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Claims & deadlines

Car accident laws by state

Every state has different rules for filing deadlines, fault, and no-fault insurance — and they genuinely do change. This is a state-by-state directory we keep honestly current, verified against primary sources with a visible date on every page.

The Accident Advisory editorial teamLast updated 2 sources3 min read

The short answer

  • How long you have to file. The statute of limitations ranges from about one year to six or more, depending on the state.
  • What happens if you were partly at fault. Comparative negligence rules vary, and some states bar recovery entirely past a fault threshold.
  • Whether it's a no-fault state. In no-fault states, you generally claim through your own insurer first, regardless of who caused the crash.
In this guide
  1. The short answer
  2. Browse by state
  3. How we verify this
  4. National overview
  5. Common questions
  6. Sources

Car accident laws by state: the map

Preview: squares fill in as each state's facts are cited. The live page shows the map once at least half the states are.

Car accident laws by state

Fault system

  • At-fault
  • No-fault
  • Choice
  • Add-on
  • In preparation

Select a state to see its rule, the statute and when we last checked it. The same data is in the table below.

Car accident laws by state: every state, with the statute and last-checked date
StateFault systemComparative-fault ruleInjury lawsuit deadlinePolice report ruleLast checked
AlabamaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
AlaskaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
ArizonaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
ArkansasIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
CaliforniaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
ColoradoIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
ConnecticutIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
DelawareIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
District of ColumbiaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
FloridaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
GeorgiaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
HawaiiIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
IdahoIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
IllinoisIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
IndianaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
IowaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
KansasIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
KentuckyIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
LouisianaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
MaineIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
MarylandIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
MassachusettsIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
MichiganIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
MinnesotaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
MississippiIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
MissouriIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
MontanaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
NebraskaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
NevadaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
New HampshireIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
New JerseyIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
New MexicoIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
New YorkIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
North CarolinaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
North DakotaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
OhioIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
OklahomaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
OregonIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
PennsylvaniaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
Rhode IslandIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
South CarolinaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
South DakotaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
TennesseeIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
TexasIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
UtahIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
VermontIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
VirginiaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
WashingtonIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
West VirginiaIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
WisconsinIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
WyomingIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparationIn preparation
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The Accident Advisory. (2026). Car accident laws by state [Data set]. https://theaccidentadvisory.com/car-accident-laws-by-state/
Laws by state · Interactive map

How car accident fault works in your state

Every state applies a different rule for shared fault — and the differences are bigger than most people expect. Hover or tap any state for the verified deadline and fault rule, sourced directly from the statute.

49
States verified
against the statute
5
Distinct fault-rule
systems in use
4
States still using pure
contributory negligence
1
State with a rule found
nowhere else (SD)

Prefer a list? The full A–Z directory is further down this page.

A note on New York

New York is under review

New York’s fault rule is changing, and we’re holding the dedicated state page until the position settles in case law rather than publish something that may be out of date within weeks. In the meantime, New York uses a 3-year filing deadline for personal injury claims. We’ll publish the full page as soon as the change is confirmed.

Car accident law is set state by state, not federally, so what applies to your accident depends entirely on where it happened. We built this directory because getting it right matters more than almost anything else on this site — a wrong deadline or a misunderstood fault rule can cost someone their claim. Every page below carries a visible “last verified” date, and we don’t publish a state until we can back every fact with a primary source.

Laws change with little warning. New York's fault rule for auto cases changed by statute in May 2026 — which is exactly why we date-stamp every page rather than publish once and forget it.

Browse by state

AlabamaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusAlaskaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusArizonaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusArkansasVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusCaliforniaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusColoradoVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusConnecticutVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusDelawareVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusFloridaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusGeorgiaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusHawaiiVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusIdahoVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusIllinoisVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusIndianaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusIowaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusKansasVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusKentuckyVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusLouisianaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusMaineVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusMarylandVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusMassachusettsVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusMichiganVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusMinnesotaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusMississippiVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusMissouriVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusMontanaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusNebraskaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusNevadaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusNew HampshireVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusNew JerseyVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusNew MexicoVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault status
New YorkExpanding — not yet verified
North CarolinaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusNorth DakotaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusOhioVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusOklahomaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusOregonVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusPennsylvaniaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusRhode IslandVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusSouth CarolinaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusSouth DakotaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusTennesseeVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusTexasVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusUtahVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusVermontVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusVirginiaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusWashingtonVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusWest VirginiaVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusWisconsinVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault statusWyomingVerified — SOL, fault rule, no-fault status

How we verify this

Each state page is checked against the actual statute text where possible, or against reputable secondary sources that themselves cite the statute. We log the source, the date checked, and re-check on a regular cycle — more details in our Editorial Policy. If a state’s law is in flux (recently changed, or under legislative review), we hold that page back rather than guess.

The national picture

If you’d rather start with the general concepts before drilling into your state, these cover the same ground nationally:

Common questions

Why isn't my state listed yet?

We only publish a state once we can verify its filing deadline, fault rule, and no-fault status against primary sources. We're working through states in order of how many people are searching for them, and we'd rather be accurate than fast.

How often is this updated?

Live state pages are rechecked on a regular cycle, and immediately if we become aware of relevant legislation. Every page shows the date it was last verified.

Is this legal advice?

No — this is general information to help you understand the landscape. For advice on your specific situation, speak with a licensed attorney in your state.

Sources

Written by The Accident Advisory editorial team from the sources below. Every change is logged in the editorial changelog.

  1. State statutes, as cited on each individual state page.
  2. American Bar Association (ABA) — state law variation in personal injury. americanbar.org. Accessed

The Accident Advisory provides free, general information and is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. State laws change — sometimes with little notice — and this page reflects our understanding as of the "last verified" date shown. Always confirm current law or speak with a licensed attorney in your state before relying on this for a decision.

Statute of LimitationsThe national overview and verified-state table.No-Fault States ExplainedWhat no-fault actually means for your claim.How Long Do I Have to File?The two clocks that matter after a crash.Do I Need a Lawyer?An honest answer, including when you don't.
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