How Long Does an Accident Stay on Your Record and Insurance?

Are your driving record and your insurance record the same thing?

No. They are two different records kept by two different parties.

Your driving record is kept by your state's motor vehicle agency. State rules decide what goes on it and how long each entry is shown.

Your insurance history is what an insurance company uses to price your policy. The California Department of Insurance explains that "Most insurance companies will order a Motor Vehicle Report from the DMV" and that insurers also look at "accidents, insurance claims, and tickets for moving violations".

Virginia's DMV says this about points: "Your insurance company may also assign points on your insurance record; however, DMV demerit points are not related to insurance company points." It adds: "Insurance company points are developed by individual companies."

How long does an accident stay on your driving record?

These four state agencies state a period for crashes on their own pages. The words in quotation marks are theirs.

A few details matter when you read the table:

• New York's period is tied to the calendar year and to the standard record. The three additional years start after the end of the year in which the accident happened. The same page says a "Lifetime" driving record "displays all information still in DMV's possession, regardless of the data retention requirements in the Vehicle and Traffic Law."
• Washington's entry does not say who caused the crash. The Department of Licensing says the collision entry "Shows involvement, not fault". It also says the record itself "exists for the rest of your life" and that "Over time, some infractions could expire and be removed from your record."
• Texas describes record types, not one removal date. Besides the 3-year history, the Texas page lists a record type with a "List of all crashes (even if no ticket was received), and all moving and nonmoving violations in the record." That type "is provided only to the person the record belongs to."

What about tickets and points from the same crash?

A crash can come with a ticket, and the pages below state their own periods for convictions and points.

• Florida: "Points are assigned based on the type of conviction and remain on the driver record for at least five years from the date of disposition (conviction)." The Florida page states this period for points, not for crashes.
• Virginia: the DMV's point brochure says "The number of years that the conviction stays on your DMV record is in parentheses beside each violation." The brochure marks violations "(3 years)", "(5 years)", "(11 years)" or "(15 years)", and says "An asterisk (*) indicates that the conviction remains on your record permanently."
• New York: "Once 24 months have passed from the violation date, the points for that violation no longer count toward your total." But the DMV says the points stay on the record as long as the conviction does and "may be used by your insurance company to increase premiums."

How long does an accident stay on your insurance?

These three state insurance regulators state a period on their own pages, each for its own rule:

• Maryland: "Insurers are generally prohibited from refusing to issue a policy or increasing your policy premium based on traffic accidents, traffic violations or claims that are more than three years old." The same guide says insurers may look at older accidents when deciding on a premium discount.
• North Carolina: under the state's Safe Driver Incentive Plan, "The Experience period is the three-year period preceding either the date an individual applies for coverage or the insurance company prepares to renew an existing policy." For certain convictions on or after July 1, 2025, the page says "the experience period is FIVE years".
• New York: the Department of Financial Services says a surcharge may apply for two or more accidents or minor convictions within a certain period, "generally within approximately 3 years".

California's Department of Insurance does not state a number of years for accidents on the page we read. In its section on the assigned risk plan it says: "After a certain number of years, your traffic violation or accident may be removed from your record."

Does every accident raise your premium?

Not according to these two pages. California's Department of Insurance says: "If the accident is not your fault, your insurance company does not charge you more. If you are at least 51% at fault, your premium can go up when you renew your policy."

New York's Department of Financial Services says accident surcharges are only allowed for "accidents involving bodily injury, or losses to property in excess of $2,000, where the insured driver is at fault", and adds that a surcharge may also apply for two or more accidents within the period quoted above.

Your insurer or your state insurance department can tell you which accidents count on your policy.

Common questions

How do I find out what is on my own driving record?

Order a copy from your state's motor vehicle agency. The New York, Washington and Texas pages listed under Sources explain how drivers in those states order their own record.

Does a crash that was not my fault show on my record?

It can. Washington's Department of Licensing says its collision entries show "involvement, not fault". Whether the crash affects your premium is a separate question that depends on your state's insurance rules and your insurer.

Can I ask my insurer how long it will count an accident?

You can ask. New York's DMV, for example, tells drivers: "Contact your insurance company for more information." If you are still at the claim stage, see how to file a car insurance claim after an accident.

Is the reporting deadline the same as the time on my record?

No. The deadline to report a crash is a different rule; see how long you have to report a car accident, by state.

If you were injured in a crash, you can request a free case review. Your request may be shared with independent attorneys.

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This is general information, not legal advice. Ask Legal Matters is a free case-review request service, not a law firm.

Sources

• California DMV, California Driver Handbook, Laws and Rules of the Road (how long convictions and collisions stay on the record): https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/california-driver-handbook/laws-and-rules-of-the-road-cont2/
• New York DMV, Get My Own Driving Record (Abstract) (how long accidents are displayed): https://dmv.ny.gov/records/get-my-own-driving-record-abstract
• New York DMV, The New York State Driver Point System (points and insurance): https://dmv.ny.gov/points-and-penalties/the-new-york-state-driver-point-system
• Washington State Department of Licensing, Guide to driving records (collision periods; involvement, not fault): https://dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/driving-records/guide-driving-records
• Texas Department of Public Safety, How to Order a Driver Record (record types): https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/how-order-driver-record
• Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Points and Point Suspensions (how long points remain): https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/driver-license-suspensions-revocations/points-point-suspensions/
• Virginia DMV, brochure DMV 115 (conviction periods; DMV points and insurance points): https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/forms/dmv115.pdf
• California Department of Insurance, Automobile Insurance Information Guide (what insurers look at; at-fault surcharge): https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/auto101.cfm
• Maryland Insurance Administration, A Consumer Guide to Auto Insurance (three-year limit): https://insurance.maryland.gov/consumer/documents/publications/autoinsuranceguide.pdf
• North Carolina Department of Insurance, Safe Driver Incentive Plan (experience period): https://www.ncdoi.gov/consumers/auto-and-vehicle-insurance/safe-driver-incentive-plan
• New York State Department of Financial Services, consumer auto FAQ on surcharges: https://www.dfs.ny.gov/faqs/consumer-auto/can-my-insurance-company-raise-my-premium-due-accident-or-traffic-ticket

Sources checked November 14, 2026.

Find the right local record source

Use the state hub for statewide agencies and the community directory to locate the place where the incident happened. The agency that responded may differ from the nearest city.