SR-1 Accident Report in California: Who Must File and the 10-Day Deadline

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Do you have to file an SR-1?

The DMV's driver handbook and the accident reporting page give the same test. You must report the collision to the DMV within 10 days if either of these is true:

The SR 1 form also lists what is not reportable: vehicles that do not have to be registered, such as an off-road vehicle, an implement of husbandry, or a snowmobile; a collision on a military base; and a collision on your own property that involves only your own property and no injury or death. When in doubt, file. A late report is the one that causes the trouble.

The 10-day clock, and the other deadlines people mix up

• DMV SR-1: 10 days. It is due within 10 days of the collision.
• Law enforcement: 24 hours when someone is hurt. The handbook says you must make a report to law enforcement within 24 hours if anyone is injured or killed. That is a separate report.
• Your insurer: as soon as you can. Your policy sets its own notice rules, so read it or call. The SR-1 does not open a claim.
• Employer's vehicle: 5 days, then 10. If you were driving your employer's vehicle, the DMV's financial responsibility fact sheet (SR 104) says to report to your employer within 5 days, and the employer files the SR-1 within 10 days of your report. That does not apply to a vehicle owned or operated by a government agency, a department-approved self-insurer, or a holder of an Employer Insurance Certificate on file with the DMV.

The handbook is explicit that law enforcement will not make the report for you.

How to file

1. Gather the information. Your driver license or ID card, your plate number or VIN, your insurance information, and the other party's vehicle and insurance information if you have it.
2. File online on the DMV's accident reporting page, or print the SR 1 PDF and mail it to the address on the form. The DMV notes that paper submissions are likely to take longer to process.
3. Fill in the insurance section completely. It asks for the name of the insurance company (not the agent or broker), the policy number, and the policy period. The form warns that if it is not fully completed, the DMV assumes you were not insured for the accident and your license will be suspended.
4. Sign it. The form is signed under penalty of perjury, so stick to what you know and leave a field blank rather than guess.
5. Keep a copy or the confirmation, with the date you filed.

The DMV says you, or your insurance agent, broker, or legal representative, can complete and send the SR-1. Whoever helps, the driver is the one the DMV holds responsible for the deadline.

What the DMV does with it

Under Vehicle Code §1806 the DMV records the collision on your driver record whether or not you caused it, as the SR 1 form and the handbook explain. The insurance portion (the SR 1A) may be sent to the insurance company you named. If the company says the policy was not in effect, it returns the form to the DMV within 20 days. If you were insured, the SR 104 says to give your coverage information to the DMV right away when you get a Courtesy Reminder or an Order of Suspension. If the information is acceptable, no action is taken or the suspension ends.

If you do not file, or you had no insurance

• No report: the SR 104 says your driving privilege will be suspended if you do not report as required or do not provide evidence of financial responsibility that was in effect at the time of the accident.
• No insurance at the time: the same fact sheet says the suspension cannot be lifted until one year from the date it begins. After that, proof of financial responsibility is required for three years, normally an SR-22 filed by an insurer. If the proof is cancelled in that period, the license is suspended again. During the first year the DMV can approve a restricted license for work, medical treatment, or driving a minor to school, with the fees listed on the SR 104.
• A different problem: driving uninsured is its own offense. See the penalty for driving without insurance and how long an SR-22 lasts.

What "insured" means here: the current minimum

The DMV's insurance requirements page lists the minimum liability limits as $30,000 for injury or death to one person, $60,000 for injury or death to more than one person, and $15,000 for property damage. They took effect January 1, 2025 under Senate Bill 1107, as the Department of Insurance described in its bulletin. Older DMV materials still print the former $15,000, $30,000 and $5,000. Collision and comprehensive coverage fix your own car and do not satisfy the requirement, as the SR 104 points out, so "full coverage" is not the same as meeting it. See our auto liability glossary entry.

A short checklist for the first week

• Photos of all vehicles, the scene, and any injuries; the other driver's name, plate, and insurer.
• Police or CHP report number. Call 911 if anyone is hurt.
• Call your insurer to report the collision and ask what it needs.
• Put the SR-1 deadline on your calendar: 10 days from the collision date.
• If you hit an unattended car or property and cannot find the owner, the handbook says to leave a note with your name, phone number and address, and to report it to law enforcement.

If your policy lapsed or you are unsure it covered the vehicle, check with your insurer or agent before you file, and answer the insurance section truthfully.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to file an SR-1 if the accident was not my fault?

Yes. The DMV says each driver must file a Report of Traffic Accident (SR 1) whether or not they caused the collision, if anyone was injured or killed or property damage was over $1,000.

How long do I have to file an SR-1 in California?

10 days from the collision. A police, CHP or insurance report does not replace it. If you were driving your employer's vehicle, you report to the employer within 5 days and the employer files within 10 days of your report.

What happens if I do not file an SR-1?

The DMV can suspend your driving privilege. The SR 104 fact sheet says it will if you do not report as required or cannot show financial responsibility that was in effect at the time of the accident.

Where do I file the SR-1?

Online on the DMV's accident reporting page, or by mail with the printable SR 1. The DMV says paper submissions are likely to take longer to process.

Does my insurance company file the SR-1 for me?

Not automatically. The DMV says the driver, or the driver's insurance agent, broker, or legal representative, must complete and send it. Reporting the claim to your insurer is a separate step.

Sources

• DMV California Driver Handbook, Section 10: Financial Responsibility, Insurance Requirements, and Collisions (what to do in a collision, 24-hour law enforcement report, 10-day DMV report). Checked 9 October 2026.
• DMV Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1) and the SR 1 form (reportable accidents, exceptions, insurance section, Vehicle Code §1806). Checked 9 October 2026.
• DMV SR 104, Important Facts About the Compulsory Financial Responsibility Law (obligations after an accident, employer vehicles, suspension, one-year wait, proof for three years). Checked 9 October 2026.
• DMV Auto Insurance Requirements and Department of Insurance Bulletin 2023-1 on SB 1107 (minimum limits from January 1, 2025). Checked 9 October 2026.

Reviewed by Santo Militello, California-licensed Property & Casualty agent (CA License #1737723) and owner of Via Rapida Services. Insurance City Agency, LLC · CA License #6003045. Our licensed team brings more than 70 years of combined insurance experience. Call (209) 670-1556. Last reviewed 2026-10-09.