SR 1 (REV. 5/2005)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
California law requires traffic accidents on a California street/highway or private property to be reported to the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) within 10 days if there was an injury, death or property damage. Untimely reporting could result in DMV suspending a
driver license. Accidents occurring on December 31, 2002, or prior must result in damages to any one person’s property in excess of $500,
and accidents occurring on January 1, 2003, or after must result in damages in excess of $750 to be reported. Accidents involving
vehicles not required to be registered such as an off-road vehicle (OHV), implement of husbandry, or snowmobile or occurring on a
military base or occurring on the driver’s own property involving only the personal property of the driver and there was no injury or death
are not reportable.
The law requires the driver to file this SR-1 form with DMV regardless of fault. This report must be made in addition to any other report
filed with a law enforcement agency, insurance company, or the California Highway Patrol (CHP) as their reports do not satisfy the filing
requirement. An insurance agent, attorney, or other designated representative may file the report for the driver.
The law requires every driver and every owner of a motor vehicle to be “financially responsible” for any injury or damage resulting from
operating or owning a motor vehicle. The minimum insurance level for “financial responsibility” is public liability and property
damage coverage of $15,000 for injury or death of one person, $30,000 for injury or death of two or more persons and $5,000 property
damage per accident. Comprehensive and collision insurance does not meet the legal requirement.
§1806 of the California Vehicle Code (CVC) requires the DMV to record accident information regardless of fault when individuals
report accidents under the Financial Responsibility Law or if law enforcement agencies or CHP investigate and make a report.
WHEN COMPLETING THIS FORM...
Please print within the spaces and boxes on this form. If you need to provide additional information on a separate piece of paper(s) or you
include a copy of any law enforcement agency report, please check the box to indicate ‘Additional Information Attached’. If you are the
passenger reporting the accident, be sure to identify yourself by using the ‘other’ box and stating ‘passenger’ in the explanation.
• Write unk (for unknown) or none in any space or box when you do not have information on the other party involved.
• Give insurance information that is complete and which correctly and fully identifies the company that issued the policy.
• Place the correct National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) number for your insurance company in the boxes provided.
The NAIC number should be located on your insurance ID card or you can contact your insurance agent or company for the
information.
• Identify any person involved in the accident (driver, passenger, bicyclist, pedestrian, etc.) who you saw was injured or complained of
bodily injury or know to be deceased.
• Record in the OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGED section any damage to telephone poles, fences, street signs, guard posts, trees,
livestock, dogs, etc., meeting the filing requirement, including amount. This may require that you contact the owner of the property
for an estimate of damages.
• Once you have completed this report, please mail it to:
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
MAIL STATION J237
P.O. BOX 942884
SACRAMENTO, CA 94284-0884
DMV does not accept reports or take actions against non-reporting or uninsured motorists unless this SR-1 form is sent to DMV by
someone involved in the accident or their designee and the report is received by DMV within one calendar year of the accident date.
ADVISORY STATEMENT
The accident information on the SR-1 is required under the authority of Divisions 6 and 7 of the California Vehicle Code. Failure to
provide the information will result in suspension of the driving privilege. Except as made confidential by law (e.g., medical information)
or exempted under the Public Records Act, the information is a public record, is regularly used by law enforcement agencies and insurance
companies, and is open to public inspection. §16005 CVC limits the public record for SR-1 reports to accident involvement, but does
allow persons with a proper interest (involved drivers, their employers, etc.) to receive specified information. Individuals may inspect or
obtain copies of information contained in their records during regular office hours. The Financial Responsibility Section Manager, 2570
24th Street, Sacramento, CA 95818 (telephone number: 916-657-6677) is responsible for maintaining this information.
If the policy was not in effect, this form must be completed and returned to the Department within 20 days.
The undersigned company advises that with respect to the reported accident, the policy reported on the reverse side:
WAS NOT IN EFFECT
Was not a liability policy Did not cover the vehicle/driver Number is not a company policy number
Policy Number _________________________________________ Policy Period from ______________ to ______________
Signature _____________________________________________
Title _________________________________________________
Date _________________________________________________
