Printable crash checklist

Print this page and keep it in your glove box. Items marked required are legal duties; the rest is practical advice.

At the scene

1. Required: stop. A driver in a crash that injures or kills someone must stop immediately at the scene (Vehicle Code § 20001). In a property-damage-only crash, stop at the nearest place that doesn't block traffic; moving the car does not affect fault (Vehicle Code § 20002).
2. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. Turn on hazard lights and stay out of traffic lanes.
3. Required: help the injured. Give reasonable assistance, including arranging transport for treatment if it is needed or requested (Vehicle Code § 20003).
4. Required: exchange information. Give your name, address, registration number and owner details, and show your license if asked (Vehicle Code § 20003).
5. Write down the other drivers' names, phone numbers, plates, insurers and policy numbers, and the names and numbers of witnesses.
6. Photograph the vehicles, their positions, damage, skid marks, traffic signals and signs, road conditions and your injuries.
7. Get the officer's name, agency and report number. You will need them for the report and for your car if it is towed.
8. Don't argue about fault or sign anything other than what the officer requires.

The DMV's driver handbook summarizes the duties at the scene this way:

• You must stop. Leaving the scene is a hit-and-run. [source]
• Call 911 right away if anyone is hurt. If no one is hurt, move your vehicle out of traffic, then call 911. [source]
• Show your driver's license, registration card, insurance information and current address to the other driver, the officer and anyone else involved. [source]
• If you hit a parked car or other property and cannot find the owner, leave a securely attached note with your name, phone number and address, and report the collision to law enforcement. [source]
• If anyone is injured or killed, a report must be made to law enforcement within 24 hours; your insurance agent, broker or legal representative can also file it. [source]

Within 24 hours

1. Required if anyone was injured or killed: make sure a written report reaches the CHP or the city police within 24 hours if officers did not take one at the scene (Vehicle Code § 20008).
2. Get checked by a doctor, even if you feel fine. Some injuries show up later, and early records matter.
3. Tell your insurer about the crash. Give facts, not guesses.
4. Find your car if it was towed; storage charges add up daily. See getting a towed car back.

Within 10 days

1. Required when someone was injured or killed, or damage is over $1,000: file the SR-1 with the DMV (Vehicle Code § 16000). See the DMV SR-1 report.
2. Request the crash report from the agency that responded. See our crash report guide.
3. Request your medical records and itemized bills. See getting your medical records.

In the weeks after

• Keep a folder: bills, receipts, repair estimates, rental and ride costs, and notes on missed work and daily pain.
• Check ambulance bills against California's limits; see ambulance bills.
• If Medi-Cal or Medicare paid your bills, read medical liens.
• Be careful what you post online about the crash or your injuries.

Deadlines to know

• 6 months: claim against a city, the County or another public entity for injury (Government Code § 911.2). See claims against government.
• 2 years: general deadline for a personal injury lawsuit (Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1).

Every fact on this page links to the official source it came from. We checked each one in September 2026. Agencies change fees and procedures, so confirm with the agency before you go. How we research.