An at-fault accident raises full-coverage rates about 49% a year on average, for at least three years. A few states limit that: some bar a rate increase when you weren't at fault or the damage was small, and Florida caps how long it can last. Every state also has its own rules for when you must report a crash.
| State | Time limit on the rate increase | Protection from a rate increase | Call the police when | Your own report to the state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | No cap; Good Driver Discount lost for 3 years | Under 51% at fault, or $1,000 or less | Injury or death: within 24 hours | SR-1 within 10 days if injury or over $1,000 |
| Florida | 36 months | Not substantially at fault | Injury, death or $2,000+ damage: right away | Within 10 days, only if police didn't report it |
| Georgia | No limit in law | Not at fault (multi-car) | Injury, death or $500+ damage: right away | None (repealed 1990) |
| Illinois | No limit in law | None | Injury, death or over $1,500 damage, if no officer came | None (repealed 2021) |
| New York | No limit in law (about 3 years) | $2,000 or less, or listed not-at-fault cases | Injury or death: right away | MV-104 within 10 days if injury or over $1,000 |
| Ohio | No limit in law | Not at fault: single-car or uninsured driver only | No general duty; stop and swap information | Optional, within 6 months (uninsured driver) |
| Pennsylvania | No cap; insurer must disclose length | Not at fault, or $2,350 or less paid | Injury, death or a tow: right away | Within 5 days, only if police didn't investigate |
| Texas | No limit in law | None (no rise for an unpaid claim) | Injury, death or a car that can't be driven: right away | None (repealed 2017) |
Every fact on a state page is cited to a statute, regulation or official state page we read, with the date we checked it. Anything we could not check is marked "Not verified".
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