Alabama · Car accident rules · Updated Oct 2026

Car accidents in Alabama: what to do and who pays

When to report a crash in Alabama, how insurance works, who pays when both drivers share the blame, minimum coverage, how to get the police report, deadlines to sue and where to get help, in plain English from official sources.

$500damage that requires a report
Fault (tort)insurance system
Check your statecomparative-fault rule
25/50/25minimum liability
2 years / 2 yearsto sue: property / injury

At the scene and reporting a crash in Alabama

Always stop and help anyone who is hurt. Leaving the scene of a crash is a crime in every state.

When to call the police
You must stop after any crash, help anyone hurt, and give your name, address and registration number and show your license to the others involved. Any crash with injury or death must be reported by the fastest means to the local police (inside a city) or to State Troopers (on a state highway). If asked, give the other drivers your liability insurer's name and address and your local agent's name.
Damage amount
$500
Report to the state
If anyone was hurt or killed, or damage to any vehicle or property is $500 or more, and the at-fault driver had no insurance, the driver involved must send form SR-31 (Accident Claim Form) to the ALEA Safety Responsibility Unit within 30 days (P.O. Box 1471, Montgomery, AL 36102-1471, or online). If both drivers were insured, no SR-31 is needed. You can file only if you have not been paid for your losses.
Deadline for your report
30 days
Law
ALEA Driver License Manual (Nov. 2024), 'Report All Traffic Mishaps'; ALEA form SR-31
Official text
Read the official text

First 24 hours after a crash in Alabama

Tick the boxes as you go, or print the list and keep it in your glove box.

Safety first

Call for help

Exchange information

Photos and witnesses

Report the crash

  • Alabama: You must stop after any crash, help anyone hurt, and give your name, address and registration number and show your license to the others involved. Any crash with injury or death must be reported by the fastest means to the local police (inside a city) or to State Troopers (on a state highway). If asked, give the other drivers your liability insurer's name and address and your local agent's name. Report to the state: If anyone was hurt or killed, or damage to any vehicle or property is $500 or more, and the at-fault driver had no insurance, the driver involved must send form SR-31 (Accident Claim Form) to the ALEA Safety Responsibility Unit within 30 days (P.O. Box 1471, Montgomery, AL 36102-1471, or online). If both drivers were insured, no SR-31 is needed. You can file only if you have not been paid for your losses.

Insurance and health

General safety and information steps, not legal advice.

Insurance system in Alabama

Alabama is a fault (tort) state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other people's injuries and damage.

System
Fault (tort)
PIP, benefits and when you can sue
No PIP is required. Alabama has no no-fault law. Every vehicle must carry liability insurance, and the driver who caused the crash pays for the other people's injuries and damage through it.
Law
Alabama Mandatory Liability Insurance Law, Ala. Code Title 32, ch. 7A (as described by ALEA and the Dept. of Revenue)
Official text
Read the official text

Compare every state in the no-fault states table.

Who pays: comparative fault in Alabama

Rule
Check your state

Compare every state's rule in the comparative negligence table.

Who pays in Alabama: fault and payout explainer

If both drivers share the blame, your state's comparative-fault rule decides whether you can recover and how much. Enter your share of the fault and your total damages to see what the rule means. This is an illustration, not a prediction: insurers, juries and judges decide the percentages.

From 0 (not at all) to 100 (all your fault).

Repairs, rental, medical bills and other losses, before any reduction.

Check Alabama's ruleWe could not confirm Alabama's comparative-fault rule in official sources, so we don't compute an amount. States use one of these rules: pure comparative fault (damages reduced by your share), a modified rule that bars you at 50% or 51% fault, or contributory negligence (any fault can bar you).

An illustration from our state data, not legal advice and not a prediction of any payout.

Minimum insurance in Alabama

Liability minimum
25/50/25
Official text
Read the official text

Numbers like 25/50/25 mean $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for all injuries in one crash and $25,000 for property damage. Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

Getting the police report in Alabama

Buy a copy of an Alabama crash report for $15, online through ALEA or in person at any ALEA Driver License office. Ala. Code § 32-10-7 limits who may buy one. For a city police crash, you can also ask that department.

You can also ask by mail with our free police report request letter.

Filing a claim and insurer deadlines in Alabama

Put your claim in writing. Our free insurance claim letter lists your damages and asks for a written answer.

