How to Complete and File the NJ Self-Reporting Crash Form SR-1

New Jersey’s SR-1 form is the self-reporting crash report you file with the Department of Transportation when police didn’t investigate your accident. You have 10 days from the crash to submit it, and you must file if anyone was injured or if property damage to any one person exceeded $500. The fastest way is through NJDOT’s online portal, which returns an acknowledgment receipt within minutes that your insurer will accept.

When You Have to File

Under N.J.S.A. 39:4-130, a driver involved in a crash must file the SR-1 if the accident caused injury or death, or if property damage to any one person exceeded $500.¹ That threshold is per person, not per vehicle. If your car took $400 in damage and a guardrail took $600, the guardrail alone crosses the line.

The statute also requires you to notify police immediately by the quickest means available, whether that’s the local department, county police, or State Police.¹ If an officer responds and files a formal crash investigation report under N.J.S.A. 39:4-131, you don’t need the SR-1. The officer’s report replaces it. The SR-1 only comes into play when police were notified but didn’t investigate, or when nobody reported the incident at the scene.

The 10-day clock starts the day of the crash. If you’re still tracking down the other driver’s insurance information, start now.

What to Have in Front of You

Filling out the SR-1 without your paperwork organized will lead to errors, and NJDOT verifies insurance details directly with the carrier. Gather the following for every driver and vehicle involved before you begin:

Full name and address of each driver, exactly as printed on the license, plus the license number and issuing state.²
Full name and address of each vehicle’s registered owner, exactly as shown on the registration. The owner and driver aren’t always the same person.
License plate number, issuing state, and VIN for every vehicle.
The insurance agent’s name and address, the liability insurance company’s name, the policy number, and the policy period.

If you didn’t get the other driver’s insurance card at the scene, or it turned out to be expired, call them or dig through any photos you took of the documents you exchanged.

Filling Out the Form

The SR-1 is broken into labeled sections. Work through them in order.

Crash Details and Driver Information

The top of the form asks for the date, time, and location. Give the exact street name, any intersecting road, and the direction each vehicle was traveling. A nearby landmark or highway mile marker helps NJDOT place the crash on its maps. Enter driver and owner information for both vehicles exactly as it appears on the licenses and registrations.² If a vehicle was parked or unoccupied, fill in whatever you have, and make sure the plate number is captured.

Insurance and Narrative

In the insurance section, enter the liability carrier’s name (the company itself, not the agent), the policy number, and the full policy period. If the policyholder is someone other than the driver, list that person as well.

The narrative asks you to describe what happened. Write a factual, chronological account: where each vehicle was, what direction it was moving, and how the collision occurred. Stick to what you observed. Don’t speculate about the other driver’s speed, don’t assign fault, and don’t editorialize. Something like “I was heading south on Route 206 and the other vehicle pulled out of a driveway into my lane” is what NJDOT wants. Use the diagram area to sketch the scene if the lane configuration or intersection would be hard to describe in words.

If More Than Two Vehicles Were Involved

NJDOT provides a supplemental form, the SR-1S, to capture information about additional drivers and vehicles.³ It’s on the same portal as the main form. Attach it when you submit.

Submitting the Form

You have two options: file online or mail a paper copy.

Online

NJDOT hosts the SR-1 on its SimpliGov portal, linked from the department’s crash-reporting page.³ Complete the form in your browser, submit it electronically, and an acknowledgment comes back within minutes. That online receipt carries the same weight as a stamped paper form, and you can forward it directly to your insurer.⁴ For most people this is the right choice: no mailing delays, and instant proof of when you filed.

By Mail

If you prefer paper, download the SR-1 PDF, print it, complete it by hand, and mail it to:

NJ Department of Transportation
1035 Parkway Avenue
P.O. Box 600
Trenton, NJ 08625-0600
ATTN: Bureau of Transportation Data and Safety

Photocopy or scan the signed form before you mail it. NJDOT does not send a confirmation for paper submissions, so your copy and any mailing receipt are your only proof of compliance. If the 10-day deadline is close, use a trackable service. A form that arrives on day 11 is still late.

What Happens If You Don’t File

A knowing violation of N.J.S.A. 39:4-130 draws a fine of $30 to $100. The Motor Vehicle Commission’s chief administrator can also suspend or revoke your driver’s license and vehicle registration.¹ The suspension authority is the real risk. The fine is manageable; losing your license is not.

Penalties climb sharply if you go beyond simply failing to file. Concealing or destroying evidence of a reportable crash, or hiding the identity of someone who violated the statute, carries a separate fine of $250 to $1,000.¹

After You File

Your insurance company will want proof that you reported the crash. If you filed online, forward the acknowledgment receipt. NJDOT explicitly states that the online receipt can be submitted to insurers.³ If you mailed a paper form, send the photocopy you kept. NJDOT will verify the insurance information you entered directly with each carrier, so accuracy on that section matters for your claim and the other party’s.

If police did investigate and filed a formal report (NJTR-1), you can request a copy through the New Jersey State Police crash records portal. Non-toll road reports cost $13, and toll road reports cost $5.⁵ Police reports filed under N.J.S.A. 39:4-131 are not privileged or confidential and are accessible to insurers, attorneys, and other authorized parties.⁶

1
Justia. New Jersey Code 39:4-130 – Immediate Notice of Accident; Written Report
2
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. NJ Self-Reporting Crash Form SR-1
3
State of New Jersey. New Jersey Department of Transportation Self-Reporting Crash Form
4
Department of Transportation. Forms, Crash Records, Reference/Links
5
Crash Report Requests. Crash Report Requests – New Jersey Government Services
6
Justia. New Jersey Code 39:4-131 – Accident Reports