After a Crash in Colorado — Official Resources

Report the crash

Colorado requires the driver to give immediate notice to the nearest police authority after a crash involving injury, death, or property damage. Call 911 if it's an emergency, or the local non-emergency line if it isn't.

Know this one: an officer can decline to investigate if the damage to any one person's property looks like it's under $1,000 and nobody was hurt. But the law says the officer must complete an investigation and file a report if a participant specifically asks for one, or if anyone involved can't show proof of insurance. If you want a report, say so out loud at the scene.

Accident Alert and online reporting

During bad weather Colorado agencies often go on "Accident Alert," and for minor crashes an officer may tell you to file it yourself instead. In that case use the Colorado Online Crash Reporting System — those reports go directly to the Department of Revenue.

Worth knowing: the State Patrol does not have copies of self-filed online reports. For a copy of one of those, contact the Department of Revenue at 303-205-5600.

Get the crash report

For crashes worked by the State Patrol, request the basic crash report from the CSP Central Records Unit — processing can take up to 10 working days, and there's a fee. Have the driver's name, crash date, case report number, and location ready. For city crashes, request from the local police department instead.

Hit-and-run

Call the police immediately — a driver leaving the scene is one of the situations where Colorado expects an officer's report, and it becomes the foundation of any claim. Your dashcam clip is the case: save it now and note the time and location. Your own policy's uninsured-motorist coverage may apply even though the driver fled — ask your insurer, and check your policy's deadline for reporting a hit-and-run, which is often much shorter than the claim itself.

Find a lawyer

The Colorado Bar Association's Find-A-Lawyer directory asks what you need help with and narrows to attorneys who handle it, with their fee and payment options listed.

One honest caveat: Bar membership in Colorado is voluntary, so a good lawyer may simply not appear in that directory. Several county bar associations also run their own referral programs, and you can verify any Colorado attorney's license status and disciplinary history through the state Supreme Court's attorney search.

Free legal help

The Colorado Legal Help Center connects people without a lawyer to legal information, practical resources, and contacts for assistance. Colorado Legal Services is the statewide nonprofit providing free civil legal help to people who qualify by income — generally within 200% of federal poverty guidelines, or age 60 and over — with offices around the state and free legal clinics in many counties.

Insurance problems

The Colorado Division of Insurance answers consumer questions and investigates complaints against insurers and agents. Phone: 303-894-7499, or toll-free outside the Denver metro area at 800-930-3745.

The Division asks that you write your complaint in your own words rather than using an AI tool, since AI-generated complaints often get state law and policy details wrong and slow your case down. Good advice, and it applies to this page too — everything here links out to the agency rather than paraphrasing it.

Driving without insurance yourself? You still have rights and steps worth taking — make sure the crash is documented per the rules above, and lean on the free legal help listed here.