What to Do After a Car Accident in Houston, TX: Local Agencies, Tows and Reports

The short answer

After a car accident in Houston, Texas law requires a driver in a crash that results, or is reasonably likely to result, in injury or death to stop, check whether anyone needs aid, and stay to give their name, address, vehicle registration number and the name of their liability insurer (Transp. Code §§550.021, 550.023). Inside city limits, a crash with injury, death or a vehicle that cannot be normally and safely driven is reported to the Houston Police Department (§550.026): 911 for emergencies, 713-884-3131 for non-emergency police service (HPD).

Within 100 feet outside a city's limits, the statute names the city police or the sheriff's office; farther out, the sheriff's office or the nearest Department of Public Safety office. In unincorporated Harris County the sheriff's office is the Harris County Sheriff's Office, and Harris County Constable Precinct 8, for example, lists its own Crash Team. When an officer investigates a crash with injury, death or apparent damage of $1,000 or more to any one person's property, the officer's report (Form CR-3) is filed with TxDOT within 10 days, and TxDOT and HPD sell copies for $6, or $8 certified (§§550.062, 550.065). A crash with a City of Houston vehicle has its own 90-day charter notice rule (City of Houston).

This guide covers Houston and Harris County: the local agencies, the City's tow rules, where reports are sold, and the local claim and court offices. It is general informational guidance and is not legal advice; it describes what Texas law and Houston-area agencies say in general and does not apply the law to any particular crash. For the same steps anywhere in Texas, see what to do after a car accident in Texas.

The first six steps this guide covers:

1. Call 911, or HPD's non-emergency line inside Houston
2. On I-45, I-10, the 610 Loop or another Houston freeway, move cars that can be normally and safely driven
3. Know which Houston-area agency handles the crash
4. Exchange information and know which Houston records are kept
5. If the car is towed in Houston
6. Get the crash report from HPD, TxDOT or another agency

Key facts (as of November 2, 2026)

• Emergency and non-emergency lines. 911 for emergencies; HPD takes requests for non-emergency police service inside the City of Houston at 713-884-3131 (HPD). The Harris County Sheriff's Office non-emergency number is 713-221-6000 (HCSO).
• Who takes the report. City police inside a city; city police or the sheriff within 100 feet outside city limits; otherwise the sheriff or the nearest Department of Public Safety office (§550.026, §541.002(1)).
• Freeway crashes. On a metropolitan freeway such as I-45, I-10 or the 610 Loop, when every vehicle can be normally and safely driven, drivers move off the main lanes as soon as possible (§550.022(b)).
• Tow trucks at a police scene. In the City of Houston, a tow operator's role is to tow the vehicle as the officer directs, and soliciting towing or repair business at a police scene is forbidden until the officer has left (HPD Auto Dealers Detail).
• Finding a towed car. HPD lists the tow line at 713-308-8580; have the VIN or license plate ready (HPD Towed Vehicles FAQ).
• The crash report. When an officer investigates a crash with injury, death or apparent damage of $1,000 or more to any one person's property, the report is filed with TxDOT within 10 days (§550.062); $6, or $8 certified (§550.065(d)). HPD says its reports need 5 to 8 days of processing (HPD).
• 911 recordings. The Houston Emergency Center keeps 911 audio for six months and dispatch transcripts for one year (HPD).
• Government vehicles. City of Houston: verified written notice within 90 days (Charter art. IX, §11). Harris County: within 180 days (claim procedure). METRO: within 180 days (notice of claim form).
• Filing period. Generally two years for a personal injury suit, with exceptions in the Code (CPRC §16.003).

Step 1: Call 911, or HPD's non-emergency line inside Houston

Under Transportation Code §550.021, the driver of a vehicle in a collision that results or is reasonably likely to result in injury to or death of a person must immediately stop at or as close as possible to the scene, return if the vehicle did not stop there, determine whether anyone involved needs aid, and remain until giving the information and help that §550.023 requires. The driver stops "without obstructing traffic more than is necessary."

In Houston, 911 is the number for emergencies. For a situation that needs a police officer but is not an emergency, HPD asks callers inside the city limits to dial 713-884-3131, and tells people outside its jurisdiction to contact their local law enforcement agency (Contact HPD). The Harris County Sheriff's Office tells drivers to dial 911 for serious injuries and to call 713-221-6000 if a vehicle cannot be moved from the roadway, anyone is injured, a driver has no license or no proof of insurance, or a disturbance starts (HCSO, Traffic Crash).

The full statewide list of scene duties is in our reference entry on Texas Transportation Code chapter 550.

