What to do after a car accident in Chicago, Illinois
The local steps are quoted from Chicago agency pages and the Illinois rules from state law, each with a link. Checked September 17, 2026.
At fault state
The short answer
The Chicago Police Department works crashes on the city streets inside Chicago. Call 911 if someone is hurt, or 311 when the crash is not an emergency.
An officer writes the report at the scene for about half of Chicago crashes. For the other half, mostly minor ones, the drivers report the crash themselves at a police district station.
Chicago police sell the crash report from their own portal at crash.chicagopolice.org, where you search by the RD number from your crash, a driver name, or the crash date.
Who comes to a crash in Chicago
The agency that responds
The Chicago Police Department works crashes on the city streets inside Chicago. Call 911 if someone is hurt, or 311 when the crash is not an emergency.
“Crash data shows information about each traffic crash on city streets within the City of Chicago limits and under the jurisdiction of Chicago Police Department (CPD).”
When officers actually come out
An officer writes the report at the scene for about half of Chicago crashes. For the other half, mostly minor ones, the drivers report the crash themselves at a police district station.
“About half of all crash reports, mostly minor crashes, are self-reported at the police district by the driver(s) involved”
If no officer comes
Every driver in a Chicago crash has to complete an Illinois Motorist Report within 10 days, and a minor crash that no officer wrote up is reported by the driver at a police district station.
“as soon as possible but not later than 10 days after the accident, complete an Illinois Motorist Report.”
On the interstates and state highways
Crashes on the Chicago expressways are worked by the Illinois State Police, not by Chicago police. For a freeway crash you can file a desk report with a trooper in person within 10 days, including at five Chicago police district stations.
“If you were involved in a traffic crash occurring on a freeway in the Chicagoland area you can file a Desk Report in person within 10 days of the crash.”
What Illinois law requires you to report
A driver must immediately report a crash if anyone was hurt or killed, or if the property damage to anyone, including the driver, is more than $1,500, or more than $500 if a car in the crash has no insurance.
“Notice is required to be given under this subsection (a) if the crash: (1) results in injury to or death of any person; (2) results in damage to the property of any person, including the driver, in excess of $1,500 (or $500 if any of the vehicles involved in the accident is subject to Section 7-601 but is not covered by a liability insurance policy)”
Getting your Chicago crash report
Where to get it
Chicago police sell the crash report from their own portal at crash.chicagopolice.org, where you search by the RD number from your crash, a driver name, or the crash date.
“Original Traffic Crash Report: $6.00 per report ($1.50 per amended)”
How long it takes
Crash information takes about a day to appear. The department says it can take up to 24 hours for the state to assign the report a control number and for the information to be available.
“It may take up to 24 hours for the State of Illinois to assign a control number to the traffic crash report and for the information to be available.”
What it costs
A Chicago crash report costs $6.00, and an amended report costs $1.50.
“The fee is $6.00 per report ($1.50 per amended report)”
If your car was towed
Where it goes and how to get it back
A car towed after a Chicago crash goes to a city auto pound. Call 311 or search your plate on the city vehicle search to find it. The city tow fee is $250 for a car under 8,000 pounds, plus $50 a day storage.
“Towing: $250 for vehicles under 8,000 pounds, $350 for vehicles with a gross weight of 8,000 pounds or more.”
Storage is charged by the day in most cities, so the bill grows while a claim is still open. Tell your insurer where the car is as soon as you know.
Illinois deadlines that apply in Chicago
- 2 years
- to sue for injuries735 ILCS 5/13-202
- 5 years
- to sue for car or property damage735 ILCS 5/13-205
- 2 years
- for a family to sue after a death740 ILCS 180/2(d)
- 1 year
- to notify the government if a public vehicle or road was involved705 ILCS 505/22-1 (state); 745 ILCS 10/8-101 (local government)
All Illinois rules: fault, insurance minimums and the full deadline list
The Illinois rules behind your claim
Who pays for the damage
Illinois is an at-fault state. The insurance of the driver who caused the crash pays for the other driver's injuries and damage, and you can file a claim with either your own insurer or the other driver's insurer.
“Even if another driver caused the damage, you have the option to file the claim with either your own insurance company if you have the appropriate coverages (a "first-party" claim) or the other driver's insurance company (a "third-party" claim).”
If you were partly at fault
Illinois uses modified comparative fault with a 51 percent bar. You can collect money only if your share of fault is 50 percent or less. If your fault is more than 50 percent, you cannot collect anything.
“the plaintiff shall be barred from recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is more than 50% of the proximate cause of the injury or damage for which recovery is sought. The plaintiff shall not be barred from recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is not more than 50%”
What insurance every driver must carry
Illinois requires liability insurance of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injury, and $20,000 for property damage.
“every such policy or bond is subject, if the motor vehicle crash has resulted in bodily injury or death, to a limit, exclusive of interest and costs, of not less than $25,000 because of bodily injury to or death of any one person in any one motor vehicle crash and ... to a limit of not less than $50,000 because of bodily injury to or death of 2 or more persons ... and, if the motor vehicle crash has resulted in injury to or destruction of property, to a limit of not less than $20,000”
Sources on this page
Each one was opened and checked on September 17, 2026.
- City of Chicago Data Portal, Traffic Crashes - Crashes
- Chicago Police Department, Driver Information Exchange Card, form CPD-22.122
- Chicago Police Department, Traffic Crash Reports portal
- Chicago Police Department, Traffic Crash Reports
- City of Chicago, Streets and Sanitation, Common Towing Questions
- Illinois Courts, Self Help, How to File and Serve a Small Claims Complaint and Small Claims Summons
- Illinois State Police, Crash Reports
The state law behind these steps
Each one was opened and checked on September 17, 2026.
Know My Claim is not a law firm or a government agency, and this page is not legal advice. Laws change, so check the linked source before you rely on a deadline.