The majority of the time, you will first contact the police agency of where the accident occurred. In case someone involved in the accident ended up injured, or there is an immediate danger. The first thing one should do is to call 911. For non-emergency cases, the local police number can aid you in making the report.
An officer may come to the scene and take the information needed for a report. If nobody is being sent, ask what you should do instead. You don’t want to get home with the other driver’s phone number and find that you still have a report to submit. Find out where to send it and how much time you have. You’ll contact your insurer separately, even when police have taken your account.
While you’re still at the scene
- Stop and check for injuries. Stay clear of moving traffic and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Move to a safer nearby position if you can do so safely. Photographs can wait if taking them would put you in danger.
- Give a location someone can find. Tell the dispatcher the road and direction you were traveling. An exit number, intersection or nearby business can help the dispatcher find you. Mention injuries and blocked lanes.
- Get the details from the other driver. Exchange names, addresses, phone numbers, driver’s license and registration information, plates, and insurance company and policy details. Find out who owns the car if it belongs to someone else.
- Save what you can from the scene. When it’s safe, photograph the vehicles, damage and road around them. Note the time and location, and get witness contact details for following up later.
- Write down who took the report. Keep the officer’s name, agency and report number for follow-up. Ask whether the officer is filing everything required or whether you have a form to complete as well.
When explaining the accident, start with what you remember seeing or feeling. Suppose you were stopped at a light when your car was hit from behind. You know where you were, but you may never have seen the other vehicle approach. You can say you don’t know its speed. If a witness later tells you something else, make clear where that information came from. It shouldn’t read as though you saw it yourself.
When no officer comes
Ask the agency whether to report online or come in to make the report. An injury or a driver leaving the scene may require a different process. Read the instructions before entering your information. Once you’ve submitted it, save a copy and the confirmation. If you need to ask about it later, you’ll have the details of what you sent and when.
A driver offering to pay privately may suggest that there’s no need to report a small dent. You still need to check the legal requirement and your insurance policy. Their willingness to cover the repair doesn’t decide either question. If they leave without exchanging information, don’t follow them. Give police any plate number, vehicle description or direction of travel you were able to observe safely.
If you notice pain after getting home
You may have told the officer you felt all right. That was how you felt then; it doesn’t tell you what is causing a headache that starts later. Seek medical advice about new symptoms and explain that you were in a crash. The CDC lists a worsening headache and repeated vomiting among concussion danger signs requiring emergency care. For more about symptoms that develop afterward, see our discussion of headaches after a car accident.
Podor Law offers a free case evaluation if you’re unsure about an injury claim. Continue with required reports and medical care while arranging that conversation.
Which reporting deadline applies?
The state where the accident happened
Use that state’s rules, even if you’re only there on vacation. There is no single U.S. deadline. Ask the local police or motor vehicle agency what report is needed, who should submit it and when. Florida and Ohio show why a deadline found online needs to be read with the type of report in mind.
Florida
Florida has an immediate notice requirement and a separate written reporting requirement. The rule before the 2026 increase calls for immediate police notice for injury, death or apparent property damage of at least $500. Call local police within a municipality; outside one, notify the sheriff or Florida Highway Patrol.
The damage threshold increases to $2,000 on Oct 1, 2026, under Chapter 2026-39. Consider an accident with $900 in apparent damage. The amount meets the earlier threshold, but not the new one. If anyone is injured or killed, immediate notice is still required. The damage amount doesn’t change that part of the rule.
The ten days you may have read about concern a written report to FLHSMV. For a property damage crash that doesn’t require a law enforcement report, the driver must submit that report within ten days after the crash under section 316.066(1)(e). You can find the submission process in FLHSMV’s reporting instructions. Having ten days for this form doesn’t give you ten days to make a required police call.
Ohio
After a crash on a public road in Ohio, you must stop and exchange identifying and vehicle information. But an injured person may be unable to understand or record what you’re giving them. In that situation, notify the nearest police authority and stay until an officer arrives, unless you’re taken away by ambulance.
Don’t assume the six-month period mentioned in Ohio reporting guidance applies to your accident. It belongs to the process for an eligible report involving an allegedly uninsured driver under section 4509.06. The requirements are on BMV form 3303. For an ordinary crash where no officer attended, ask the local agency how it wants the report made. The uninsured-driver process isn’t a reason to wait six months.
Calling insurance before you have the report
You can make that call with the information you already have. The report may still be in preparation, and you can send a copy when it becomes available. The NAIC recommends contacting your insurer as soon as possible. Use the number on your insurance card or the company’s official app, and ask how to provide the documents you’re waiting for. Your policy sets out the notice and cooperation duties you need to meet.
A police report number and an insurance claim number refer to different records. Keep both. A police report doesn’t automatically open an insurance claim, and your policy may require notice even when you aren’t asking your company to pay for repairs. If a statement or settlement leaves you with questions, a car accident lawyer can help you understand the claim process while you continue meeting your policy duties.
Reading the report once it’s available
Request a copy from the investigating agency. The report number, accident date and driver names will help identify it. Ask about the fee, processing time and any proof of eligibility you need to provide. Ohio’s Crash Report Search offers unofficial statistical copies. For the official report and supplements, go to the agency that investigated.
A photograph can be useful again at this point. If the plate in the report differs from the one in your picture, for example, you have something to send with a correction request. Contact the agency about its process and identify the detail you want reviewed. Save the first copy so you can compare it with any amended version.
Getting help with what comes next
You can finish reporting an accident and still be receiving treatment or trying to understand a settlement offer. Those are reasons to discuss whether a car accident attorney would be useful in your situation. Bring the records you have, even if you’re waiting for others.
Podor Law handles car and truck accident claims in Florida and Ohio. A free consultation gives us a chance to review your report, photographs and insurance correspondence with you, and talk through the questions that remain about your claim.
