How to File a Car Accident Report in Tennessee

In 2025, over 24,000 reported car accidents in Davidson County resulted in property damage, injuries, and – in some cases – death. The uncertainty that often follows these kinds of crashes can be a major source of stress and frustration for accident survivors, particularly as confusion mounts about their legal and financial obligations. In Tennessee, one important piece of the post-accident puzzle has to do with reporting requirements.

Under state law, there are certain kinds of car accidents that must be reported to the state and/or law enforcement. These reports can play an important role in the car accident claims process, and failing to meet reporting requirements can compound an already stressful experience. Here is a quick how-to guide to help you better understand the accident reporting process in Tennessee and the role it plays in car accident claims.

Am I required to report my Tennessee car accident?

In Tennessee, certain car accident scenarios are subject to mandatory reporting requirements under the law. Depending on the facts of your case and the extent of the damage, you may need to report your crash to law enforcement, and some accidents must also be reported to the state. There are different criteria for the different kinds of reports, so it is important to understand which reporting requirements – if any – would apply to your crash.

Here is a brief overview of when each type of report would be required:

Reporting to law enforcement

Under Tennessee Code § 55-10-106, you must notify law enforcement of your crash if the accident:

• Resulted in bodily injury to anyone involved
• Resulted in the death of any party
• Caused at least $50 worth of property damage

If any of the above conditions are met, the law states that you must contact law enforcement “immediately” or as quickly as possible, given the circumstances of your crash. Under this statute, crash survivors are supposed to notify the police department located in the same municipality where the accident took place. For crashes in Davidson County, this generally means you will need to contact the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

If you read the above criteria and thought that a $50 property damage threshold sounded low, you are not alone. Even minor fender-benders can result in more than $50 worth of damage, which means many accidents that take place in and around Nashville should legally be reported to law enforcement.

Also, your insurance policy may separately require prompt notice of an accident under the terms of your coverage.

Reporting to the Tennessee Department of Safety

Even if you already reported your crash to law enforcement, you may also be required to file a report with the Department of Safety. Under state law, you will likely need to submit such a report if your accident:

• Resulted in bodily injuries
• Resulted in fatalities
• Caused more than $1,500 worth of damage to personal property
• Caused more than $400 worth of damage to state or government-owned property

Even if you have already notified the police about your crash, you will still need to submit an accident report to the Department of Safety if the accident met any of the criteria outlined above. The state generally gives motorists 20 days to satisfy this reporting requirement before any penalties can be imposed. Even so, it is wise to submit your report as soon as possible after a crash so you can move forward with your other accident-related tasks.

If you are unsure whether your accident meets Tennessee’s reporting requirements, it is generally safer to report the crash. As long as you do not make an outright false report, you can make sure your bases are covered by contacting law enforcement and/or submitting a written notice of your accident to the Department of Safety without consequence.

How to report a crash

The way you report your crash will depend on the kind of report you need to make. Crashes that are subject to the state’s law enforcement notification requirements can be reported to police either by calling 9-1-1 or by filling out a report online, depending on the severity of the crash.

If anyone was injured or killed in your accident, you absolutely must call emergency services from the scene to request assistance. More minor collisions, however, can be reported via Metro’s online Minor Vehicle Crash portal. While these incidents are generally not investigated by law enforcement, you still need to notify the authorities to avoid any potential penalties. If the police responded to your accident, however, you will likely not need to submit your own report to law enforcement, as they will have completed all the requisite paperwork.

When it comes to reporting an accident to the Department of Safety, the process is typically pretty straightforward. You will first need to access the owner/driver crash report form online via the Department’s website so you can fill in your information. Once you have completed the form, you can submit it online or mail it to the following address:

TN DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY

P.O. BOX 945

Nashville, TN 37202-0945

You must submit your report within 20 days of the crash in order to satisfy the state’s requirements. There are penalties associated with delayed reporting, so the sooner you can take steps to satisfy these requirements, the better.

If you have questions about the reporting process or are concerned about your ability to fulfill the requirements, you can reach out to the Department of Safety directly or speak with an experienced car accident lawyer who is familiar with the process and can help you better understand your legal obligations.

What happens if I do not report my accident?

Tennessee’s accident reporting requirements are non-negotiable, and there are potentially serious penalties awaiting anyone who fails to comply. First and foremost, if you do not report a qualifying crash to the Department of Safety within the allotted 20-day time period, you could have your license suspended until compliance requirements are satisfied. Even a short, temporary license suspension can create all kinds of problems for motorists – particularly in a city where most of us rely on our personal vehicles to get from point A to point B.

Additionally, some insurance policies have their own accident reporting requirements and may impose penalties when policyholders do not uphold them. These insurance penalties can become major stressors for crash survivors who are counting on their auto insurance to help them address their accident-related losses.

To that end, accident reports can be important pieces of evidence in car accident claims. While self-submitted crash reports are fairly subjective in nature, they can still help establish the timeline of a crash as well as other supporting details. If you do not file an accident report as required by law, the other party involved in your crash may attempt to claim that your losses were not actually that serious or that you inflated your claim between the time of the crash and the time the report was ultimately submitted.

Next steps

If you were injured in a Nashville car accident, filing a crash report is one of the first and most important things you can do to set yourself up for success throughout the rest of the claims process. If you fail to file a required report, you may find yourself facing serious penalties or experiencing frustrating delays in your car accident claim.

Complying with the state’s reporting requirements is not the only thing you can do to protect your claim options. Working with an experienced car accident lawyer is one of the best decisions you can make while pursuing compensation for accident-related losses.

Rocky McElhaney Law Firm: Car Accident & Injury Lawyers is proud to support car accident survivors in and around Nashville in the fight for compensation following a crash. Between the financial, physical, and emotional impact of these accidents, we understand just how challenging it can be to stay on top of all that is required of you after a crash. That is why we work tirelessly to provide our clients with comprehensive support throughout every step of the injury claim process.

If you were injured in a car accident in Davidson County, give us a call today or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free case consultation, and let us discuss how the Rocky team can help you fight for what us right.