General information, not legal advice. This guide explains California law in general terms. It isn't advice about your situation, and laws and deadlines can change. Check the official sources linked on this page.
The SR-1 report in California
The SR-1 is the "Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California." You file it with the DMV, separately from any police report. After an injury crash it's required even if nobody's property damage reaches $1,000.
Short answer: File an SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured (even slightly) or killed, or if any one person's property damage was over $1,000 (Vehicle Code §16000). Fault doesn't matter. If you skip it, the DMV suspends your license (§16004).
When an SR-1 is required
Under Vehicle Code §16000, a driver involved in a California crash must report it to the DMV within 10 days if:
- anyone was injured or killed, or
- any one person's property damage was more than $1,000.
The DMV's SR-1 page says the report is required whether or not you caused the crash, and that any injury, no matter how minor, triggers it. The California Driver's Handbook adds that the rule applies even on private property, such as a parking lot.
For injury crashes, the $1,000 property figure doesn't matter. A low-speed crash with almost no damage still needs an SR-1 if someone was hurt.
It's separate from the police report
Drivers often mix up three different reports:
- The police or CHP crash report. Officers write it, and after an injury crash the driver must also report it within 24 hours (VC §20008). See Do you need a police report?
- The report to your insurance company, which your policy governs.
- The SR-1, which goes to the DMV.
The DMV says the SR-1 is in addition to reports made to the police or your insurer. The handbook says law enforcement won't file it for you.
Who can file it
Section 16000 allows the report to be made by the driver, or by the driver's insurance agent, broker or legal representative. The driver is still responsible for making sure it's filed on time.
The SR-1 asks for the other driver's details, so the information you exchanged at the scene under §16025 helps. See What to do at the scene.
How to file
The DMV takes the SR-1 online from its accident reporting page, which also links the printable form. Keep a copy of what you file, and write down the date.
The SR-1 and insurance
The SR-1 asks for your insurance information. That's how the DMV checks that each driver had the financial responsibility California requires. For policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, the minimum liability limits are $30,000 for one person's injury or death, $60,000 for two or more people, and $15,000 for property damage (VC §16056).
What happens if you don't file
Vehicle Code §16004 says the DMV shall suspend the driving privilege of anyone who fails to make a required report. The suspension stays in effect until the DMV receives the report, or receives evidence that financial responsibility (insurance or an approved alternative) was in effect.
Two other limits in §16000
- Government vehicles. Section 16000(b) says no report is required if the vehicle involved was owned or leased by the United States, California, another state, or a local agency.
- The one-year cutoff. Section 16000(c) says that if none of the parties has reported the crash within one year, the DMV doesn't have to file a report on it, and the §16004 suspension rules no longer apply. That doesn't change the 10-day deadline. File on time.
Common questions
Do I have to file an SR-1 if I wasn't at fault?
Yes. Vehicle Code §16000 requires the driver to report a qualifying crash to the DMV within 10 days whether or not they caused it. The DMV says the report is required regardless of who was at fault.
Does the police report count as the SR-1?
No. The DMV says the SR-1 is in addition to any report made to the police or to your insurance company, and the California Driver's Handbook says law enforcement won't file it for you.
Is an SR-1 required after a minor injury?
Yes. Section 16000 applies when anyone is injured or killed, and the DMV's SR-1 page says an injury of any kind, no matter how minor, triggers the report. That applies even if property damage was $1,000 or less.
Can my insurance company or lawyer file the SR-1 for me?
Yes. Section 16000 allows the report to be made by the driver or by the driver's insurance agent, broker or legal representative. It's still the driver's responsibility to make sure it's filed within 10 days.
What happens if I don't file an SR-1?
Under Vehicle Code §16004, the DMV suspends the driving privilege of a driver who fails to report a crash as required. The suspension stays in effect until the DMV receives the report or receives evidence that the driver had financial responsibility (insurance or an approved alternative) in effect.
Sources
The sources this guide cites. We check the guide against these sources before publishing and each time we review it.
- California Vehicle Code §16000, SR-1 report to the DMV (California Legislative Information)
- California Vehicle Code §16004, license suspension for not reporting (California Legislative Information)
- Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1) (California DMV)
- California Driver's Handbook, Section 10: Financial responsibility, insurance and collisions (California DMV)
- California Vehicle Code §20008, 24-hour written report of an injury crash (California Legislative Information)
- California Vehicle Code §16025, exchanging information and insurance (California Legislative Information)
- California Vehicle Code §16056, minimum liability insurance limits (California Legislative Information)
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