After a Car Accident Checklist: What to Do + State Rules (2026)

Just had a car accident? Use this checklist to work through what to do at the scene, what to do about towing, and what to do in the days afterwards. Pick your state to see when you are legally required to report the crash, the minimum liability insurance you must carry, and whether your state uses no-fault insurance. Every state rule links to the official statute or agency page we checked in October 2026.

Disclaimer: TowCars.com is a nationwide towing information and referral service. We don’t tow, dispatch, or store vehicles, and we aren’t responsible for the work, prices, or conduct of any towing company. This page is information only, not legal, insurance or financial advice. See our disclosure.

By TowCars Editorial Team · Updated October 26, 2026

What to do right after a car accident

The first few minutes matter most. Check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt. Make the scene safe with hazard lights and, if the cars can be driven and no one is injured, move them out of the traffic lanes if it is safe and your state allows it. Then exchange information with the other driver and take photos before the vehicles are moved or towed.

• Information to collect: the other driver’s name and phone number, driver’s license number, plate number, insurance company and policy number, and the vehicle’s make, model and color.
• Photos to take: every vehicle from all sides, close-ups of damage, plates, the whole scene including traffic signs and signals, road conditions, and the other driver’s insurance card.
• Notes to write down: the time and exact location, what happened in your own words, witness names and numbers, and the responding officer’s name, agency and report number.

Your own tow vs. a police rotation tow

If your car can’t be driven, it will leave the scene in one of two ways. Which one it is affects who you deal with, what you pay and where the car ends up.

Your own tow (you choose the company)

• You call a tow company yourself, or use roadside assistance through your insurer, auto club or car maker.
• You decide where the car goes: your home, a body shop you trust or your insurer’s preferred shop. Towing straight to the repair shop avoids paying for a second tow later.
• The price is whatever you agree to, so ask for the hook-up fee, the per-mile rate and any storage charge before the truck is dispatched.

Rotation tow (police call the tow company)

• If you are injured, arrested, or can’t arrange a tow, or the car has to be cleared quickly for safety, police call the next company on their rotation list or a company under contract.
• The car usually goes to that company’s storage lot, and daily storage fees typically start right away. Ask the officer for the company name and lot address.
• Many cities and states set maximum rates for police-ordered tows. Compare your bill with them in our tow bill checker.
• To get the car back, you’ll usually need ID, proof of ownership and payment, and sometimes a police release. Our impound lot finder lists official lookup tools for 25 major cities.

Be careful with tow trucks nobody called. If a truck arrives that neither you nor police requested, ask who sent it before you agree to anything, and never sign a blank or unclear authorization form.

Crash reporting and insurance rules by state

The table shows each state’s minimum liability insurance and its insurance system. The last column links to the statute or agency page with that state’s crash-reporting rule. For the full rule in plain English, pick the state in the checklist above.

