Montana · Reporting a crash · Updated Oct 2026
Reporting a car accident in Montana: 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 police right away (city police inside a city; otherwise the county sheriff or nearest Highway Patrol office) if anyone is hurt or killed, you hit a deceased person, or property damage looks like $1,000 or more. If someone is hurt or killed or property damage is over $1,000, the driver must send a written report to the Department of Justice within 10 days, unless a law enforcement officer investigated and reported the crash.
- Damage that requires a report
- $1,000
- Your own report is due within
- 10 days
- Law
- Mont. Code Ann. §§ 61-7-108, 61-7-109
When to call the police in Montana
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 police right away (city police inside a city; otherwise the county sheriff or nearest Highway Patrol office) if anyone is hurt or killed, you hit a deceased person, or property damage looks like $1,000 or more.
- Damage amount
- $1,000
- Law
- Mont. Code Ann. §§ 61-7-108, 61-7-109
- Official text
- Read the official text
Your own report to the state in Montana
- Your own report
- If someone is hurt or killed or property damage is over $1,000, the driver must send a written report to the Department of Justice within 10 days, unless a law enforcement officer investigated and reported the crash.
- Deadline for your report
- 10 days
How to get a copy of the crash report in Montana
- Ask the agency that handled the crash (city police, county sheriff or Montana Highway Patrol) for a copy of the report.
Our data shows no confirmed online way to order crash reports in Montana, so you can ask the agency by mail with our free request letter.
More facts for Montana
- You must report to police if property damage looks like $1,000 or more, even with no injuries (Mont. Code Ann. § 61-7-108).
- If police did not investigate, the driver must file a written report within 10 days (Mont. Code Ann. § 61-7-109).
Step by step after a crash in Montana
- Stop, help anyone who is hurt and call 911 if needed. Leaving the scene of a crash is a crime.
- Call the police when Montana law requires it. Call police right away (city police inside a city; otherwise the county sheriff or nearest Highway Patrol office) if anyone is hurt or killed, you hit a deceased person, or property damage looks like $1,000 or more.
- File your own report if the rule applies to you. If someone is hurt or killed or property damage is over $1,000, the driver must send a written report to the Department of Justice within 10 days, unless a law enforcement officer investigated and reported the crash.
- Exchange names, licenses, plates and insurance details, and take photos.
- Get a copy of the crash report. Ask the agency that handled the crash (city police, county sheriff or Montana Highway Patrol) for a copy of the report.
- Tell your insurer and keep the report or case number.
Free help in Montana
Questions about reporting a crash in Montana
When do you have to call the police after a car accident in Montana?
Call police right away (city police inside a city; otherwise the county sheriff or nearest Highway Patrol office) if anyone is hurt or killed, you hit a deceased person, or property damage looks like $1,000 or more.
How much damage has to be reported in Montana?
Call police right away (city police inside a city; otherwise the county sheriff or nearest Highway Patrol office) if anyone is hurt or killed, you hit a deceased person, or property damage looks like $1,000 or more. If someone is hurt or killed or property damage is over $1,000, the driver must send a written report to the Department of Justice within 10 days, unless a law enforcement officer investigated and reported the crash.
Do I have to file my own accident report in Montana?
If someone is hurt or killed or property damage is over $1,000, the driver must send a written report to the Department of Justice within 10 days, unless a law enforcement officer investigated and reported the crash.
How do I get a copy of a crash report in Montana?
Ask the agency that handled the crash (city police, county sheriff or Montana Highway Patrol) for a copy of the report.
What is the deadline for an accident report in Montana?
If someone is hurt or killed or property damage is over $1,000, the driver must send a written report to the Department of Justice within 10 days, unless a law enforcement officer investigated and reported the crash.
More for Montana drivers
- All car accident rules in Montana
- 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
- Mont. Code Ann. §§ 61-7-108, 61-7-109
- Mont. Code Ann. § 61-7-108 (immediate notice)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 61-6-103 (minimum limits)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 61-6-304 (penalties)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 33-23-201 (uninsured motorist coverage)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 27-1-702 (comparative negligence)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204 (tort, 3 years)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-207 (property, 2 years)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 2-9-301 (claims against the state)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 33-18-201 (unfair claim settlement practices)
- Montana CSI: Auto insurance
- Montana CSI: File a complaint
Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.