Step 2: On I-45, I-10, the 610 Loop or another Houston freeway, move cars that can be normally and safely driven

Houston's freeways include I-45, I-10, US-59/I-69, the 610 Loop and Beltway 8, and Texas has a rule for crashes on freeways like them. Under §550.022(b), when a collision happens on a main lane, ramp, shoulder, median or adjacent area of a freeway in a metropolitan area and each vehicle involved can be normally and safely driven, each driver moves the vehicle as soon as possible to a designated collision investigation site, if one is available, a location on the frontage road, the nearest suitable cross street or another suitable location. A vehicle can be normally and safely driven only if it does not need towing and can run under its own power without added damage or hazard (§550.022(d)).

The Harris County Sheriff's Office gives the same practical advice: if possible, move the vehicle from the roadway to a safe location, because the roadway "is not a safe place to be" (HCSO).

When a vehicle cannot be moved, Texas law lets a police department, sheriff's office, constable's office, DPS, a fire department or a metropolitan rapid transit authority such as METRO remove certain vehicles and spilled cargo that block the roadway or endanger public safety, without the owner's consent, and the owner reimburses the reasonable cost of removal (§545.3051).

Step 3: Know which Houston-area agency handles the crash

Greater Houston is served by many police agencies, and the one that responds depends mostly on where the crash happened. Transportation Code §550.026 says the driver in a crash that results in injury or death, or in damage that leaves a vehicle unable to be normally and safely driven, immediately gives notice to the local police department if the crash happened in a city; to the police department or the sheriff's office if it happened not more than 100 feet outside city limits; and otherwise to the sheriff's office or the nearest office of "the department," which in this part of the Code means the Texas Department of Public Safety (§541.002(1)).

In the Houston area, the agency can be one of these:

• Houston Police Department (HPD) for crashes inside City of Houston limits.
• The Harris County Sheriff's Office or a Harris County constable precinct for crashes in unincorporated Harris County. Some constable precincts publish their own crash report pages; Precinct 8, for example, has a crash team and an accident report purchase link (Constable Precinct 8).
• A suburban police department, such as Pasadena, Baytown, Pearland, Sugar Land, League City, Missouri City, Katy or Conroe, for crashes inside those cities.
• METRO Police for some crashes involving METRO vehicles or property. METRO's FAQ says a traffic accident report is requested with the date of the accident and the name of anyone listed on the report (METRO).
• Texas DPS troopers, who also work crashes in the region. DPS says copies of the CR-3 are obtained from TxDOT's Crash Report Online Purchase System (DPS).

HPD's online reporting page accepts only minor hit-and-run collisions online: no injuries, no towing, damage under $1,000, and no emergency. HPD notes that no collision diagram is provided for an online report, and says to call 911 if the collision just occurred or someone is hurt.

Whichever agency responds, many people write down the officer's name, badge number, agency and the report or incident number before leaving. HPD, for example, asks for the incident number, if available, when someone requests its crash report (HPD).

Step 4: Exchange information and know which Houston records are kept

Under §550.023, a driver in a crash that injures or kills someone, or damages a vehicle that is driven or attended by a person, gives their name and address, the registration number of the vehicle and the name of their motor vehicle liability insurer, shows their driver's license if requested and available, and provides reasonable assistance to anyone injured. Under §601.053, a driver shows evidence of financial responsibility on request to a person involved in the collision, and that evidence can be an image on a phone provided by the insurer. The Sheriff's Office suggests checking the insurance card's expiration date and getting the insurer's phone number (HCSO).

If it is safe and they are able, many people also photograph the vehicles, plates, damage, road, signals and any visible injuries; note the street and nearest cross street, or the freeway, direction and exit; and collect names and phone numbers of witnesses.

Two Houston records can matter later. The Houston Emergency Center keeps 911 audio for six months and dispatch transcripts for one year, and HPD keeps calls-for-service records for two years (HPD, Public Information). Our guide to preserving dashcam and video evidence in Texas explains how footage is commonly kept and requested, and common mistakes after an accident covers what is generally said at the scene.

Step 5: If the car is towed in Houston

HPD's Auto Dealers Detail, which licenses tow truck drivers and storage lots in the city, puts the local rule this way: "When involved in a crash in the City of Houston, an important law to remember is that the tow truck operators role is to tow your vehicle per a police officers direction." The page says the law forbids tow operators to solicit business for towing, removing or repairing an abandoned or disabled vehicle at a police scene "by words, cards, or gestures" until the officer has left, so an operator who approaches someone suggesting a body shop is violating the ordinance (HPD Auto Dealers Detail).

