensation Without a Police Report?

While you can receive compensation from your insurance provider without a police report in your claim, you’re much more likely to be compensated if you include a police report in the claim. However, it’s possible to get a payout if you provide other evidence, such as the following:

  • Evidence of the location
  • The extent of the vehicle damage
  • Eyewitness statements
  • Medical records
  • Photos and/or videos from the scene of the accident
  • Traffic or surveillance footage

What You Need and Don’t Need a Police Report

You only need to file a police report after an accident under certain circumstances.

When You Need to File a Police Report

Each state has different reporting requirements and deadlines to file reports.

State Accident reporting requirements Deadline to file a police report Penalties for not reporting
Alabama Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 by an uninsured motorist 30 days Class A misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine) for accidents resulting in property damages, Class C felony ($2,500 to $6,000 fine) for accidents resulting in death or injury
Alaska Injury, property damage, or death worth over $2,000 10 days License suspension for not more than 30 days; a fine of not more than $200, imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both
Arizona No state law requiring the driver involved in an accident to file a police report None None
Arkansas Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 Immediate (death or injury) or 30 days (property damage) License suspension
California Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 10 days 90 days to 4 years in prison and/or a $1,000 to $10,000 fine
Colorado Death, injury, or any property damage 10 days 10 to 90 days in jail, $150 to $300 fine, or both
Connecticut Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 5 days $75 to $600 fine, imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both for first offense; fine of $100 to $1,000, imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both for subsequent offenses
Delaware Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 Immediately $25 to $75 fine for first offense; $57.50 to $95 fine for subsequent offenses
District of Columbia None None None
Florida Death or injury, property damage worth over $500 As soon as possible $30 fine
Georgia Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 Immediately 3 points on driving record
Hawaii Injury, property damage, or death worth over $3,000 Immediately $100 fine
Idaho Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,500 Immediately Fines or license suspension
Illinois Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,500 or $500 if any vehicle is uninsured 10 days License suspension
Indiana Injury, property damage, or death worth over $750 Immediately License and vehicle registration suspension
Iowa Report not required for an accident with death, injury, or damage of $1,500 or more if the accident was investigated by the police 3 days if a report is required License suspension
Kansas Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,500 Immediately License suspension, fine not more than $500
Kentucky Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 10 days Fine of $20 to $100
Louisiana None None None
Maine Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 Immediately Imprisonment for 6 months and a $1,000 fine
Maryland Death or injury 15 days 5 points and a $140 fine
Massachusetts Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 5 days License suspension
Michigan Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 Immediately Imprisonment for not more than 90 days, a fine of not more than $100, or both
Minnesota Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 10 days License suspension
Mississippi Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 10 days License suspension
Missouri Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 5 days License suspension, fine, or possible misdemeanor charge
Montana Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 Immediately Misdemeanor ($200 to $300 fine or imprisonment for 20 days)
Nebraska Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 10 days Class V misdemeanor (maximum fine of $100)
Nevada All crashes Immediately Driving privileges suspension for maximum of 1 year
New Hampshire Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000; driver report not required if police file report 5 days Felony if the accident caused death or injury, misdemeanor if there was only property damage
New Jersey Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 Immediately License suspension, $30 to $100 fine
New Mexico Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 Immediately License suspension
New York Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,500 10 days Fine up to $250, 15 days imprisonment, or both
North Carolina Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 Immediately Up to $100 fine
North Dakota Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000; report not required for property damage only with an undomesticated animal Immediately License suspension
Ohio All crashes Immediately Fine not more than $150
Oklahoma Injury, property damage, or death worth over $500 Immediately (death or injury) or 6 months (property damage) License suspension
Oregon Injury or death, more than $2,500 in damage to driver’s vehicle, more than $2,500 in damage to any vehicle, any vehicle towed from the scene, more than $2,500 of any property damage (not including a vehicle); 911 call required if there’s an
injury or fatality
72 hours Up to $300 fine
Pennsylvania Death, injury, or disabled vehicle 5 days Driving privileges suspension
Rhode Island Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 21 days Fine of not more than $500
South Carolina Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 15 days $100 to $5,000 fine, 1 year of imprisonment, or both
South Dakota Death, injury, property damage worth over $1,000 to 1 person’s property or $2,000 of total property damage Immediately Class 2 misdemeanor (up to 30 days imprisonment, $500 fine, or both)
Tennessee Injury, property damage, or death worth over $50 Immediately (death, injury, or property damage of $50 to $400) or 20 days (death, injury, or property damage worth over $400) License and registration suspension
Texas Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 Immediately (death or injury) or 10 days (property damage) License suspension
Utah Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 10 days License suspension
Vermont Injury, property damage, or death worth over $3,000 3 days Fine
Virginia Death or injury Immediately Fine of not more than $250
Washington Injury, property damage, or death worth over $700 4 days License suspension
West Virginia Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 Immediately License suspension
Wisconsin Death, injury, property damage worth over $1,000, or government property damage of $200 or more Immediately to law enforcement by quickest means of communication $40 to $200 fine
Wyoming Injury, property damage, or death worth over $1,000 Immediately $200 fine1

