The penalties for leaving the scene of an accident in Texas range from a fine-only Class C misdemeanor to a second-degree felony carrying 2 to 20 years in prison, depending on whether anyone was hurt and how badly. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 550 sets the tiers, and a conviction also brings license suspension, SR-22 insurance obligations, and exposure to civil damages that your auto policy will not fully cover.
When Someone Is Injured or Killed
The most serious penalties apply under Section 550.021, which grades the offense by how badly the other person was hurt.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 550.021 – Collision Involving Personal Injury or Death
- If the collision caused a death, leaving the scene is a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 550.021 – Collision Involving Personal Injury or Death2State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 12.33 – Second Degree Felony Punishment
- If the collision caused serious bodily injury but the person survived, the offense is a third-degree felony, carrying 2 to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 550.021 – Collision Involving Personal Injury or Death3State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 12.34 – Third Degree Felony Punishment
- If the injury is real but does not rise to serious bodily injury, the statute sets a custom range: up to five years in state prison or up to one year in county jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 550.021 – Collision Involving Personal Injury or Death
Serious bodily injury in Texas means an injury that creates a substantial risk of death, causes permanent disfigurement, or results in extended loss of a body part or organ. A broken arm from a fender bender probably will not qualify. A traumatic brain injury from a high-speed crash almost certainly will. Where the injury falls on that scale is what separates the third-degree felony from the lower custom range.
These penalties can apply even if you did not cause the crash. A driver who was completely blameless for the collision can still face charges for leaving without helping an injured person.
When Only Property Was Damaged
If nobody was hurt and the only harm was to another vehicle, Section 550.022 controls. The offense is graded by the dollar amount of damage:4State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 550.022 – Collision Involving Damage to Vehicle
- Damage under $200 is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500 with no jail time.5State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 12.23 – Class C Misdemeanor
- Damage of $200 or more is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail, a fine of up to $2,000, or both.4State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 550.022 – Collision Involving Damage to Vehicle
Two hundred dollars covers almost nothing in modern vehicle repair. A cracked bumper or scraped panel will clear that threshold easily, which puts most property-only hit-and-runs in Class B territory with real jail exposure.
Parked Cars, Fences, and Highway Signs
Backing into a parked car in a lot or clipping a fence on a rural road carries its own penalty track. If you strike an unattended vehicle, you must stop and either find the owner to exchange information or leave a written note in a visible spot on the vehicle with your name, address, and a description of what happened.6State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 550.024 – Duty on Striking Unattended Vehicle The same principle applies when you hit a fence, guardrail, highway sign, or roadside landscaping.7State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 550.025 – Duty on Striking Structure, Fixture, or Highway Landscaping
The penalties mirror the property-damage tiers: a Class C misdemeanor if the damage is under $200, and a Class B misdemeanor at $200 or more.6State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 550.024 – Duty on Striking Unattended Vehicle7State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 550.025 – Duty on Striking Structure, Fixture, or Highway Landscaping A “sorry” scrawled on a scrap of paper does not satisfy the statute. The note needs your actual identifying information.
License Suspension and SR-22 Requirements
A hit-and-run conviction can trigger suspension of your driver’s license through the Texas Department of Public Safety. Reinstatement requires a $100 fee plus any other outstanding fees. This administrative consequence runs separately from criminal sentencing, so serving your time or paying your fine does not by itself restore your right to drive.
Once reinstated, you will likely need to file an SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility. An SR-22 is confirmation from your insurer that you carry the state’s required minimum liability coverage. Under the Safety Responsibility Act, you must maintain the filing for two years from the date of conviction without any lapse.8Texas Department of Public Safety. Section 9 – SR-22 Proof of Financial Responsibility Any gap during that window restarts the process and can trigger another suspension.
Premium increases usually last well beyond the two-year SR-22 period. Some standard insurers drop hit-and-run convictions entirely, which pushes drivers into the high-risk market.
Civil Liability and Punitive Damages
Criminal penalties are only one side of the ledger. The injured person, or the family of someone killed, can also sue for damages. Leaving the scene does not by itself create liability for the underlying crash, but it can sharply increase what a jury awards. Texas law allows exemplary damages when a defendant acts with malice or gross negligence, and fleeing a collision where someone is visibly hurt tends to look like the kind of callous disregard that supports a punitive award on top of medical bills, lost income, and pain.
Standard auto insurance policies generally do not cover punitive damages, because Texas public policy prohibits insurers from paying to punish intentional wrongdoing. Exemplary damages come out of your personal assets. A driver who might have walked away from the crash itself with little or no fault can turn a routine insurance claim into a six-figure personal judgment by leaving.
Immigration Consequences for Noncitizens
For noncitizens, a hit-and-run conviction can carry consequences more severe than jail time. Depending on the specific charge and circumstances, leaving the scene of an accident involving injury may be classified as a crime involving moral turpitude or, in the most serious cases, as an aggravated felony for immigration purposes. Either classification can lead to mandatory immigration detention, loss of eligibility for green cards or naturalization, and deportation proceedings. The analysis is fact-specific, but any noncitizen facing hit-and-run charges should treat the immigration exposure as a primary concern.
How Long Charges Can Be Filed
How long prosecutors have to bring a case depends on the severity of the offense. There is no statute of limitations at all on a hit-and-run that results in death.9State of Texas. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 12.01 – Felonies A driver who flees a fatal collision can be identified and indicted decades later.
For hit-and-run charges involving serious bodily injury or lesser injuries, standard felony limitation periods apply. Texas generally allows three years from the date of the offense for most felony charges. Misdemeanor property-damage cases carry a two-year limitation period. The clock starts on the date of the collision, not the date the driver is identified.