• Tow and Go. The City's Tow and Go program, formerly SafeClear, tows stalled vehicles on Houston's freeways to a nearby safe location off the freeway at no cost to the motorist; a tow to a home or another location is charged at the City's non-consent tow rate. Vehicles left unattended do not qualify, and the tollways and the Katy Freeway HOT lanes are not included. The City's page describes stalled vehicles and does not address crashes (Tow and Go).
• Finding the car. HPD lists the tow line at 713-308-8580, and the Findmytowedcar.com site; it asks for the VIN or license plate (Towed Vehicles FAQ).
• A tow hearing. A tow truck summoned to the scene of a traffic collision performs what the Code calls an incident management tow, one kind of nonconsent tow (Occ. Code §2308.002). The owner or operator of a vehicle removed and placed in a storage facility without consent is entitled to a hearing on whether probable cause existed for the removal (§2308.452), held in a justice court of the county the vehicle was towed from (§2308.453). The written request generally goes to the court before the 14th day after the tow, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, with the exceptions §2308.456 states, and the towing company or storage facility gives written notice of these rights when the costs are paid (§§2308.454, 2308.456). HPD's towed-vehicle page links the current tow hearing request form and instructions.

Step 6: Get the crash report from HPD, TxDOT or another agency

The officer's report is the Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report, Form CR-3 (TxDOT). Under §550.062, an officer who investigates a crash that resulted in injury, death or apparent property damage of $1,000 or more to any one person writes a report and files it electronically with TxDOT not later than the 10th day after the crash.

TxDOT says it has not kept the Driver's Crash Report (Form CR-2) since September 1, 2017, and that drivers in a crash no police officer investigated who were given a CR-2 or a similar local agency form should keep it for their records (TxDOT). How to get a Texas crash report covers the statewide rules.

The main ways to get a Houston-area report, as of October 29, 2026:

• TxDOT CRIS (online). TxDOT sells CR-3 copies through its Crash Report Online Purchase System: $6 for a regular copy and $8 for a certified copy, with "a minimal surcharge," and reports are emailed after purchase (TxDOT).
• HPD (in person or by mail). HPD's Records Division (713-308-8500, option 3) asks for at least two of the date, the location and the names of the drivers or people involved, plus the incident number if available. Reports are sold in person at the Edward A. Thomas Building, 1200 Travis St., 1st floor, or by mailing a $6 check or money order payable to the City of Houston with a self-addressed stamped envelope and the H.B. 2633 form (the form lists $8 for a certified copy). HPD says full copies can be bought only in person or by mail with that form (HPD). HPD's form, revised 12/25, also lists an online option for HPD reports and says not to send a request until at least 10 days after the crash (H.B. 2633 form).
• Sheriff, constables, METRO and suburbs. Each has its own process. The Sheriff's Traffic Crash page has a "Purchase Crash Reports Online" link (HCSO); the agency-by-agency details are in our guide on how to get a crash report in Houston.

Under §550.065(c), the full report is released on written request and payment of the fee to the people the statute lists, such as a person involved in the crash and that person's authorized representative, and any person may request a redacted report (§550.065(c-1)). HPD's form has the requester check the qualification that applies and sign under a perjury warning. Our reference entry on who may get a Texas crash report quotes the statute, and how to read a Texas crash report explains its codes and fields.

Step 7: Medical records and insurance (statewide rules in brief)

People commonly keep every medical record from a crash: discharge papers and visit summaries, bills and explanation-of-benefits statements, the names of providers and the dates of each visit. Our guides on medical records in injury claims and who pays medical bills after a Texas car accident explain how those records and bills are commonly handled.

The statewide insurance rules are explained step by step in what to do after a car accident in Texas: the 30/60/25 minimum liability coverage, with $60,000 for two or more persons subject to the $30,000 limit for any one person (Transp. Code §601.072(a-1); TDI), and the personal injury protection and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage an insurer must provide with a Texas auto liability policy unless an insured named in the policy rejects it in writing (Ins. Code §§1952.101, 1952.152). See also §601.072 explained, Texas PIP explained and Texas UM/UIM claims.

The statewide guide covers notifying insurers in more detail, and our guide to recorded statements to insurers in Texas explains what a recorded statement is. For how vehicle damage claims and injury claims differ, see property damage and injury claims in Texas.

Step 8: If a City of Houston, Harris County or METRO vehicle was involved

A crash with a government vehicle follows its own notice rules. The Texas Tort Claims Act makes a governmental unit liable, within its terms, for injury or damage arising from an employee's operation or use of a motor-driven vehicle when the employee would be personally liable under Texas law (CPRC §101.021). The Act gives a governmental unit the right to notice of a claim within six months, ratifies city charter notice periods, and does not apply its notice requirements when the unit has actual notice (§101.101). Each local government publishes its own procedure:

