Vehicle Code § 16000 – Reporting Accidents to DMV
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Vehicle Code § 16000 – Reporting Accidents to DMV
California Law
Vehicle Code – VEH
DIVISION 7. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY LAWS [16000 – 16560]
( Division 7 enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3. )CHAPTER 1. Compulsory Financial Responsibility [16000 – 16078]
( Chapter 1 repealed and added by Stats. 1974, Ch. 1409. )16000.
(a) The driver of a motor vehicle who is in any manner involved in an accident originating from the operation of the motor vehicle on a street or highway, or is involved in a reportable off-highway accident, as defined in Section 16000.1, that has resulted in damage to the property of any one person in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000), or in bodily injury, or in the death of any person shall report the accident, within 10 days after the accident, either personally or through an insurance agent, broker, or legal representative, on a form approved by the department, to the office of the department at Sacramento, subject to this chapter. The driver shall identify on the form, by name and current residence address, if available, any person involved in the accident complaining of bodily injury.
(b) A report is not required under subdivision (a) if the motor vehicle involved in the accident was owned or leased by, or under the direction of, the United States, this state, another state, or a local agency.
(c) If none of the parties involved in an accident has reported the accident to the department under this section within one year following the date of the accident, the department is not required to file a report on the accident and the driver’s license suspension requirements of Section 16004 or 16070 do not apply.
(d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2017.
(Repealed (in Sec. 28) and added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 451, Sec. 29. (SB 491) Effective January 1, 2016. Section operative January 1, 2017, by its own provisions.)
California Law Summary
This law requires drivers to report an accident to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 10 days if the incident involved:
Injury to any person (regardless of severity),
Death, or
Property damage exceeding $1,000.
The report must be filed using the SR-1 form, regardless of who was at fault or whether the accident was already reported to law enforcement.
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Purpose
To ensure the DMV maintains accurate records of serious accidents and verifies that all drivers involved meet the state’s financial responsibility (insurance) requirements.
Application
This requirement helps document key details of the incident, which can support liability assessments, insurance claims, and legal proceedings. Failure to report may impact a driver’s legal standing or result in penalties, such as license suspension.