When You Don’t Need to File a Police Report

If your accident doesn’t fall into the above circumstances in your state, then you’re not legally required to file a police report. But again, if you want to get covered under a claim, we recommend filing a police report anyway so you can include it in your claim as evidence.

When to File a Police Report

You have a set amount of time when you can file a police report and receive personal injury or damage claims. Check your state’s statute of limitations below.

NOTE

It’s best to file a police report as soon as possible after an accident; that will shorten the length of the claims process.

State Statute of limitations for personal injury claims (in number of years) Statute of limitations for property damage claims (in number of years)
Alabama 2 2
Alaska 2 2
Arizona 2 2
Arkansas 3 3
California 2 3
Colorado 3 3
Connecticut 2 2
Delaware 2 2
District of Columbia 3 3
Florida 4 4
Georgia 2 4
Hawaii 2 2
Idaho 2 3
Illinois 2 5
Indiana 2 2
Iowa 2 5
Kansas 2 2
Kentucky 1 2
Louisiana 1 1
Maine 6 6
Maryland 3 3
Massachusetts 3 3
Michigan 3 3
Minnesota 2 6
Mississippi 3 3
Missouri 5 5
Montana 3 2
Nebraska 4 4
Nevada 2 3
New Hampshire 3 3
New Jersey 6 6
New Mexico 3 4
New York 3 3
North Carolina 3 3
North Dakota 6 6
Ohio 4 4
Oklahoma 2 2
Oregon 2 6
Pennsylvania 2 2
Rhode Island 3 10
South Carolina 3 3
South Dakota 3 6
Tennessee 1 3
Texas 2 2
Utah 4 3
Vermont 3 3
Virginia 2 5
Washington 3 3
West Virginia 2 2
Wisconsin 3 6
Wyoming 4 4

Reporting an Accident vs. Filing a Claim

If you get into an accident, it’s best to report it to the police before filing a claim with your insurance provider. Here’s how.

Reporting an Accident

  1. Call the police or highway patrol so they can make a police report.
  2. Ask each officer for their names and badge numbers. Write them down.
  3. If the police are unable to come to the scene, go to the local police station and fill out an accident report.
  4. Get a copy of the report, or ask your car accident lawyers to get a copy for you.

Filing a Claim

  1. File an insurance claim, including your police report.
  2. Your insurance provider will file a claim with the other party’s insurance provider, and the insurance companies will communicate about the car accident claim.
  3. You’ll work with an insurance adjuster to determine fault. Give them a copy of the police report and any other information they request.
  4. If the accident is your fault, your insurance provider will pay the other party’s damage and bodily injury costs up to your limit. If the accident isn’t your fault, you’ll be compensated.

TIP

Don’t automatically go with the repair shop estimates your insurance provider gives you. Call around to get quotes from multiple repair shops, and don’t be afraid to choose one that’s out of network.

Recap

If you are involved in a car accident, your instinct may be to go home and decompress, but before you do, call a police officer and make a report. It could be the difference between getting a claim covered and paying out of pocket.

If you need help, you may want to call a car accident attorney; they can help you get compensated for everyone involved in the accident. You may even be able to get a free case evaluation at some firms.

Citations

  1. State-by-State Laws & Requirements for Reporting a Car Accident. Enjuris. (2022).
    https://www.enjuris.com/car-accident/accident-reporting-requirements.html