• City of Houston. The Charter, as the City's Legal Department prints it, requires notice in writing to the mayor and city council, "duly verified, within 90 days after the same has been sustained," stating when, where and how the injury occurred and the other items the charter lists. The City's procedure says to sign the letter before a notary public and mail it to the City Secretary's Office, with a copy to the City Attorney's Office, Claims/Subrogation Section (Filing a Claim).
• Harris County. The County's procedure says written notice of a claim is mailed or delivered in person within 180 days of the occurrence to the Harris County Commissioners Court, 1001 Preston, Room 610, attention Clerk of Commissioners Court, and that the claim is then referred to Harris County Risk Management (Claim Filing Procedures).
• METRO. METRO's notice of claim form says it must be completed, signed and mailed or delivered within 180 days of the incident, to METRO Claims at P.O. Box 61429, Houston, TX 77208-1429, or to the METRO Ride Store at 1900 Main Street (METRO form).

A federal vehicle, such as a mail truck, falls under federal law instead. Our guide to crashes with a Texas government vehicle covers each rule in detail, with the reference entry on Tort Claims Act notice and limits and Houston METRO bus crashes.

Step 9: Harris County courts, venue and filing periods

The statewide time limits and fault rules are in the Texas guide: a personal injury suit generally must be brought not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues, with exceptions the Code states, such as the time a person is younger than 18 or of unsound mind when the cause of action accrues, which is not counted (Civil Practice and Remedies Code §§16.003, 16.001), and in an action to which chapter 33 applies a claimant whose percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent may not recover damages (§33.001). Which period applies, and when it started, depends on facts an attorney can assess for a specific situation. See the reference entries on CPRC §16.003 and CPRC §33.001.

Where a suit is filed follows the venue rules. Under §15.002(a), a lawsuit is generally brought in the county where all or a substantial part of the events giving rise to the claim occurred, in the county of a defendant's residence, or in the other counties the section lists. A suit under the Tort Claims Act is brought in state court in the county where the cause of action or a part of it arises (§101.102(a)).

The clerk of a district court keeps the court's records and enters its judgments (Gov't Code §51.303). The Harris County District Clerk describes its office as the recorder and custodian of court documents for over 90 courts in Harris County, including the civil district courts (About the Office). Our guide on looking up a case with the Harris County District Clerk explains how to search those records.

Houston crash data and Spanish-language resources

The City's Vision Zero page links its High Injury Network map. Our data pages count crashes by road and year from official City and federal data and explain the method: Houston's highest-injury roads, Houston intersections with the most serious crashes (2021–2023), and the I-45, I-10, 610 Loop, Beltway 8, US-59/I-69 and SH-288 pages. The data describes roads, not any one crash.

HPD publishes its crash report request form in Spanish as well as English, and HPD's Auto Dealers Detail says the Tow and Go motorist bill of rights is in both languages (HPD Auto Dealers Detail). Most of the other official pages cited here are in English. This guide is also available in Spanish; use the language switch in the site header.

Related guides

• What to do after a car accident in Texas: the statewide checklist and the state laws behind each step.
• How to get a crash report in Houston: every Houston-area agency and its report process.
• Hit-and-run crashes in Texas, rideshare crashes in Texas and truck accidents on Texas highways.
• Houston pedestrian accidents and Houston bicycle accidents, and how to choose a bicycle accident lawyer in Houston.
• How to choose a car accident lawyer in Houston: how to check a lawyer's license with the State Bar, read the fee agreement and spot barratry. InjuryClaimGuide does not rank or rate lawyers.
• How to find a personal injury lawyer in Houston: the State Bar directory and referral services, and how to check a lawyer's license yourself.
• The Texas car crash law reference: every statute in one place. For Houston-area offices and highways, see the Houston car accidents page.
• Car accident on a flooded road in Houston: the Texas barricade law, insurance and crash reports
• Texas Occupations Code chapter 2308: towing after a crash and the right to a tow hearing
• Accident in a rental car in Texas: insurance, the damage waiver and the rental agreement
• Pothole or road defect claim in Houston: notice to the City, Harris County or TxDOT
• After a drunk-driver crash in Texas: victim rights, restitution, compensation and the civil claim
• Hit-and-run in Texas: uninsured motorist coverage, police reports and crash records
• More Houston pages by injury type: Houston dog bite information, Houston workplace injury information, Houston product injury information, Houston slip and fall information, Houston motorcycle accident information, Houston truck accident information, Houston medical negligence information and Houston wrongful death information.
• Car accident pages for Houston-area cities: Katy car accidents, Sugar Land car accidents, Pearland car accidents, The Woodlands car accidents, Pasadena car accidents, Baytown car accidents, League City car accidents, Conroe car accidents, Missouri City car accidents, Humble car accidents, Spring car accidents, Friendswood car accidents, Tomball car accidents, Deer Park car accidents, La Porte car accidents and Rosenberg car accidents.

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