Do You Have to Report a Car Accident in Ontario? $5,000 Reporting Rule and Deadlines
In Ontario, a motor vehicle collision must generally be reported immediately to police if anyone is injured or if the apparent total property damage exceeds $5,000. The Highway Traffic Act also contains specific reporting requirements for certain dooring collisions and for damage to property on or bordering a highway. The $5,000 property-damage threshold increased from $2,000 on January 1, 2025.
Reporting the collision to police is separate from reporting it to your automobile insurer. Ontario's insurance regulator says an accident must be reported to your broker, agent or insurer within seven days, or as quickly as possible afterward if you cannot report it within seven days.
These reporting rules can also become important if you later pursue an Ontario car accident claim, particularly where an injury becomes apparent after the collision or the drivers disagree about what happened.
What Does Ontario's Highway Traffic Act Require?
Section 199 of Ontario's Highway Traffic Act contains the main collision-reporting rule. It states that a person in charge of a motor vehicle who is directly or indirectly involved in an accident must report it immediately to the nearest police officer if:
the accident results in personal injury;
the apparent property damage exceeds the amount prescribed by regulation; or
an open or opening door of the vehicle comes into contact with a cyclist, bicycle or moving vehicle, even if the vehicle is stationary, stopped or parked.
The prescribed property-damage amount is now $5,000. Ontario Regulation 160/24 increased the previous $2,000 threshold to $5,000. The change took effect on January 1, 2025. The amendment can be found in O. Reg. 160/24.
Section 201 of the Highway Traffic Act contains a separate reporting duty where a person driving a vehicle on a highway damages a shrub, tree, pole, light, sign, sod or other property on the highway, or a fence bordering the highway. That damage must also be reported to police.
Is the $5,000 Reporting Threshold Per Vehicle or Combined?
The $5,000 threshold does not mean $5,000 for each vehicle separately. Current police guidance describes it in terms of the combined damage to the vehicles or property involved.
For example, Toronto Police Service requires reporting where there is more than $5,000 in combined damage to vehicles or property.
This means that if one vehicle appears to have $3,000 in damage and another has $3,000, the collision should not be treated as being below the reporting threshold simply because neither vehicle individually has $5,000 in damage.
Estimating repair costs at the roadside can also be difficult. Modern bumpers can contain cameras, sensors and electronic components, while damage behind an exterior panel may not be immediately visible.
What If the Car Accident Is Under $5,000?
If nobody is injured in the crash, the apparent property damage is less than $5,000 and no other reporting requirement applies, the collision generally does not have to be reported to police.
Ontario's Official MTO Driver's Handbook states that a collision involving less than $5,000 in damage does not have to be reported to police where no one is injured. Drivers must still exchange information.
That should include the information necessary to identify the drivers, vehicles and insurers involved in the collision. It is also sensible to photograph the vehicles, licence plates and damage if it is safe to do so.
What If Someone Is Injured but the Vehicle Damage Is Less Than $5,000?
The $5,000 threshold does not apply in the same way when someone is injured.
Personal injury is an independent reporting trigger under section 199. Consequently, a crash could therefore require reporting even when the property damage is relatively minor.
A person could potentially develop concussion symptoms, neck or back pain or other problems after a collision that caused limited visible damage to the vehicles. If someone is injured at the scene, the collision should be reported regardless of whether the repair costs appear likely to exceed $5,000.
If symptoms develop later, obtain medical care and contact the police service responsible for the location of the collision to determine how it should now be reported.
Do You Have 24 Hours to Report a Car Accident in Ontario?
Section 199 of the Highway Traffic Act states that a qualifying accident must be reported immediately.
That does not mean every reportable collision requires an officer to attend the roadside. A police service may instead direct the drivers to a Collision Reporting Centre. Local procedures and Collision Reporting Centre hours can differ, but drivers should not assume that a general 24-hour grace period overrides the statutory obligation to report a qualifying collision immediately.
If there is any uncertainty, contact the police service responsible for the location where the collision occurred.
Should You Call Police or Go to a Collision Reporting Centre?
If someone requires emergency medical assistance, the collision creates an immediate danger, or there is suspected criminal conduct such as impaired driving, call 911.
For many collisions that have to be reported but do not require emergency police attendance, drivers may be directed to a Collision Reporting Centre.
A reporting centre allows the collision and vehicle damage to be documented without requiring an officer to remain at an otherwise safe roadside scene.
The procedure depends on where the collision happened. A collision on a road policed by a municipal service may have a different reporting process from one investigated by the Ontario Provincial Police.
As an example, for collisions in Barrie, our separate guide explains where to report a car accident in Barrie and how the Collision Reporting Centre process works.
What If You Discover Later That the Damage Is More Than $5,000?
Section 199 refers to property damage apparently exceeding the prescribed amount. Drivers are not expected to perform a professional appraisal at the scene. Sometimes damage that initially looks limited turns out to be considerably more expensive once the vehicle is inspected.
If a repair assessment later shows that there was substantially more damage than was apparent at the roadside, contact the police service responsible for the collision and explain what has changed.
The fact that the collision was not reportable based on what was known immediately afterward does not mean new information should be ignored.
What Happens If You Don't Report a Car Accident in Ontario?
