How to Report a Car Accident in Las Vegas, Nevada

If you are involved in an accident in Las Vegas, your first priority is safety. Move to a safe location if possible. Turn on your hazard lights. If anyone is injured, call 911 immediately. LVMPD and Las Vegas Fire & Rescue will respond to the scene.

For non-emergency accidents — fender benders with no injuries where both vehicles can be safely moved — call the LVMPD non-emergency line at (702) 828-3111. Be aware that LVMPD may not dispatch officers to minor property-damage-only accidents. If officers do not respond, you are still legally required to exchange information with the other driver and may need to file a DMV report (see Step 3).

While at the scene, exchange the following information with all other drivers: full name, address, phone number, driver's license number, license plate number, vehicle make and model, and insurance company and policy number. If there are witnesses, get their names and contact information. Take photos of vehicle damage, the accident scene, traffic signs, road conditions, and any visible injuries. These photos are evidence for your claim.

If LVMPD officers do not respond to the scene, you can file a police report after the fact. LVMPD allows online reporting for certain incident types through their website at lvmpd.com. Go to 'File a Report' and select 'File a Report Online' to see which incident categories qualify for online filing.

If your accident type does not qualify for online filing, you can file a report in person at any LVMPD area command station or at the Records and Fingerprint Bureau, 400 S. Martin Luther King Boulevard, Building C, Las Vegas, NV 89106. Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Filing a police report creates an official record of the accident, even if it is filed after the fact. This report can be used as evidence in your insurance claim and any personal injury lawsuit. However, a police report filed after the scene has been cleared will not include the officer's direct observations of the scene, so your own photos and the other driver's information become even more important.

If police did not investigate your accident at the scene, and the accident caused any injury, death, or property damage exceeding $750, you are required by Nevada law to file a Report of Traffic Accident (SR-1 form) with the Nevada DMV within 10 days of the accident.

Download the SR-1 form from the Nevada DMV website at dmv.nv.gov/pdfforms/sr1.pdf. The form requires detailed information about the accident: date, time, location, your vehicle and insurance information, the other driver's information, a description of what happened, and a diagram of the accident. You must sign the form on the second page.

Attach the following required documents: (1) a copy of your insurance that was in effect on the date of the accident for the vehicle involved; (2) an estimate of repairs or a statement of total loss if property damage exceeds $750; and (3) a doctor's statement of injury for each person injured in your vehicle, if the accident caused bodily injury or death.

Mail the completed SR-1 form and all attachments to: Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, Financial Responsibility Section, 555 Wright Way, Carson City, NV 89711. You can also submit the form at any Nevada DMV office. Keep a copy of everything you submit for your records.

Nevada law requires all drivers to carry minimum liability insurance: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $20,000 per accident for property damage (NRS 485.185). You should notify your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible — most policies require prompt notification as a condition of coverage.

When you call your insurer, provide the date, time, and location of the accident, the other driver's information and insurance details, a brief description of what happened, the LVMPD report number (if officers responded), and information about any injuries. Do not admit fault or provide a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company without consulting an attorney.

If the other driver was uninsured or was a tourist who left the state, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may apply. Nevada requires insurers to offer UM/UIM coverage, though you may have declined it in writing. Check your policy or call your agent to confirm your coverage.

Failing to report an accident that meets Nevada's reporting thresholds has serious consequences. Under NRS 484E.030, failure to file the required SR-1 form with the DMV can result in suspension of your driver's license for up to 1 year. The suspension remains in effect until you file the report and provide proof of financial responsibility.

If the accident involved injury or death and you left the scene without stopping, you face additional criminal penalties. Leaving the scene of an accident involving injury is a category B felony (NRS 484E.010), punishable by 2 to 15 years in prison and fines of $2,000 to $5,000. Leaving the scene of a fatal accident is also a category B felony (NRS 484E.020), punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and fines of $2,000 to $5,000.

Even for minor accidents, failing to report or exchange information can complicate your personal injury claim. Without a police report or DMV report, you have no official record of the accident. Insurance companies may question whether the accident happened as you described. Protect yourself by always reporting the accident through at least one official channel.

Las Vegas receives approximately 40 million visitors per year, and many accidents involve tourists driving rental cars or ride-share vehicles. If you are a visitor injured in Las Vegas, you can still file a personal injury claim in Nevada. The accident happened here, so Nevada law and Clark County courts apply. You do not need to be a Nevada resident to file a claim.

If you were in a ride-share accident (Uber, Lyft), the ride-share company's commercial insurance policy may cover your injuries. Ride-share companies maintain $1 million liability policies while a driver is actively transporting a passenger. Report the accident to the ride-share company through their app in addition to calling LVMPD.

If you were driving a rental car, report the accident to the rental company as required by your rental agreement. The rental company's insurance or your personal auto insurance may cover the damages. If you purchased the rental company's damage waiver or supplemental liability insurance, those policies apply. Report the accident through all channels — LVMPD, the rental company, and your personal insurer.

If you were injured in a Las Vegas accident and have reported it to LVMPD or the DMV, the next step is understanding 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 Nevada's filing deadline for your specific claim, an initial assessment of fault and liability, and whether connecting with a personal injury attorney makes sense for your situation.

Do not wait to understand your options. Nevada's statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of injury (NRS 11.190), and evidence becomes harder to preserve as time passes. Our assessment is free, confidential, and takes less than 2 minutes.