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What should I do after a hit-and-run?

Updated July 1, 2026United States

Short answer

Don't chase the other car — stay safe and get whatever you can about it from where you are: plate (even a partial), make, model, color, direction it went, and the time and place. Call the police and file a report, since a report is usually needed for an insurance claim and may be required in your state. Photograph the damage and the scene, look for witnesses and any nearby cameras, and report it to your own insurer promptly. Whether the damage is covered depends on your policy — uninsured motorist or collision coverage often applies, but this varies by state and plan.

A hit-and-run adds a sting because the other driver is gone — but a calm, quick record of what you did see, plus a police report, is what turns it into a claim you can actually make.

Step by step

  1. Stay safe — don't pursue

    Resist the urge to chase the other vehicle; it's dangerous and leaves your own scene unprotected. Get yourself and your car to safety and turn on hazard lights.

  2. Capture whatever you noticed about the car

    Write down or record immediately anything you saw: the plate or even a partial, the make, model, color, distinctive damage or stickers, the direction it fled, and roughly what time. Small details fade fast, so get them down now.

  3. Call the police and file a report

    Report the hit-and-run to the police. A police report is usually needed to make an insurance claim, and reporting may be required in your state. Get the report or incident number. Whether and how you must report varies, so check your local police or state DMV.

  4. Photograph the damage and scene

    Take photos of your vehicle's damage from several angles, plus the location, any debris or paint transfer from the other car, and the surroundings. If it happened while parked, photograph exactly how and where your car was.

  5. Look for witnesses and cameras

    Ask anyone nearby if they saw it and get their contact details. Note any traffic cameras, doorbell or security cameras, or businesses that might have footage — it can help identify the driver, but footage is often overwritten quickly, so act fast.

  6. Report it to your own insurer promptly

    Tell your insurance company as soon as you can. Whether the damage is covered depends on your policy — uninsured motorist coverage and collision coverage commonly come into play for hit-and-runs, but coverage and deductibles vary by state and plan. Ask what applies to you.

  7. Keep everything together

    Hold onto the police report number, your photos, notes on what you saw, witness details and any footage in one place. A complete, dated record supports both the police investigation and your claim.

Plain-English terms

Hit-and-run
A crash where a driver leaves the scene without stopping to identify themselves or help. Leaving is generally against the law, whether the other vehicle was moving or parked.
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
Coverage on your own policy that can apply when the at-fault driver has no insurance or can't be identified — as in many hit-and-runs. Whether you have it, and its terms, vary by state and policy.
Collision coverage
Coverage that pays to repair your own vehicle after a crash regardless of fault, usually subject to a deductible. It may cover hit-and-run damage; check your policy.
Deductible
The amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance pays the rest. Which coverage applies to a hit-and-run affects whether, and how much of, a deductible you'll owe.
Police report
The official record of the incident. For a hit-and-run it's often required to open an insurance claim, and it starts any investigation to find the driver.

The tool for this

buildmyevidence

This guide tells you what to do. buildmyevidence helps you capture it fast — the details you glimpsed, photos of the damage, where and when it happened, witnesses and camera locations — into one dated file for the police report and your insurer, before the memory fades.

  • Get down what you saw immediately, dated and located
  • Damage photos, witness details and nearby-camera notes in one place
  • Export an organized record for the police report and your claim
See buildmyevidence

Related questions

This is general information to help you stay safe and keep your own records — not legal advice. Reporting duties and what your insurance covers vary by state and policy — check your local police, state DMV, and your own insurance policy for your situation.