Photo: Crisco 1492, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
After a collision anywhere in Canada you must stop, help anyone injured and exchange information. Whether you must also call the police depends on the province: any injury always means a police report, but the damage threshold for a fender-bender varies: $2,000 or more in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and PEI, over $2,000 in the NWT, over $1,000 in Yukon and Nunavut, $5,000 in Ontario and Alberta, while Manitoba needs no police report for damage alone. This guide sets out the reporting rules in each jurisdiction, what to do at the scene and how to report to your insurer.
Key facts
- Injury or death: call the police in every jurisdiction listed below, and call 9-1-1 for any injury.
- Ontario: report to police if anyone is injured or damage exceeds $5,000 (MTO handbook). Below that, you must still exchange information.
- Alberta’s collision reporting threshold is $5,000, indexed yearly (check alberta.ca for the current figure). Many minor collisions can be reported online through Report My Collision.
- Manitoba: no police report is needed for property damage alone, whatever the amount.
- Never admit fault at the scene. SGI, ICBC and the NWT manual all tell drivers not to discuss who was to blame.
When do you have to report a collision to police?
| Jurisdiction | Report to police when | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Anyone is injured, or damage to vehicles or other property exceeds $5,000 | Under $5,000: no police report needed, but you must exchange information with anyone whose vehicle was damaged |
| British Columbia | Anyone is injured or killed, or drugs or alcohol seem involved. Damage-only crashes need a written police report only at $10,000 or more (Accident Report Threshold Regulation, B.C. Reg. 47/2019, since 8 March 2019) | Below $10,000, report the claim to ICBC. If unsure, ask local police. ICBC’s guide asks for police reports within 24 hours in a city or 48 hours in a rural area |
| Alberta | Damage meets the $5,000 threshold (Operator Licensing and Vehicle Control Regulation, AR 320/2002, s. 147; indexed yearly, so check alberta.ca), or anyone is injured | Report online through Report My Collision (no injuries, selected areas) or in person at a police station or collision reporting centre |
| Saskatchewan | Injury, death, hit and run, an impaired driver, a vehicle that has to be towed, or an out-of-province vehicle | Exchange information after every collision, however minor |
| Manitoba | Serious injury (someone hospitalized) or death, within seven days if no report was made to an officer at the scene. Also unlicensed drivers, unregistered or unidentified vehicles, failure to get the other party’s details, or suspected impairment | No police report for property damage only, no matter the value |
| Quebec | Any injury or death: call police | Check damage-only rules with the SAAQ or your insurer |
| Nova Scotia | Injury, death or $2,000 or more in property damage: report to police | Nova Scotia Reg. 221/2026, s. 14. The handbook and Halifax police give a limit of 24 hours |
| New Brunswick | Anyone injured or killed, or total property damage that appears to be $2,000 or more: tell the local police, or the RCMP outside their area, immediately | Motor Vehicle Act, section 130. Older handbook editions show $1,000 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Anyone is injured or killed, or property damage apparently reaches $2,000 or more. The driver must immediately make a written report to the nearest peace officer | Highway Traffic Act, section 170. If the driver cannot report, an occupant or the owner must. Telling your insurer is a separate duty |
| Prince Edward Island | Anyone is injured, property damage apparently reaches $2,000 or more, or any vehicle involved is left stationary on the highway. Every driver involved must report it to police straight away, then give that police force a written report on the Registrar’s form within 24 hours (or as soon as able) | Highway Traffic Act, section 232(3); section 232(4) covers an occupant reporting for an injured driver. The 2022 handbook still shows $1,000. Failing to report a collision carries 3 demerit points |
| Yukon | Stay at the scene, help anyone hurt, and report to police if anyone is injured or the damage is over $1,000 | Yukon Driver’s Basic Handbook, p. 128 |
| Northwest Territories | Overall damage to vehicles, property and animals over $2,000, or any damage to a traffic control device, railway sign or signal, parking meter or public property, reported immediately | Public property damage must be reported even under $2,000 |
| Nunavut | Report at once to the nearest RCMP if anyone is killed or hurt, or total damage is over $1,000 | Nunavut Driver’s Manual, p. 67 |
As of November 2026. Thresholds are set by provincial law and change from time to time. If you are not sure, call the police non-emergency line and ask.
What to do at the scene: step by step
- Stop. Every driver involved must stay at the scene, or return to it immediately, and give reasonable help. PEI, for example, gives 12 demerit points for failing to stop at the scene.
- Make it safe. Turn on your hazard lights. If no one is seriously hurt and the cars can move, Manitoba’s handbook says to move them off a major road to prevent further collisions. Manitoba suggests flares or reflective signs about 60 metres in front of and behind the scene if you have them.
- Check for injuries and call 9-1-1 if anyone is hurt, if a driver seems impaired, or if the road is blocked. Don’t move an injured person unless there is a fire or other immediate danger.
- Watch for power lines. SGI says if a vehicle hits a power pole, park at least 10 metres away, don’t touch anything, call 9-1-1 and keep others back.
- Exchange information (see the list below).
- Record the scene: photos of all vehicles, plates, damage, road markings and conditions; names and phone numbers of witnesses; time, location and weather.
- Don’t admit fault or agree to pay. SGI advises against offering or accepting payment for repairs unless you plan to handle the matter without your insurer.
- Report to police if your province’s rule requires it (table above).
- Report to your insurer as soon as you can.
What information must you exchange?
