North Dakota · Reporting a crash · Updated Oct 2026
Reporting a car accident in North Dakota: 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
If anyone is hurt or killed, or property damage looks like at least $4,000, you must tell police right away: the local police department inside a city, otherwise the county sheriff or the State Highway Patrol. No separate driver crash report form.
- Damage that requires a report
- $4,000
- Your own report is due within
- 5 days
- Crash report copies
- Can be ordered online (see below)
- Law
- N.D.C.C. §§ 39-08-09, 39-08-10
When to call the police in North Dakota
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
- If anyone is hurt or killed, or property damage looks like at least $4,000, you must tell police right away: the local police department inside a city, otherwise the county sheriff or the State Highway Patrol. Not doing so carries a $50 fine, and NDDOT may suspend your license until you comply. Give the officer your insurance company and policy number. A crash with a wild animal that damages only your own car does not have to be reported.
- Damage amount
- $4,000
- Law
- N.D.C.C. §§ 39-08-09, 39-08-10
- Official text
- Read the official text
Your own report to the state in North Dakota
- Your own report
- No separate driver crash report form. The investigating officer sends the report to the Department of Transportation. If you could not give the officer your insurance information, you must send it to the NDDOT Driver's License Division within 5 days of the crash.
- Deadline for your report
- 5 days
How to get a copy of the crash report in North Dakota
- Buy a copy of a state-reportable crash report (injury, death or at least $4,000 damage) online from the North Dakota Department of Transportation.
- The fee is $7.
- You need at least two of: crash date, last name, county.
- Reports may not be available until 10 days after the crash.
- If you lack these details, ask the police agency that investigated.
- Official page: https://www.dot.nd.gov/node/6265
North Dakota 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 North Dakota
- Stop, help anyone who is hurt and call 911 if needed. Leaving the scene of a crash is a crime.
- Call the police when North Dakota law requires it. If anyone is hurt or killed, or property damage looks like at least $4,000, you must tell police right away: the local police department inside a city, otherwise the county sheriff or the State Highway Patrol.
- File your own report if the rule applies to you. No separate driver crash report form.
- Exchange names, licenses, plates and insurance details, and take photos.
- Get a copy of the crash report. Buy a copy of a state-reportable crash report (injury, death or at least $4,000 damage) online from the North Dakota Department of Transportation.
- Tell your insurer and keep the report or case number.
Free help in North Dakota
Questions about reporting a crash in North Dakota
When do you have to call the police after a car accident in North Dakota?
If anyone is hurt or killed, or property damage looks like at least $4,000, you must tell police right away: the local police department inside a city, otherwise the county sheriff or the State Highway Patrol. Not doing so carries a $50 fine, and NDDOT may suspend your license until you comply. Give the officer your insurance company and policy number. A crash with a wild animal that damages only your own car does not have to be reported.
How much damage has to be reported in North Dakota?
If anyone is hurt or killed, or property damage looks like at least $4,000, you must tell police right away: the local police department inside a city, otherwise the county sheriff or the State Highway Patrol. Not doing so carries a $50 fine, and NDDOT may suspend your license until you comply.
Do I have to file my own accident report in North Dakota?
No separate driver crash report form. The investigating officer sends the report to the Department of Transportation. If you could not give the officer your insurance information, you must send it to the NDDOT Driver's License Division within 5 days of the crash.
How do I get a copy of a crash report in North Dakota?
Buy a copy of a state-reportable crash report (injury, death or at least $4,000 damage) online from the North Dakota Department of Transportation. The fee is $7. You need at least two of: crash date, last name, county. Reports may not be available until 10 days after the crash. If you lack these details, ask the police agency that investigated. Official page: https://www.dot.nd.gov/node/6265
What is the deadline for an accident report in North Dakota?
If you could not give the officer your insurance information, you must send it to the NDDOT Driver's License Division within 5 days of the crash.
More for North Dakota drivers
- All car accident rules in North Dakota
- 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
- N.D.C.C. §§ 39-08-09, 39-08-10
- N.D.C.C. ch. 26.1-41 (no-fault)
- N.D.C.C. ch. 26.1-40 (UM/UIM)
- N.D.C.C. ch. 39-16.1 (liability minimums)
- N.D.C.C. ch. 32-03.2 (modified comparative fault)
- N.D.C.C. ch. 28-01 (time limits)
- N.D.C.C. ch. 26.1-04 (unfair practices)
- N.D.C.C. § 32-12.2-04 (claims against the state)
- North Dakota Insurance Department: Auto insurance
- North Dakota Insurance Department: Complaints
- NDDOT: Crash reports
- ND Highway Patrol: Request a crash report
Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.