How to Report a Car Accident in Houston, Texas

Under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 550, you must stop and report a motor vehicle accident if it results in injury to any person, death, or property damage of $1,000 or more to any one person's property. The $1,000 threshold refers to the cost to repair or replace the damaged property — for vehicle damage, this is the repair estimate.

The $1,000 threshold is low enough that almost any accident with visible damage will meet it. A cracked bumper, dented panel, or deployed airbag will easily exceed $1,000 in repair costs. When in doubt, report. There is no penalty for reporting an accident that turns out to be below the threshold, but there are serious criminal penalties for failing to report when required.

You must stop at the scene immediately. If someone is injured, call 911 first. Do not move vehicles unless they are blocking traffic and creating a safety hazard. Exchange information with the other driver — name, address, driver's license number, vehicle registration number, and insurance company and policy number (Tex. Transp. Code 550.023). If the other driver is unresponsive or refuses to exchange information, wait for police.

For any accident involving injuries or death, call 911 immediately. Dispatchers will send Houston Police, Houston Fire Department, and EMS as needed. Houston's 911 system routes to the Houston Emergency Center, which coordinates all first responders.

For property-damage-only accidents above the $1,000 reporting threshold, call HPD's non-emergency line at (713) 884-3131. An officer will be dispatched to the scene. Response times for property-damage-only accidents vary — during peak hours or high call volume, you may wait 30 minutes to several hours. Stay at the scene until an officer arrives or until you are told to file a report by other means.

When you call, provide the exact location (cross streets, highway name, or nearest address), the number of vehicles involved, whether anyone is injured, whether any vehicles are blocking traffic, and whether there are any hazardous conditions (fuel leaks, downed power lines, etc.).

When the responding HPD officer arrives, they will secure the scene, check for injuries, and begin their investigation. The officer will interview all drivers and passengers, talk to witnesses, examine vehicle damage and the physical evidence at the scene, check for traffic violations, and determine whether to issue citations.

The officer completes the official Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report (Form CR-3). This form captures detailed information about the accident, including a crash diagram, contributing factors, road and weather conditions, and the officer's narrative of what happened. The officer must file this report with TxDOT within 10 days of the crash (Tex. Transp. Code 550.062).

You will receive a crash exchange form or card with the report number and the other driver's information. Keep this document — you will need the report number to obtain your full crash report later. Ask the officer for their name and badge number as well.

During high-volume periods, HPD may not dispatch an officer to a property-damage-only accident. In this case, HPD may direct you to file a crash report online or at an HPD substation. You can file a blue form report at houstontx.gov/police/online_report.htm for minor property-damage-only crashes where all parties are present and cooperative.

Even if police do not respond, you must still exchange information with the other driver at the scene. Take photos of all vehicles involved, the accident scene, traffic signals and signs, skid marks, debris, and any visible injuries. Get the names and phone numbers of any witnesses. This documentation becomes critical if there is a dispute about what happened.

If the other driver leaves the scene before you can exchange information, call 911 immediately and report a hit-and-run. Try to note the vehicle's make, model, color, license plate number, and the direction it traveled. Hit-and-run is a criminal offense in Texas — a Class C misdemeanor for property-damage-only and a felony if injuries are involved (Tex. Transp. Code 550.022).

Texas is an at-fault state for auto insurance, meaning the driver who caused the accident is responsible for the other driver's damages. You should notify your insurance company about the accident promptly, even if you believe the other driver was at fault. Most insurance policies require you to report accidents within a reasonable time — check your policy for the specific deadline.

Texas requires all drivers to carry minimum liability insurance: $30,000 bodily injury per person, $60,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage (30/60/25). If the at-fault driver is uninsured, you may need to rely on your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage.

Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company without consulting an attorney first. The other insurer's adjuster is working to minimize the payout, not to protect your interests. Anything you say in a recorded statement can be used to reduce or deny your claim.

If your accident involves the City of Houston — a city vehicle, a pothole on a city-maintained road, a defective traffic signal, or an injury on city property — you face a much shorter deadline than the standard 2-year statute of limitations. The City of Houston requires written notice of your claim within 90 days of the incident, filed with the mayor and city council.

The notice must describe the damage or injury claimed, the time and place of the incident, and the incident itself. Send the notice by certified mail to: City of Houston Legal Department, 900 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77002. Keep a copy of the notice and the certified mail receipt.

For other government entities (Harris County, the State of Texas, school districts), the general notice deadline under the Texas Tort Claims Act is 6 months (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 101.101). However, formal notice may not be required if the government entity had actual notice of the injury. Given the short deadlines and complex rules, consult an attorney immediately if a government entity may be responsible for your accident.

Texas takes hit-and-run very seriously. The penalties escalate based on the severity of the crash. Leaving the scene of a property-damage-only accident is a Class C misdemeanor (fine up to $500) if you fail to stop and exchange information (Tex. Transp. Code 550.022). Leaving the scene of an accident with injuries is a third-degree felony, punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000 (Tex. Transp. Code 550.021).

If someone dies and you leave the scene, it becomes a second-degree felony, punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. If you cause the accident and someone is seriously injured, the penalties increase further.

Beyond criminal penalties, leaving the scene of an accident destroys your credibility in any subsequent personal injury claim and can be used as evidence of fault. If you were not at fault for the accident but left the scene, you have still committed a criminal offense and may face difficulties with your insurance claim.

If you were involved in a Houston car accident and you are unsure about your legal options, take our free 2-minute assessment. You will answer a few quick questions about your accident and injuries, and we will give you a personalized report that includes Texas's filing deadline for your specific claim, whether you have a viable personal injury case, and whether connecting with a personal injury attorney makes sense for your situation.

The clock starts running from the date of your accident. Our assessment is free, confidential, and gives you the information you need to make an informed decision about what comes next.