The lists vary slightly; together they cover:
- your name and address
- your driver’s licence number (Manitoba also asks for its expiry date)
- the vehicle’s plate number and registration
- the registered owner’s name and address, if you don’t own the car
- insurance details: the insurer and policy number. In Ontario, the liability insurance card
Saskatchewan requires the name, address, licence number and plate from every driver “regardless of the severity”, plus the insurer’s details if a non-Saskatchewan vehicle is involved or the crash happens outside Saskatchewan.
If you hit a parked car or property
Find the owner. If you can’t, leave your name and address on the vehicle or property, as Manitoba requires, and report it. The NWT manual also says you must notify the owner of an unattended vehicle of any damage you cause.
If you hit an animal
In Manitoba, if you injure or kill a domestic animal and it is not removed from the road, report it to police; if it has been removed, report to the owner or the municipal clerk. For wildlife, see moose, deer and caribou collisions.
Reporting to your insurer
| Insurer | How to report a claim |
|---|---|
| ICBC (BC) | Online, or 604-520-8222 (Vancouver and Lower Mainland) or 1-800-910-4222 elsewhere in BC |
| SGI (Saskatchewan) | Online at sgi.sk.ca, the nearest claims centre, or 1-844-855-2744. Crashes outside Saskatchewan go to the Out-of-Province Claims Department |
| MPI (Manitoba) | By phone: 204-985-7000 in Winnipeg, 1-800-665-2410 toll-free. You need an estimate before repairs |
| Private insurers (Ontario, Alberta, Atlantic, territories) | Call the claims number on your insurance card. Alberta’s Report My Collision gives you a digital damage sticker if the report is approved |
| Quebec | Injuries are covered by the SAAQ public plan; property damage goes to your private insurer |
As a learner or novice, tell whoever owns the car (often a parent) straight away: the claim goes on their policy. ICBC says reporting is usually in your interest even if the other driver offers to pay, because they may refuse later.
Common questions
Do I have to call the police for a small accident in Ontario?
Not if no one is hurt and damage is $5,000 or less, according to the MTO handbook. You must still exchange information and should tell your insurer.
What if the other driver won’t give me their details?
Note their plate and call the police. In Manitoba, failing to get the other party’s particulars is itself a reason you must report to police within seven days.
Does a collision affect my graduated licence?
It can. In Saskatchewan, an at-fault collision restarts the 12-month Novice 2 period. Manitoba’s Driver Improvement and Control Program counts at-fault collisions and starts earlier for novice drivers.
Should I move my car after a minor collision?
If no one is injured and the cars can be driven, moving them off a busy road is safer, as Manitoba’s handbook advises. Take photos first if you can do it safely.
How long do I have to report?
Manitoba gives seven days for injury reports not made at the scene. ICBC’s guide asks for police reports within 24 hours (city) or 48 hours (rural). PEI and the NWT say “immediately”, and PEI also wants a written report within 24 hours. Newfoundland and Labrador wants an immediate written report. Report to your insurer as soon as possible everywhere.
What if I hit a car in a parking lot and nobody is around?
Your legal duty depends on the province and on whether the lot counts as a highway under its traffic act, so do not treat a note as enough everywhere. Try to find the owner first. On a PEI highway, for damage to an unattended vehicle under $2,000, you must locate and notify the owner or person responsible, and if they cannot be found within a reasonable time, report it to police straight away (Highway Traffic Act, section 232(6)). Where a note is accepted, put your name and contact details on the vehicle and photograph the damage and the note. Telling your insurer is a separate step, not a substitute for these duties. Leaving without giving your details is a hit and run.
Related: emergency strategies for BC drivers, car insurance for new drivers in Canada, driving in the US on a novice licence, winter driving in Canada. Back to learning to drive in Canada.
Sources
- Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Dealing with emergencies” (ontario.ca)
- ICBC, “Your guide to insuring, registering and licensing your vehicle” (APG20Q, March 2026) (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Learn to Drive Smart, Chapter 8: Emergency strategies” (icbc.com)
- Government of British Columbia, news release on police reporting of property-damage crashes, 2019 (news.gov.bc.ca)
- Government of Alberta, “Collision reports” (alberta.ca)
- SGI, “Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook: A guide to safe driving 2026-27”, collision and claims sections (sgi.sk.ca)
- Manitoba Public Insurance, “Driver’s Handbook: Collision”, “At the Scene of a Collision” and “Claim Reporting” (apps.mpi.mb.ca)
- Manitoba Public Insurance, “Driver’s Handbook: Driver Improvement and Control” (apps.mpi.mb.ca)
- House of Assembly Newfoundland and Labrador, Highway Traffic Act, RSNL 1990, c. H-3, section 170 (assembly.nl.ca)
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, “Driver’s Handbook” (gov.nl.ca)
- Government of Prince Edward Island, Highway Traffic Act, R.S.P.E.I. 1988, c. H-5, section 232 (princeedwardisland.ca)
- Government of Prince Edward Island, “Driver’s Handbook”, February 2022, chapter 8 (princeedwardisland.ca)
- Government of the Northwest Territories, “NWT Driver’s Manual”, chapter 6 (inf.gov.nt.ca)
- Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, “Québec’s Public Automobile Insurance Plan in Brief” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- Government of New Brunswick, “Motor Vehicle Act”, section 130 (laws.gnb.ca)
- Government of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Reg. 221/2026, section 14, and Nova Scotia Driver’s Handbook (novascotia.ca)
- Government of Yukon, “Driver’s Basic Handbook” (yukon.ca)
- Government of Nunavut, “Nunavut Driver’s Manual” (gov.nu.ca)