After a Crash in Indiana — Official Resources
This is general information, not legal advice.
Indiana has no driver self-report form and no filing deadline — the officer's report is the only crash record the state keeps. Your duty under IC 9-26-1-1.1 is to stop, exchange information, and assist anyone injured; failing to do so is leaving the scene, a criminal offense. But an officer is only required to investigate when there is injury, death, or total property damage of at least $2,500 (IC 9-26-2-1, as amended in 2024) — so on a smaller crash, ask for a report rather than assuming one gets written. Reports go to the Indiana State Police and are sold through BuyCrash for about $12, usually within about a week. Free help: Indiana Legal Services at 844-243-8570 and the Department of Insurance Consumer Services Division.
Indiana is the rare state that asks nothing of you on paper afterward — no form, no deadline, no state office to mail. That sounds easy until you realize the flip side: if no officer investigates, no crash record exists at all. And in 2024 the legislature raised the damage figure that obligates an officer to investigate, which makes the first card below the most useful thing on this page. The first-steps checklist covers saving your dashcam clip before the camera loops.
Ask for a report — the threshold went up
Under IC 9-26-2-1, a law enforcement officer must investigate a crash that results in injury or death, or total property damage to an apparent extent of at least $2,500. That figure was raised by amendment in 2024 — you will still find websites citing $1,000, which reflects the older law.
What that means in practice: on a fender-bender that looks like it's under $2,500 with nobody hurt, an officer is not obligated to come out and write it up. And because Indiana has no driver self-report form, no officer means no record — which your insurer will notice.
So say it out loud at the scene: ask for an officer and ask for a report. Photograph everything either way. Note also that when an officer is present, subsection (b) requires them to make sure every driver has complied with the exchange duties below, whatever the damage looks like.
Report the crash
Indiana's driver duty isn't a form, it's conduct at the scene. Under IC 9-26-1-1.1 you must stop, give your name, address, and vehicle registration number, show your license and insurance information, and provide reasonable assistance to anyone injured or trapped.
If you hit an unattended vehicle or damage property and can't find the owner after reasonable inquiry, you must contact a law enforcement officer or agency and give them the same information. Knowingly failing to comply is leaving the scene of an accident — a misdemeanor that escalates if anyone was hurt.
Get the crash report
The Indiana State Police maintains the central repository of every crash report in the state and sells electronic copies through the BuyCrash portal — typically about $12. Search by report number, or by last name plus the date or address.
Timing: the investigating officer has 24 hours to forward the report to State Police after completing the investigation, and there's no hard deadline on completing it. Straightforward crashes usually appear within about a week; injury or fatal investigations take considerably longer. If it isn't online yet, the responding agency can sometimes provide a copy from its own records first. Indianapolis Metro reports can also be picked up in person for $12.
Hit-and-run
Call police immediately. A fled driver is exactly the situation Indiana's stop-and-exchange law addresses — the other driver has committed a criminal offense, not just a traffic one — and it's also the situation where the $2,500 investigation threshold stops mattering, because you want an officer regardless.
Save your clip and note the time and location while they're exact. In a state with no self-report form, your footage plus the officer's report is the entire record; without either, the crash effectively didn't happen as far as any adjuster is concerned. Uninsured-motorist coverage on your own policy is what typically pays when the driver is never identified — and check your policy's hit-and-run notice deadline, which is usually far shorter than the claim deadline.
Find a lawyer
Indiana runs lawyer referral locally rather than through one statewide service. In Indianapolis and the surrounding counties, the Indianapolis Bar Association operates Indy Lawyer Finder. In the South Bend area, the St. Joseph County Bar Association's referral line is 574-235-9657. Other counties run their own; the American Bar Association's directory will point you to the right one.
Free legal help
Indiana Legal Services is a nonprofit law firm providing free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income Hoosiers statewide, with offices in Indianapolis, Bloomington, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Hammond, Lafayette, Merrillville, New Albany, and South Bend. Intake line: 844-243-8570, weekdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — a narrow window, so plan the call.
For a question that doesn't need a lawyer on retainer, Indiana Free Legal Answers lets income-eligible residents submit a civil legal question that volunteer Indiana attorneys answer.
Insurance problems
The Indiana Department of Insurance Consumer Services Division investigates complaints against insurers and agents. Two things they're explicit about: contact the insurance company first and give them a chance to resolve it, and complaints must be in writing — the online portal is the fastest route.
Expect processing within about 72 hours, after which you'll get a confirmation letter with a Problem Report number and the name of the consultant handling your file. Use that number on everything afterward. Note that a copy of your complaint goes to the insurance company, so write it as something you'd be comfortable having them read.
Uninsured when it happened? Your obligations at the scene were the same either way, and having an officer's report still helps you — it's the neutral account. Indiana Legal Services is the place to start on what follows.
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Dashwatcher is a dashcam company, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice or a substitute for a licensed attorney. Reporting rules, deadlines, and programs differ by state and change over time; verify everything with the official source before you rely on it. Links go to government agencies, bar associations, and nonprofits. Dashwatcher receives no payment from any organization listed.
From the team at Dashwatcher.
Last verified: August 4, 2026