District of Columbia Crash Reporting Requirements: Police, Driver, and.

Short answer

After a crash in the District of Columbia, stop immediately. If another person is injured, call 911 or obtain emergency help if needed, remain until law enforcement arrives, and provide identifying information to law enforcement and the injured person. If another person’s property or a domestic animal is damaged and its owner is absent, give identifying information and the crash location to law enforcement or 911. A crash creating a risk to others also calls for 911. These are driver duties under D.C. Code § 50-2201.05c—not a DMV crash-report filing requirement. 1

For a non-injury crash, DC DMV directs motorists to complete DDOT’s Non-Injury Checklist and Guide and notify their insurer. DC DMV also says: do not report any crash to DC DMV. If the crash involves an injury, DMV says to call 911. 2 A police officer may prepare an MPD traffic crash report, called a PD-10, when the officer arrives; it is not a report a driver creates through MPD’s general online reporting tool. 3

Immediate checklist

Stop safely and assess whether anyone is injured or faces danger. Call 911 in the circumstances stated above. If it is safe, use hazard lights. 1
Do not leave the scene without meeting the applicable identification and notification duties. For property damage where the owner is present, provide identifying information to that owner or operator. 1
For a non-injury crash, document the facts. DDOT’s checklist calls for photographs of plates, vehicle damage, location markers, and property damage, plus driver, vehicle, insurance, and witness information. Move vehicles off the roadway to avoid a traffic jam when it is safe to do so. 4
Notify your insurer for a non-injury crash. This is an insurer notice, not a report to DC DMV. 2
If an MPD officer responds, record the six-digit Central Complaint Number (CCN). MPD says this is the number used to identify the PD-10. 3
Preserve your own records. Keep photographs, notes, contact information, policy information, repair material, and the CCN. The broader car-accident evidence checklist can help organize those items.

Who reports what in DC?

Task	Who acts	What the official source says	Deadline or route stated by the source
Injury crash / emergency assistance	Driver or person in control	Immediately stop; call or cause a 911 or emergency-assistance call; remain until law enforcement arrives; provide identifying information.	Immediately when another person is injured. 1
Damage to absent owner’s property or a domestic animal	Driver or person in control	Provide identifying information and crash location to law enforcement or 911.	The statute does not give a number of days; it imposes the duty at the collision. 1
Risk created by damaged property or an animal	Driver or person in control	Call or cause a 911 call; provide identification, location, and nature of the risk.	The statute applies at the collision. 1
Non-injury crash claim notice	Motorist	Complete DDOT’s checklist and notify the insurance company.	DMV gives no specific insurer-notice deadline on this page. 2
PD-10 traffic crash report	Responding officer / MPD	An officer may write a PD-10 on arrival. If MPD makes a written motor-vehicle accident report, the Code requires specified distraction information and MPD must give a copy to DDOT.	No universal officer-response or report-creation deadline is stated in the sources used here. 3 5
DC DMV crash self-report	Driver	DC DMV says not to report a crash to DC DMV.	No driver-to-DC-DMV crash report is directed by this DMV page. 2
District-government damages notice	Claimant, agent, or attorney	Written notice to the Mayor must state approximate time, place, cause, and circumstances. An MPD written report made in the regular course of duty is sufficient notice under the statute.	Within six months after injury or damage, for the statute’s covered unliquidated-damages actions against the District. 6

Police notification and the officer report

D.C. Code § 50-2201.05c varies by event: for injury, stop, arrange required assistance, remain until law enforcement arrives, and provide information; for property damage or an animal, provide information to the owner if present or to law enforcement/911 if absent. Call 911 and describe any resulting risk to others. 1

DDOT’s non-injury guide is practical guidance, not a substitute for statutory duties. It calls for 911 when medical or police assistance is needed or a vehicle cannot be driven, and advises documentation and safe removal from the roadway. 4

An arriving officer may write a PD-10; that does not guarantee one for every crash. A responding officer completing a traffic accident report must note insurer/provider information for each operator and vehicle. 3 5

MPD excludes traffic crashes from its Citizens Online Reporting Tool; do not use it to create a PD-10. 7

Driver, DMV, and insurer steps are not interchangeable

DC DMV says: for a non-injury crash, use the DDOT guide and notify the insurer; for an injury crash, call 911; do not report any crash to DC DMV. 2 The page identifies no driver-filed DMV crash-report form or deadline.

Insurers must notify DMV when coverage is cancelled or terminated, but that is insurance administration—not a driver’s post-crash report. 2 DC DMV gives no particular-crash insurer-notice deadline.

For a DC-tagged vehicle, DC DMV offers an insurance record with insurance information reported to DMV, excluding owner personal information. Request it online, by mail with contact information, payment to DC Treasurer, and the tag number, or in person. The listed fee is $7.00. 8 9

How to request an MPD crash report (PD-10)

A PD-10 request has its own channel and eligibility limits. MPD says first parties only may request a PD-10 directly: an involved party, or the attorney, attorney staff, or investigators of an involved party. MPD identifies third-party requests as FOIA requests. 3

For a first-party email or mail request, send it to mpd.public-docs@dc.gov or mail it with a self-addressed stamped envelope to MPD Public Documents Section, ATTN: Accident/Incident Reports, 441 4th Street, NW, Room 550 South, Washington, DC 20001. Include available name, date, location, CCN, and time, plus valid government photo ID and completed PD Form 10B. 3

For an in-person first-party request, MPD requires an appointment, photo ID, and either the name/date/location/time or CCN. There is no fee for first-party PD-10 requests. Allow six weeks for mail-in processing; MPD does not state that timing for email or appointments. 3

If the report is unavailable or you are not eligible for the direct path

First confirm the CCN with the responding police district. MPD directs a third party to FOIA, not the first-party PD-10 channel. Use the District FOIA public-access website or mail a request marked “FOIA Request.” Give date, time, location, and available CCN; a self-request needs identity proof and an attorney request needs proof of representation. 10

The ordinary FOIA response/determination period is 15 business days after receipt, with a written unusual-circumstances extension of up to 10 business days. Fees may apply, but these pages state no fixed third-party PD-10 fee. Disclosure is not guaranteed; personal information is restricted. 10 11 12

If no PD-10 exists, do not use the online report to create one: MPD excludes traffic crashes. Keep scene and insurer records. 7

Public-entity notice and lawsuit timing: separate questions

For an action against the District of Columbia seeking unliquidated damages to person or property, D.C. Code § 12-309 generally requires written notice to the Mayor within six months after the injury or damage. The notice must give the approximate time, place, cause, and circumstances. The statute says a written MPD report made in the regular course of duty is sufficient notice under that section. It also lists exceptions not addressed here. 6

That six-month public-entity notice rule is not a police, insurance, or general lawsuit deadline. D.C. Code § 12-301 separately lists three-year accrual-based periods for property damage and for claims without another prescribed limitation. Other rules can differ. 13 A report’s adequacy and a specific deadline depend on facts and law beyond this guide.

For broader scene and follow-up steps, see what to do after a car accident.