Missouri · Reporting a crash · Updated Oct 2026
Reporting a car accident in Missouri: police, state report and crash report copies
When to call the police or file your own report, and how to get the crash report.
Short answer
Call 911 if anyone is hurt. If the crash involves an uninsured driver and anyone is hurt or killed or any one person's property damage is over $500, or if you yourself had no insurance, you must send a written report to the Missouri Department of Revenue within 30 days.
- Your own report is due within
- 30 days
- Crash report copies
- Can be ordered online (see below)
- Law
- RSMo §§ 577.060, 303.040
When to call the police in Missouri
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
- Call 911 if anyone is hurt. If a crash injures or kills someone or damages another person's property, you must stop and give your name, address, license plate number and driver's license number to the other party or a police officer; if no officer is nearby, give it to the nearest law enforcement agency. Leaving without doing this is a crime (RSMo § 577.060). We found no Missouri rule that requires every driver to call police after every crash.
- Law
- RSMo §§ 577.060, 303.040
- Official text
- Read the official text
Your own report to the state in Missouri
- Your own report
- If the crash involves an uninsured driver and anyone is hurt or killed or any one person's property damage is over $500, or if you yourself had no insurance, you must send a written report to the Missouri Department of Revenue within 30 days.
- Deadline for your report
- 30 days
How to get a copy of the crash report in Missouri
- For crashes handled by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, wait 10 days after the crash, then submit an online records request; the fee is $6 per basic crash report (no cash).
- The Patrol reports a backlog.
- For crashes handled by city police or a sheriff, ask that agency. https://apps.mshp.dps.mo.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/PRD/TrafficCrashReports/PRDCrashReports.html
Missouri has an online way to get at least some crash reports. Reports written by a city police department or sheriff may have to be requested from that agency; our free request letter can help.
Step by step after a crash in Missouri
- Stop, help anyone who is hurt and call 911 if needed. Leaving the scene of a crash is a crime.
- Call the police when Missouri law requires it. Call 911 if anyone is hurt.
- File your own report if the rule applies to you. If the crash involves an uninsured driver and anyone is hurt or killed or any one person's property damage is over $500, or if you yourself had no insurance, you must send a written report to the Missouri Department of Revenue within 30 days.
- Exchange names, licenses, plates and insurance details, and take photos.
- Get a copy of the crash report. For crashes handled by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, wait 10 days after the crash, then submit an online records request; the fee is $6 per basic crash report (no cash).
- Tell your insurer and keep the report or case number.
Free help in Missouri
Questions about reporting a crash in Missouri
When do you have to call the police after a car accident in Missouri?
Call 911 if anyone is hurt. If a crash injures or kills someone or damages another person's property, you must stop and give your name, address, license plate number and driver's license number to the other party or a police officer; if no officer is nearby, give it to the nearest law enforcement agency. Leaving without doing this is a crime (RSMo § 577.060). We found no Missouri rule that requires every driver to call police after every crash.
Do I have to file my own accident report in Missouri?
If the crash involves an uninsured driver and anyone is hurt or killed or any one person's property damage is over $500, or if you yourself had no insurance, you must send a written report to the Missouri Department of Revenue within 30 days.
How do I get a copy of a crash report in Missouri?
For crashes handled by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, wait 10 days after the crash, then submit an online records request; the fee is $6 per basic crash report (no cash). The Patrol reports a backlog. For crashes handled by city police or a sheriff, ask that agency. https://apps.mshp.dps.mo.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/PRD/TrafficCrashReports/PRDCrashReports.html
What is the deadline for an accident report in Missouri?
If the crash involves an uninsured driver and anyone is hurt or killed or any one person's property damage is over $500, or if you yourself had no insurance, you must send a written report to the Missouri Department of Revenue within 30 days.
More for Missouri drivers
- All car accident rules in Missouri
- Comparative fault
- Uninsured driver
- Deadline to sue
- Accident reporting requirements in every state
- What to do after a car accident
- Fault and payout explainer
- Deadline calculator
- Insurance claim letter
- Police report request letter
Nearby states
- RSMo §§ 577.060, 303.040
- RSMo 577.060 Leaving the scene of an accident
- RSMo 303.190 Liability policy limits
- RSMo 303.025 Duty to maintain financial responsibility
- RSMo 379.203 Uninsured motorist coverage
- RSMo 516.120 Five-year limitations
- RSMo 375.1007 Improper claims practices
- 20 CSR 100-1 Unfair claims settlement practices
- Missouri DCI: Automobile insurance
- Missouri DCI: Auto insurance FAQs
- Missouri DCI: Insurance complaints
- MSHP: Request a Traffic Crash Report
- RSMo §§ 303.025, 303.190
Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.