How Long Do I Have to Report a Car Accident in Ontario?
You have seven days to report the crash to your own insurer. Separately, if anyone was hurt or the damage looks like more than $5,000, police or a Collision Reporting Centre have to hear about it right away, not once a full day has passed.
These are two different clocks, and they run at the same time. One is about your insurance policy. The other is about the Highway Traffic Act. Missing either one causes a different problem, so it helps to know which is which before the week gets away from you.
Who do I report to, and how fast?
| Report to | Deadline | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Your own insurer or your broker | 7 days or as soon as you reasonably can after that | Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario |
| Police, or a Collision Reporting Centre | Right away, if anyone was hurt or damage looks like more than $5,000 | Ontario's Highway Traffic Act, section 199 |
| Application for Accident Benefits, the OCF-1 | 30 days after your insurer sends you the form | Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule |
What do I actually have to tell my insurer within seven days?
Following an accident, you must file a report with your broker, agent or insurance company within seven days or as quickly as possible after that and failing to report within a reasonable amount of time may result in your insurance company not honouring your claim. You do not need the full picture yet. A date, what happened, who else was involved and whether you were hurt is enough to start the file. If you plan to claim accident benefits, ask for the Application for Accident Benefits, the OCF-1, at the same time.
Do I have to report to the police too?
Separately from your insurer, accidents with property damage over $5,000 must be reported to the police as opposed to the collision centre, a threshold raised from $2,000 on 1 January 2025. A collision involving an injury has to be reported regardless of the dollar figure. There is no built in waiting period here. A collision that meets the statutory reporting criteria must be reported immediately, and the police service may then direct you to a Collision Reporting Centre.
What happens if I miss the seven-day window?
It does not end your claim. Missing the 7-day or 30-day deadlines does not disqualify you from benefits if you have a reasonable explanation, such as being hospitalized. A delay still gives an adjuster a reason to ask questions, so the safer move is to report as soon as you are able and put the date of that call somewhere you will not lose it. The full set of Ontario deadlines, including what happens after a denial, is laid out in our article Ontario Car Accident Claim Deadlines.
Keeping the record once you have reported
Once the report is made, the next few months are about documenting what the crash actually cost you: appointments, symptoms, mileage, calls. The National MVA Recovery Guide, $39, is the daily record of a recovery, built for every province including Ontario, and it works on its own.
Paired with it, the Ontario MVA Companion Guide, $24.99, carries the deadlines, forms and rules specific to Ontario. It is designed to be used alongside the National MVA Recovery Guide, not by itself. Together they are $49, normally $63.99, with the discount applied at checkout.
Every figure on this page comes from a named authority. See Sources and verification.
Last verified: September 2026.
If your recovery were reviewed tomorrow, what would your record say?
The National MVA Recovery Guide is where your recovery gets documented, day by day. Symptoms, appointments, calls and costs, written while they are fresh. It works in every province and it stands on its own. $39
Both guides, $49. Add the Ontario MVA Companion Guide for the dates and rules that shape your recovery in Ontario, and the discount applies at checkout.Normally $63.99.