Do I Have to Call the Police After a Minor Car Accident in Illinois?

Two cars, a scraped fender, a Jewel-Osco parking lot. Nobody's hurt. The other driver would rather not involve the police.

Illinois's answer depends on one question, and it isn't "how bad does it look."

## ⚡ Quick Answer If anyone is injured or killed, yes — and fast. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-407, if no officer investigates at the scene, the driver must notify police as soon as possible and no later than 30 minutes after the crash. For property-damage-only crashes, Illinois imposes no immediate notice duty on you, and since Public Act 102-0560 (2021), no driver's crash report is required either. Police still write reports at $1,500 in damage ($500 if any driver is uninsured).

📝 Record the crash with NowAccident right now → — free, three minutes, works whether or not police come.

The injury rule: 30 minutes

625 ILCS 5/11-407 — "Duty to give immediate notice of accident."

If the crash caused injury or death and no police officer investigated it at the scene, the driver must give notice to the nearest police station or sheriff's office:

• As soon as possible, and
• Not later than 30 minutes after the crash

Hospitalized and unable to comply? The 30 minutes runs from your discharge from medical care.

Thirty minutes is unusually short. Most states say "immediately" and leave it vague. Illinois put a number on it.

Practical read: if anyone says ow, call 911 and let the officer decide. You do not want to be reconstructing, months later, why you thought nobody was hurt.

The property damage rule: it's not what you've read

Here's where nearly every Illinois car accident page on the internet is out of date.

What used to be true

Until August 2021, 625 ILCS 5/11-406 required a driver in a crash involving injury, death, or property damage over $1,500 (or $500 if any vehicle was uninsured) to file a written Illinois Motorist Report within 10 days.

What's true now

Public Act 102-0560 — Senate Bill 2455 of the 102nd General Assembly — repealed that requirement. Effective August 20, 2021.

The Illinois Department of Transportation says so on its own website: completion of the Illinois Motorist Report is no longer a requirement, and only state employees involved in crashes in state vehicles still file with IDOT.

What's still true

That last row is not a footnote. A local ordinance that references 625 ILCS 5/11-406(a) is enforcing a duty the legislature deleted — and the ordinance may still be on the books. Check your municipality.

📝 When the rules are contradictory, your own record is the constant. Build one with NowAccident — free.

So who tells you the wrong thing?

As of mid-2026, sources still instructing drivers to file an SR-1 within 10 days include the Illinois State Police crash reports page, several personal injury firm blogs published within the last month, and various form-download sites.

We're not saying this to be smug. We're saying it because you're about to get contradictory advice from official-looking places, and you deserve to know which one has a chapter law number behind it.

The repeal does: Public Act 102-0560.

Then why would you ever call the police?

Because reporting duty and self-interest are different questions.

Reasons to call anyway, even for a fender bender:

• A neutral record of who hit whom. Without it, stories drift.
• Illinois's 50% cliff. Recover nothing if you're more than 50% at fault (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). Fault is decided on evidence.
• No PIP backstop. Illinois has no no-fault medical coverage. Your first documented medical visit is doing double duty as proof.
• Delayed injuries. Whiplash on day four is a real thing, and "we agreed it was nothing" is not a defense.
• Your own policy almost certainly requires prompt notice of any crash.

Reasons it might not matter: genuinely trivial contact, no injury, no symptom, damage plainly under any threshold, and both parties documented.

What if we just handle it privately?

It works right up until it doesn't.

The repair estimate comes back at four times the guess. Their neck starts hurting. Someone's spouse suggests a lawyer. And now there's no report, no photos, no witness, and you're arguing about a crash you can barely remember.

A middle path: exchange complete information, photograph everything, notify your insurer that a crash occurred, see a doctor if anything hurts, get a written estimate — then decide.

If you pay cash, get a signed, dated release describing the incident and the amount. Understand that a property damage release does not necessarily release a later bodily injury claim.

How do you get the police report if one exists?

Illinois crash reports come from whichever agency responded.

Most reports are available within about 7–10 business days. Passengers, injured parties, attorneys for any party, and insurance carriers can all obtain them.

Quick decision table

📝 Not sure which row you're in? Record it anyway. It costs nothing to be wrong.

Frequently asked questions

Is it illegal not to call the police after a minor accident in Illinois? If the crash caused injury or death and no officer investigated, failing to give notice within 30 minutes violates 625 ILCS 5/11-407. For property-damage-only crashes, there is no comparable immediate-notice duty on the driver under state law.

Do I still have to file an SR-1 within 10 days? No. Public Act 102-0560 repealed the driver's Illinois Motorist Report requirement effective August 2021. Some websites — including government pages — have not been updated. Check whether your city ordinance imposes its own duty.

What is the $1,500 threshold for? It's the damage level at which police typically complete a written crash report ($500 if any driver is uninsured). It no longer creates a filing duty for you under state law.

Does Illinois have a 14-day medical rule like Florida? No. Illinois has no PIP and no 14-day rule. But with no no-fault coverage to fall back on, delayed treatment hurts your claim in a different way.

Can I get the crash report if I was a passenger? Yes. Passengers, injured parties, attorneys, and insurers are all entitled to Illinois crash reports.

Sources

• 625 ILCS 5/11-401, 11-402, 11-403, 11-407, 11-408
• Public Act 102-0560 (SB 2455) — repeals the driver's accident report requirement, effective August 20, 2021
• Illinois Department of Transportation — Crash Reports page
• Illinois State Police — Crash Reports page (note: still describes the repealed 10-day driver report)
• 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 — modified comparative negligence
• 720 ILCS 5/14-2 — all-party consent recording

Disclaimer

This article is general information about Illinois law as of the last updated date. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. State law no longer requires a driver's crash report, but municipal ordinances may; several official pages have not been updated to reflect P.A. 102-0560. Confirm both state and local requirements before relying on this article. Verify current statutes at ilga.gov and consult a licensed Illinois attorney.