State	Minimum liability insurance (official source)	Insurance system	Crash-reporting rule
Alabama	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	Code of Alabama §32-7-5
Alaska	$50,000 per person / $100,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	Alaska Stat. §28.35.080 / Alaska DMV
Arizona	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $15,000 property damage	At-fault	A.R.S. §28-666
Arkansas	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	Ark. Code §27-19-501 / Arkansas DFA
California	$30,000 per person / $60,000 per crash bodily injury; $15,000 property damage	At-fault	Cal. Vehicle Code §16000
Colorado	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $15,000 property damage	At-fault	C.R.S. §42-4-1606
Connecticut	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	Conn. Gen. Stat. §14-224
Delaware	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $10,000 property damage, plus PIP	At-fault	21 Del. C. §4203
District of Columbia	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $10,000 property damage, plus uninsured motorist coverage	At-fault	D.C. Code §50-2201.05c
Florida	$10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 property damage liability (PDL); bodily injury liability isn’t required to register most private cars	No-fault	Fla. Stat. §316.065
Georgia	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	O.C.G.A. §40-6-273
Hawaii	$40,000 per person / $80,000 per crash bodily injury; $20,000 property damage (from Jan 1, 2026)	No-fault	HRS §291C-16
Idaho	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $15,000 property damage	At-fault	Idaho Code §49-1305
Illinois	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $20,000 property damage	At-fault	625 ILCS 5/11-407
Indiana	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	Ind. Code §9-26-1-1.1
Iowa	$20,000 per person / $40,000 per crash bodily injury; $15,000 property damage	At-fault	Iowa Code §321.266
Kansas	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage, plus PIP	No-fault	K.S.A. §8-1604
Kentucky	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage (or $60,000 single limit), plus PIP	Choice no-fault	KRS §189.635
Louisiana	$15,000 per person / $30,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	La. R.S. 32:398
Maine	$50,000 per person / $100,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	29-A M.R.S. §2251
Maryland	$30,000 per person / $60,000 per crash bodily injury; $15,000 property damage	At-fault	Md. Transp. Code §20-107
Massachusetts	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $30,000 property damage for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025	No-fault	M.G.L. c.90 §26
Michigan	$50,000 per person / $100,000 per crash bodily injury; $10,000 property damage minimum residual liability (default is higher unless you choose lower), plus PIP and PPI	No-fault	MCL 257.622
Minnesota	$30,000 per person / $60,000 per crash bodily injury; $10,000 property damage, plus PIP and uninsured/underinsured coverage	No-fault	Minn. Stat. §169.09
Mississippi	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	Miss. Code §63-3-411
Missouri	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	RSMo §303.040
Montana	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $20,000 property damage	At-fault	MCA 61-7-108
Nebraska	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	Neb. Rev. Stat. §60-699
Nevada	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $20,000 property damage	At-fault	NRS 484E.070
New Hampshire	Insurance isn’t mandatory for most drivers, but you must be able to show financial responsibility of $25,000 / $50,000 / $25,000 when required	At-fault	RSA 264:25
New Jersey	$35,000 per person / $70,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage (from Jan 1, 2026), plus PIP	Choice no-fault	N.J.S.A. 39:4-130
New Mexico	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $10,000 property damage	At-fault	NMSA §66-7-206
New York	$25,000 injury / $50,000 death for one person; $50,000 injury / $100,000 death for two or more people; $10,000 property damage, plus PIP	No-fault	N.Y. VTL §605
North Carolina	$50,000 per person / $100,000 per crash bodily injury; $50,000 property damage for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025	At-fault	N.C.G.S. §20-166.1 and §20-4.01(33b)
North Dakota	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage, plus PIP	No-fault	N.D.C.C. §39-08-09
Ohio	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	Ohio Rev. Code §4549.02
Oklahoma	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	47 O.S. §10-107
Oregon	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $20,000 property damage, plus PIP and uninsured motorist coverage	At-fault	ORS 811.720 and 811.725
Pennsylvania	$15,000 per person / $30,000 per crash bodily injury; $5,000 property damage, plus $5,000 medical benefits	Choice no-fault	75 Pa.C.S. §3746
Rhode Island	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	R.I. Gen. Laws §31-26-6
South Carolina	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage, plus uninsured motorist coverage	At-fault	S.C. Code §56-5-1260 and §56-5-1270
South Dakota	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	SDCL 32-34-7
Tennessee	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage (or $65,000 single limit)	At-fault	Tenn. Code §55-10-107
Texas	$30,000 per person / $60,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	Tex. Transp. Code §550.026 and §550.062
Utah	$30,000 per person / $65,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage for policies issued or renewed on or after Jan 1, 2025	No-fault	Utah Code §41-6a-401(4)
Vermont	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $10,000 property damage	At-fault	23 V.S.A. §1129
Virginia	$50,000 per person / $100,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	Va. Code §46.2-894
Washington	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $10,000 property damage	At-fault	RCW 46.52.030 and WAC 446-85-010
West Virginia	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $25,000 property damage	At-fault	W. Va. Code §17C-4-6
Wisconsin	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $10,000 property damage, plus uninsured motorist coverage	At-fault	Wis. Stat. §346.70(1)
Wyoming	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash bodily injury; $20,000 property damage	At-fault	Wyo. Stat. §31-5-1105

Frequently asked questions

Need a tow after an accident?

Send us the pickup location and where the car needs to go, and we’ll pass your request to independent towing providers in your area.

This checklist is general information, not legal or insurance advice. State laws change and may have exceptions not shown here. For your specific situation, read the linked official source or talk to your insurer or a lawyer.

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