What to do after a car accident in Houston, Texas
The local steps are quoted from Houston agency pages and the Texas rules from state law, each with a link. Checked September 17, 2026.
At fault state
The short answer
The Houston Police Department works crashes inside the Houston city limits. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. For a crash that is not an emergency, call 713-884-3131.
Houston does not send an officer to every crash. Department policy sends an officer when someone is hurt, when a driver seems drunk, when a driver has no license or no proof of insurance, when a car cannot be driven away, when a bicyclist or a walker was hit, or when a driver ran. If none of that is true, the call taker tells the drivers to move out of traffic, trade information, and go make the report themselves.
Houston crash reports are sold online through the LexisNexis crash report portal that the police department links from its own records page. You pick Texas as the state and Houston PD as the agency.
Who comes to a crash in Houston
The agency that responds
The Houston Police Department works crashes inside the Houston city limits. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. For a crash that is not an emergency, call 713-884-3131.
“Non-emergency Calls for Police Service -- (713) 884-3131”
When officers actually come out
Houston does not send an officer to every crash. Department policy sends an officer when someone is hurt, when a driver seems drunk, when a driver has no license or no proof of insurance, when a car cannot be driven away, when a bicyclist or a walker was hit, or when a driver ran. If none of that is true, the call taker tells the drivers to move out of traffic, trade information, and go make the report themselves.
“dispatchers shall instruct citizens to move their vehicles to a safe location off the freeway or roadway”
If no officer comes
When no officer comes to your crash, you make the report yourself. Houston tells drivers to go to a police station or to the Vehicular Crimes Division office within 24 hours of the crash. That office can be reached at 713 247-4072.
“citizen to make a report at a police station or at the Vehicular Crimes Division (VCD) office within 24 hours”
On the interstates and state highways
If a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper worked your crash on a state highway instead of Houston police, do not go to the city records counter. DPS sends you to the Texas Department of Transportation online purchase system for the same CR-3 crash report.
“You may obtain a Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3) (regular or certified) from the Texas Department of Transportation’s Crash Report Online Purchase System.”
What Texas law requires you to report
If the crash hurt or killed someone, or damaged a vehicle badly enough that it cannot be driven safely, the driver must immediately notify local police, the sheriff, or the nearest Department of Public Safety office.
“The operator of a vehicle involved in a collision resulting in injury to or death of a person or damage to a vehicle to the extent that it cannot be normally and safely driven shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of the collision to the: (1) local police department if the collision occurred in a municipality; (2) local police department or the sheriff's office if the collision occurred not more than 100 feet outside the limits of a municipality; or (3) sheriff's office or the nearest office of the department if the collision is not required to be reported under Subdivision (1) or (2).”
Getting your Houston crash report
Where to get it
Houston crash reports are sold online through the LexisNexis crash report portal that the police department links from its own records page. You pick Texas as the state and Houston PD as the agency.
“Crash Reports can be purchased online from the Texas Department of Transportation at https://buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com.”
How long it takes
Houston crash reports take about 5 to 8 days to process before the public can get a copy.
“Accident reports require 5 to 8 days processing time before they are available to the public.”
What it costs
A Houston crash report copy costs $6 and a certified copy costs $8. Buying it online adds a service charge on top.
“Mail request and payment of ($6.00 for Non-Certified Crash Report) or ($8.00 for Certified Crash Report)”
If your car was towed
Where it goes and how to get it back
A car towed after a Houston crash goes to a vehicle storage lot. Look it up by license plate or VIN at findmytowedcar.com, which also shows the storage fees owed, or call the city tow line at 713-308-8580. The regulated city tow charge is $232.00 for the first 20 miles plus $4.64 for each mile after that.
“You can call the tow line at 713-308-8580 or go to Findmytowedcar.com.”
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.
Texas deadlines that apply in Houston
- 2 years
- to sue for injuriesTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a)
- 2 years
- to sue for car or property damageTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a)
- 2 years
- for a family to sue after a deathTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(b)
- 6 months
- to notify the government if a public vehicle or road was involvedTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101(a)
All Texas rules: fault, insurance minimums and the full deadline list
The Texas rules behind your claim
Who pays for the damage
Texas is an at-fault state. The driver who causes a crash is responsible for the other person's injuries and damage.
“Liability insurance pays to repair or replace the other driver's car, or other damaged property, and pays other people's medical expenses when you're at fault in an accident.”
If you were partly at fault
Texas uses modified comparative fault, called proportionate responsibility. You cannot recover any money if your own share of fault is greater than 50 percent.
“a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
What insurance every driver must carry
Texas drivers must carry at least $30,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 in property damage coverage.
“Texas law requires you to have at least $30,000 of coverage for injuries per person, up to a total of $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for property damage. This is called 30/60/25 coverage.”
Sources on this page
Each one was opened and checked on September 17, 2026.
- Houston Police Department, Phone Directory
- Houston Police Department, General Order 600-09 Crash Investigations
- Houston Police Department, Public Information Requests
- Houston Police Department, HPD Crash Report Request Form
- Houston Police Department, Auto Dealers Detail, Towed Vehicles FAQ
- Harris County Justice Courts, Filing Small Claims Cases
- Texas Department of Public Safety, Public Information Requests
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.