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Accident Reporting
Reporting Accidents
You must file an Accident and Insurance Report form with DMV within 72 hours when:
  1. Damage to the vehicle you were driving is over $1,500, or
  2. Damage to any vehicle is over $1,500 and any vehicle is towed from the scene as a result of damages from this accident, or
  3. Injury or death resulted from this accident, or
  4. Damages to any one person's property other than a vehicle involved in this accident is over $1,500.
Accidents in areas open to the public for the use of motor vehicles must be reported. Some drivers who are in accidents offer to fix the damage and try to get the other driver not to file a report. If you agree to do this, you are breaking the law if the amount of damage is more than $1,500. Always remember to keep a copy of your report for your own records.
 
You must file a report even if your vehicle was the only one in the crash. If you do not report an accident when required to do so, your driving privileges will be suspended.
 
If you were in a collision and the other party did not have insurance, you can report the collision to DMV. However, the accident may also go on your driving record, if you do not clearly indicate on the accident report that the accident does not meet mandatory reporting criteria.

Police Report
You must fill out an Accident and Insurance Report form and return it to DMV even if a police officer files a report. A police report does not replace your requirement to file an accident report with DMV. You must do that yourself.

Filing an Accident Report
  1. Fill out an Accident Report Form
    Be as accurate as you can. Give as much information as you can about where, when and how the crash happened. The accident will be listed on the driving record of those drivers involved in the accident who meet the reporting requirements.
    Liability Insurance
    If you are the driver or owner of a vehicle in an accident that must be reported, your report must show the name of your liability insurance company, not the insurance agent or agency, and the policy number. The insurance coverage you report is checked by DMV with the insurance company shown on the report.

    If you did not have liability insurance at the time of the accident, your driving privileges will be suspended for one year. You must then file proof of future financial responsibility (SR-22) before your driving privileges will be reinstated.

    An SR-22 filing is required for three years after the suspension ending date even if you were not at fault in the accident.

    Insurance companies and agents must tell DMV about any accident where they have reason to believe a driver is uninsured. If the information is correct, the uninsured drivers driving privileges will be suspended for one year. After that, they will be under the future financial responsibility law for three years. This law applies even if the damage is $1,500 or less.

  2. Keep a Copy of Your Accident Report Form
    Under Oregon law 802.220(5), DMV can not provide you a copy of your accident report. If you wish to have a complete copy of your report (front and back), you will need to make a copy for your records.

  3. Deliver Completed Accident Report Form to DMV
    Deliver your completed Accident and Insurance Report Form to any DMV office or mail the form to:
Accident Reporting Unit
DMV
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem OR 97314

Related Information

 
Page updated: June 28, 2007

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