If you were in a crash in New York that hurt someone, killed someone, or caused more than $1,000 in damage to any one person’s property, you have to file a New York MV-104 accident report with the DMV within 10 days. You can submit it through the DMV’s online crash report portal at reportcrash.dmv.ny.gov or mail the paper Form MV-104 to the Crash Records Center in Albany. This is your responsibility as the driver, even if police responded and wrote their own report at the scene.
When You Have to File
Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 605 lists three triggers: a death, an injury of any degree, or property damage above $1,000 to any single person, including yourself.1New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law VAT 605 – Report Required Upon Accident The dollar figure is per person, not per vehicle. If your car took $800 in damage and the other driver’s car took $1,200, both of you have to file, because one person’s damage cleared the threshold.
Location inside the state doesn’t matter. Highway, parking lot, side street: if the crash happened in New York, the rule applies, and it applies whether you’re licensed here or somewhere else.
Who Signs the Report
Each driver files their own MV-104. If injuries keep a driver from completing it, another person who was in the crash and is able to do so must file within the 10 days. If no one in the crash can file, the responsibility passes to the vehicle’s owner once the owner learns about it.1New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law VAT 605 – Report Required Upon Accident An insurance agent or attorney can also submit the form on your behalf.
The MV-104 Does Not Replace the Police Report
This causes constant confusion. The MV-104 you file with the DMV is a different document from the police accident report (MV-104AN) that officers write at the scene. An officer showing up and taking a report does not fulfill your obligation to file your own MV-104. Both are required.2NYC.gov. PD 101-122 Non-Injury Collision Frequently Asked Questions And filing your MV-104 does not replace the obligation to call police when someone is hurt or killed.
What to Have in Front of You Before You Start
Download the MV-104 PDF from the DMV website or pick one up at a DMV office.3New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. MV-104 – Report of Motor Vehicle Crash Incomplete forms come back for corrections, so gather everything first.
For every driver:
- Full name as printed on the license
- Address with apartment number if any
- Driver’s license ID number
For every vehicle:
- Plate number and state of registration
- Vehicle identification number (VIN)
- Insurance company name and the three-digit New York insurance code from your Insurance Identification Card3New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. MV-104 – Report of Motor Vehicle Crash
The insurance code is not your policy number. It identifies the carrier, and the DMV uses it to confirm that each vehicle carried liability coverage on the day of the crash. If you can’t find the code on your card, look it up on the Department of Financial Services website.4New York Department of Financial Services. DMV Insurance Codes and Company Contacts
The form has a narrative section where you describe what happened. Write the direction each vehicle was traveling, what maneuvers happened before impact, and where the vehicles made contact. Use the vehicle diagrams to mark damage locations, and note weather and road conditions. Stick to facts, not opinions about fault. Fixed objects like poles, guardrails, and fences have their own codes on the form.
For every person involved, passengers included, record the name, age, seating position from the numbered diagram, and the worst injury sustained.3New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. MV-104 – Report of Motor Vehicle Crash Describe injuries by the body part affected and what was visible. Don’t diagnose.
Three or More Vehicles, or More Than Five People
The standard form has room for two vehicles. If yours had more, use another copy of the MV-104. Put the third vehicle in the “Vehicle 1” space of the second form and label it #3, use the “Vehicle 2” space for a fourth vehicle labeled #4, and continue the pattern. Number each page in the upper left corner, sign and date every sheet, and attach them together.3New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. MV-104 – Report of Motor Vehicle Crash Use the same approach for a sixth or later person on an additional form’s “Persons Involved” section.
How to Submit
You have two options.5New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. File a Motorist Crash (Accident) Report
Online
The fastest route is the DMV’s Online Motorist Crash Report Portal at reportcrash.dmv.ny.gov. You log in with an NY.gov ID, and you can create one during the process if you don’t have it. The portal walks you through the same fields as the paper form and cuts out mailing time, which matters against a 10-day clock.
By Mail
Fill out the PDF and mail it to the Crash Records Center in Albany at the address printed on page two of the form. Make a copy before you send the original. If you’re near the deadline, use a trackable method so you can prove when you sent it.
The 10-Day Deadline and What Happens If You Miss It
The completed report has to reach the DMV within 10 days of the crash. Missing that deadline is a misdemeanor under New York law.1New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law VAT 605 – Report Required Upon Accident On top of the criminal charge, the DMV commissioner can suspend your driver’s license, your registration, or both until you actually file.3New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. MV-104 – Report of Motor Vehicle Crash Putting false information on the report is treated the same as not filing.
The suspension can hit quickly and stays in place until the DMV receives a complete report. Driving on a suspended license adds a fresh set of charges, so the consequences compound fast.
If You’re Licensed in Another State
The filing rule still applies to you. An out-of-state driver in a qualifying New York crash has to file the MV-104 within 10 days, and the form has fields for out-of-state license and registration numbers.3New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. MV-104 – Report of Motor Vehicle Crash Not filing gives the DMV grounds to suspend or revoke your privilege to drive in New York, and interstate compacts can carry that suspension back to your home state’s record.1New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law VAT 605 – Report Required Upon Accident
After You File
Once the DMV processes the MV-104, the crash becomes part of the driving record for each involved driver. Accidents generally stay on a New York driving abstract for three to four years. Insurance carriers pull these records at renewal, so a reported crash can affect your premium even when you weren’t at fault.
Keep your own copy of the filed form. If you need a DMV copy later, you can search and order crash reports through the records portal at dmv.ny.gov/records.5New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. File a Motorist Crash (Accident) Report Having the report in hand makes any insurance claim or later legal proceeding easier to work through.