If the other driver has no insurance in Alabama

If the at-fault driver had no insurance and the crash caused injury or damage over $500 to any one owner, file form SR-31 with the ALEA Safety Responsibility Unit within 30 days (only if you have not been paid for your losses). If your own policy has uninsured motorist coverage, you can also claim from your own insurer. Fines for a mandatory insurance conviction are up to $500 the first time and up to $1,000 and/or a 6-month license suspension after that; the vehicle registration is also suspended until insurance is shown, with a $200 ($400 repeat) reinstatement fee. Under a 2026 ALEA rule, a driver in a crash who was uninsured but not ticketed can get a civil penalty by mail and a 90-day license suspension if it isn't paid or disputed within 45 days.

Read what to do if you are hit by an uninsured driver.

Deadlines to sue in Alabama

Property damage (your car)
2 years
Injury
2 years
Law
Ala. Code § 6-2-38 (2 years for injury and for property damage caused by carelessness)

The deadline is the statute of limitations. Insurance claims and talks with an adjuster don't stop it. Compare every state in the deadlines table.

Deadline to sue in Alabama

Every state limits how long you have to file a lawsuit after a car crash. This is the statute of limitations. Choose your state, the type of claim and the date of the crash to see the usual deadline and the last day to file. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

The day the crash happened.

Alabama: 2 years for property damageEnter the date of the crash to see the last day to file a lawsuit.

An estimate from our state data, not legal advice. Exceptions can shorten or extend a deadline, and an insurance claim does not stop the clock. Check with a lawyer early.

Small claims for property damage in Alabama

Small claims limit
$6,000 (same for people and businesses).

Alabama small claims guide on Small Claims Map

Small claims court can be a way to recover the cost of repairs from the driver who caused the crash. Read how to use small claims for car damage.

Insurance complaints in Alabama

If an insurer delays, underpays or denies a claim without a good reason, you can file a complaint with the state insurance regulator:

Free help in Alabama

Good to know in Alabama

  • The SR-31 form is only for crashes where the at-fault driver was uninsured; if both drivers were insured, nobody files it (ALEA Driver License Manual).
  • ALEA checks crash reports and the state's online insurance verification system to find uninsured drivers who weren't ticketed (ALEA Rule 760-X-1-.23, 2026).

Changes in 2024–2026

ALEA adopted Rule 760-X-1-.23 (Mandatory Liability Insurance), filed April 16, 2026, under Ala. Code §§ 41-27-40 to 41-27-48: uninsured drivers involved in a crash or ticketed incident who weren't cited can be assessed a civil penalty, with a 90-day license suspension if they don't pay or dispute it within 45 days. The penalty amount is not stated in the rule text read.

Free letters

Insurance claim letter

Ask the other driver's insurer to pay your damages, in writing.

Police report request letter

Ask the police agency for a copy of the crash report by mail.

Questions about car accidents in Alabama

When do you have to report a car accident in Alabama?

You must stop after any crash, help anyone hurt, and give your name, address and registration number and show your license to the others involved. Any crash with injury or death must be reported by the fastest means to the local police (inside a city) or to State Troopers (on a state highway). If asked, give the other drivers your liability insurer's name and address and your local agent's name. If anyone was hurt or killed, or damage to any vehicle or property is $500 or more, and the at-fault driver had no insurance, the driver involved must send form SR-31 (Accident Claim Form) to the ALEA Safety Responsibility Unit within 30 days (P.O. Box 1471, Montgomery, AL 36102-1471, or online). If both drivers were insured, no SR-31 is needed. You can file only if you have not been paid for your losses.

Is Alabama a no-fault state?

No. Alabama is a fault (tort) state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other people's injuries and damage.

What is the minimum car insurance in Alabama?

25/50/25

How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Alabama?

2 years for property damage and 2 years for injury (Ala. Code § 6-2-38 (2 years for injury and for property damage caused by carelessness)).

How do I get a police report in Alabama?

Buy a copy of an Alabama crash report for $15, online through ALEA or in person at any ALEA Driver License office. Ala. Code § 32-10-7 limits who may buy one. For a city police crash, you can also ask that department.

What if the other driver has no insurance in Alabama?

If the at-fault driver had no insurance and the crash caused injury or damage over $500 to any one owner, file form SR-31 with the ALEA Safety Responsibility Unit within 30 days (only if you have not been paid for your losses). If your own policy has uninsured motorist coverage, you can also claim from your own insurer. Fines for a mandatory insurance conviction are up to $500 the first time and up to $1,000 and/or a 6-month license suspension after that; the vehicle registration is also suspended until insurance is shown, with a $200 ($400 repeat) reinstatement fee. Under a 2026 ALEA rule, a driver in a crash who was uninsured but not ticketed can get a civil penalty by mail and a 90-day license suspension if it isn't paid or disputed within 45 days.

Where can I complain about a car insurance company in Alabama?

Alabama Department of Insurance, Consumer Services: https://aldoi.gov/Consumers/FileComplaint.aspx · (334) 241-4141

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

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