Failing to Report a Collision in Ontario

How it differs from failing to remain at the scene

This offence is often discussed alongside failing to remain at the scene of a collision, but they cover different duties. Failing to remain involves leaving the scene without stopping to exchange information or provide assistance — a duty that applies immediately, regardless of how much damage occurred. Failing to report involves a separate, later duty: notifying police of a collision that meets certain criteria, even where the driver did stop and exchange information properly at the scene.

The current reporting threshold

Ontario’s regulations set a dollar threshold above which a collision must be reported to police. That threshold was raised from $2,000 to $5,000 in combined damage, effective January 1, 2025. Regardless of the dollar amount, a collision involving an injury, damage to public or municipal property, or a suspected criminal act (such as impaired driving) generally must be reported to police. Because this is a recent change, some older sources and even some police-service pages may still describe the previous $2,000 figure — the $5,000 threshold is the current one.

For a collision that falls below the police-reporting threshold, drivers are still generally expected to report it to a Collision Reporting Centre, commonly within 24 hours. Regardless of whether a collision meets any reporting threshold, exchanging information with the other parties involved — names, addresses, licence numbers, and insurance details — is expected at the scene itself, as described in our failing to remain guide.

How to Fight This Ticket

Because this offence often turns on an estimate of damage value made at the scene, a genuine, good-faith assessment that reasonably placed the damage below the threshold at the time can be a relevant consideration, separate from how the damage was later assessed once repair estimates came in. Requesting disclosure to see how the damage estimate and reporting requirement were assessed is a reasonable starting point, as described in the general process for fighting a ticket. This is general information only and isn’t an assessment of any specific collision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources