Crashes, insurance and registration in California

By the end of this topic you can

• You can list the steps to take at the scene of a collision.
• You can say when an SR 1 report is required and the deadline.
• You can state California's minimum liability insurance amounts.
• You can explain what happens if you crash without insurance.
• You can recall the registration deadlines for buying, selling and moving.

What you need to know and understand

• You must stop after any collision; leaving the scene is hit-and-run.
• If anyone is hurt or killed, a report must be made to law enforcement within 24 hours.
• Each driver must file an SR 1 with the DMV within 10 days if damage is over $1,000 or anyone is injured or killed, even on private property.
• Minimum liability insurance is $30,000 for one person's injury or death, $60,000 for more than one person, and $15,000 for property damage.
• Crashing without proper insurance can bring a suspension of up to four years, whoever was at fault.
• When you buy a vehicle you have 10 days to transfer ownership; when you sell, notify the DMV within 5 days.
• New residents have 20 days to register an out-of-state vehicle in California.

At the scene

1. Stop. Driving away is a hit-and-run, which carries severe penalties.
2. If anyone is hurt, call 911 straight away.
3. If no one is hurt, move your vehicle out of traffic, then call 911.
4. Show your driver's license, registration card, insurance details and current address to the other driver, police and anyone involved.
5. If you hit a parked car or property and cannot find the owner, leave a secure note with your name, phone number and address, and report it to police.
6. If you hit an animal, call the humane society or police. Do not try to move an injured animal.

Reporting to the DMV

California puts the reporting duty on you, not the police. Each driver must file the Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR 1) within 10 days when property damage is over $1,000 or anyone is injured, however slightly, or killed. This applies whoever caused the crash and even on private property. If you do not file, your license will be suspended. Collisions that meet these thresholds go on your driving record whoever was at fault.

Our guide to California insurance minimums and the SR 1 report has more detail.

Insurance and registration

Every driver must carry at least $30,000 cover for one person's injury or death, $60,000 for more than one person, and $15,000 for property damage. If you cannot afford it, the California Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program may help. Driving without cover and having a crash can cost you your license for up to four years, although you may get it back for the last three if you file and keep an SR 22 or SR 1P.

A vehicle must be registered in California before you drive it on California roads. Transfer ownership within 10 days of buying. When you sell, file a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability within 5 days so you are not blamed for what the buyer does. New residents have 20 days to register, and the vehicle must meet California's emission control rules.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the police will file the SR 1. They will not; each driver must.
• Leaving a parked car you scraped without a note.
• Forgetting the Release of Liability when you sell, then receiving the new owner's parking tickets.
• Driving a newly bought car for weeks before transferring the title.

Test yourself: Crashes, insurance and registration in California

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• California Insurance Minimums and the SR 1 Collision Report
• California Doctor Reporting to the DMV
• California DMV Pre-Drive Checklist