Failing to report an accident when section 199 requires a report is an offence under the Highway Traffic Act. Ontario's Demerit Point System regulation currently assigns three demerit points for a conviction under section 199(1) or 199(1.1) for failing to report an accident.
A missing report can also create difficulties if an injury claim develops later. For example, there may be disagreement about when the collision occurred, how it happened, when symptoms began or why no report was made. Evidence that could have helped resolve those questions may also become unavailable with time.
Failure to report does not automatically mean that an injured person has no claim. The reason the collision was not reported and the other available evidence have to be considered.
Do You Have to Report the Accident to Your Insurance Company?
Yes. Police reporting and insurance reporting are separate. An accident can fall below the $5,000 police-reporting threshold and still have to be reported to your insurer.
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario states that an accident must be reported to your broker, agent or insurance company within seven days, or as quickly as possible afterward if you cannot report it within that period.
FSRA also warns that failing to report within a reasonable time may result in the insurer not honouring the claim.
When reporting the collision, provide accurate information about what is known at that point. You do not need to predict whether symptoms will resolve or what the final medical outcome will be.
Is Reporting a Collision the Same as Making an Accident Benefits Claim?
No. A police report or Collision Reporting Centre report creates a record of the collision. It does not automatically start an accident benefits claim.
Someone who is injured in an Ontario motor vehicle accident may be entitled to medical, rehabilitation and other benefits through the automobile insurance system. That requires a separate claims process.
Our guide to Ontario accident benefits helps with explaining how those claims work. An injured person might also have a separate claim against an at-fault driver. The collision report can become useful evidence, but it does not determine the outcome of either claim.
Does a Police Report Decide Who Was at Fault?
No, A police or Collision Reporting Centre report can document the people and vehicles involved, the location, damage and other information about the collision. It does not by itself decide civil liability.
Police charges also do not determine how an insurer will assign fault. Ontario automobile insurers apply the Fault Determination Rules when determining fault for insurance purposes. A lawsuit against another driver involves a separate assessment of the evidence and applicable negligence law.
Do Parking Lot Accidents Have to Be Reported in Ontario?
Potentially, Section 199 is not limited to collisions occurring on a public road. In R. v. Hajivasilis, 2013 ONCA 27, the Ontario Court of Appeal considered the application of section 199 to an accident in a supermarket parking lot.
The Court held that the accident-reporting requirement in section 199 generally applies even where the accident does not occur on a “highway” as that term is defined in the Highway Traffic Act.
A crash should therefore not be treated as exempt from Ontario's reporting rules simply because it happened in a shopping-centre parking lot or on other private property.
Can You Still Make an Injury Claim If You Did Not Report the Accident Right Away?
Potentially. A delay in making a police report does not automatically prevent an injured person from pursuing a claim.
There can be legitimate reasons for a delayed report. A collision might have initially appear minor, for example, and symptoms may not become apparent until later. The delay can nevertheless affect the evidence which is available.
An insurace company or defendant might decide to ask when the symptoms began, whether they were caused by the collision and why no report was made when the accident occurred.
If an injury becomes apparent after an unreported collision, obtain appropriate medical care, notify the insurer and contact the police service responsible for the collision to determine what reporting steps should now be taken.
Frequently Asked Questions About Reporting a Car Accident in Ontario
What is the car accident reporting threshold in Ontario?
The current property-damage threshold is $5,000. A collision must also be reported where someone is injured or where another reporting requirement under the Highway Traffic Act applies.
When did Ontario increase the reporting threshold from $2,000 to $5,000?
The $5,000 threshold took effect on January 1, 2025.
Is the $5,000 threshold per vehicle?
No. Current police guidance describes the threshold in terms of the combined damage to vehicles or property involved in the collision.
Do I have 24 hours to report an accident in Ontario?
There is no universal 24-hour grace period in section 199. A collision that meets the statutory reporting criteria must be reported immediately. The police service may then direct you to a Collision Reporting Centre.
Do I have to report an accident if nobody was injured?
You generally have to report it if the apparent property damage exceeds $5,000 or another reporting requirement applies.
Do I have to report an accident under $5,000?
If there was nobody injured, the apparent damage is below $5,000 and no other reporting requirement applies, the collision generally does not have to be reported to police. Drivers must still exchange information.
Do parking lot accidents have to be reported?
They can. The Ontario Court of Appeal has held that section 199 is not restricted to accidents occurring on public highways.
What if I damage a road sign, pole or other highway property?
The Highway Traffic Act contains a separate reporting duty for damage to certain property on or bordering a highway, including signs, poles, lights, trees and fences.
How long do I have to report the accident to my insurance company?
FSRA states that an accident must be reported to your broker, agent or insurer within seven days, or as quickly as possible afterward if you cannot report within seven days.
Can I still make an injury claim if I did not report the accident immediately?
Potentially. A delay does not automatically eliminate a claim, although it can create evidentiary and insurance issues that should be addressed promptly.
Injured in an Ontario Car Accident?
A collision report creates an important record of what happened, but it is only one part of an injury claim.
Someone injured in a motor vehicle accident may have questions about accident benefits, medical and rehabilitation funding, lost income, fault and compensation from an at-fault driver.
Foster Injury Law represents people seriously injured in car accidents throughout Ontario.
This article provides general information about Ontario law and is not legal advice. Police and Collision Reporting Centre procedures can vary depending on the location and circumstances of the collision.
