Once the initial shock of an accident has subsided, you'll need to follow certain procedures in reporting the who, what, why, where, and when to both the police and your insurance company. But before you begin frantically punching in phone numbers and completing long forms, be sure your accident warrants notification.

Here's the Scoop

If you're involved in a crash, follow these steps:

1. Don't flee. Stop the vehicle and assess. If you're obstructing traffic, try, if possible, to move your vehicle to the side of the road.
2. If you hit an unoccupied car and cannot locate the owner, leave a note with your contact information under the windshield wiper.
3. Try to alert oncoming traffic so as to reduce chances of another accident.
4. If there was another vehicle involved, exchange information with the driver. Get the other driver's name, phone number, address, license plate number, driver's license number, and insurance company name.
5. Submit a Certificate of Insurance within 15 days if estimated property damages are $501 or more.
6. If an injury is involved or there is $2,000 or more in property damage and the accident occurred within a municipality, you must immediately contact the local police department. If the accident occurred outside of a municipality, contact the Alaska State Troopers.
7. Within 10 days of the accident, mail an Alaska Motor Vehicle Crash Form to:
   • Department of Administration
   • Division of Motor Vehicles
   • P.O. Box 110221
   • Juneau, AK 99811-0221

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