After A Crash
G.S. 20-166 — stop, stay, exchange information, and help anyone hurt
Stop, and stay until the officer is done. In North Carolina, a driver who knows or reasonably should know their vehicle was in a crash that caused injury stops immediately and stays with the vehicle at the scene until an officer completes the investigation or authorizes them to leave, unless staying puts someone at significant risk of injury. Leaving is allowed only to call for police or medical help or to get out of danger, and the driver returns within a reasonable time.
| The crash caused | A willful violation is |
|---|---|
| The crash causedSerious bodily injury or death | A willful violation isClass F felony |
| The crash causedInjury | A willful violation isClass H felony |
| The crash causedOnly property damage | A willful violation isClass 1 misdemeanor |
A driver required to stop gives the person struck and the other driver or occupants their name, address, driver's license number and license plate number, and renders reasonable assistance to anyone injured, including calling for medical help if it is apparent that it is needed.
The driver in a reportable accident notifies the police at once by the quickest means: the city or town police inside a city or town, and the Highway Patrol or sheriff outside one. A driver who hits a parked or unattended vehicle reports it to the owner within 48 hours with the time, date and place, their name, address and license number, and their plate number.
No motor vehicle is registered in North Carolina without proof of financial responsibility, and the owner keeps it continuously for as long as the vehicle is registered. A driver in a reportable accident furnishes that proof when the Division of Motor Vehicles asks.
Sources for this section (3)
- G.S. 20-166 — Duty to stop in event of a crash
- G.S. 20-166.1 — Reports and investigations required in event of accident
- G.S. 20-309 — Financial responsibility prerequisite to registration
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed North Carolina attorney.