{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/46.2-896.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/46.2-896.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/46.2-896.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/46.2-896.html"}],"law_id":72454,"edition_id":1,"section_id":72454,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-896","catch_line":"Duties of driver in event of accident involving damage only to unattended property","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 46-189; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7 46.1-176; 1970, c. 59; 1977, c. 267; 1982, c. 503; 1984, c. 780; 1989, c. 727; 1997, c. 431; 2005, c. 137.","full_text":"The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident in which no person is killed or injured, but in which an unattended vehicle or other unattended property is damaged, shall make a reasonable effort to find the owner or custodian of such property and shall report to the owner or custodian the information which the driver is required to report pursuant to \u00a7 46.2-894 if such owner or custodian is found. If the owner or custodian of such damaged vehicle or property cannot be found, the driver shall leave a note or other sufficient information including driver identification and contact information in a conspicuous place at the scene of the accident and shall report the accident in writing within 24 hours to the State Police or the local law-enforcement agency. Such note or other information and written report shall contain the information that the driver is required to report pursuant to \u00a7 46.2-894. The written report shall, in addition, state the date, time, and place of the accident and the driver’s description of the property damage.\n\t\tWhere, because of injuries sustained in the accident, the driver is prevented from complying with the foregoing provisions of this section, the driver shall, as soon as reasonably possible, make the required report to the State Police or local law-enforcement agency and make a reasonable effort to locate the owner or custodian of the unattended vehicle or property and report to him the information required by \u00a7 46.2-894.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":260990,"text":"The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident in which no person is killed or injured, but in which an unattended vehicle or other unattended property is damaged, shall make a reasonable effort to find the owner or custodian of such property and shall report to the owner or custodian the information which the driver is required to report pursuant to \u00a7 46.2-894 if such owner or custodian is found. If the owner or custodian of such damaged vehicle or property cannot be found, the driver shall leave a note or other sufficient information including driver identification and contact information in a conspicuous place at the scene of the accident and shall report the accident in writing within 24 hours to the State Police or the local law-enforcement agency. Such note or other information and written report shall contain the information that the driver is required to report pursuant to \u00a7 46.2-894. The written report shall, in addition, state the date, time, and place of the accident and the driver’s description of the property damage.\n\t\tWhere, because of injuries sustained in the accident, the driver is prevented from complying with the foregoing provisions of this section, the driver shall, as soon as reasonably possible, make the required report to the State Police or local law-enforcement agency and make a reasonable effort to locate the owner or custodian of the unattended vehicle or property and report to him the information required by \u00a7 46.2-894.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Accidents","identifier":"11","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12875,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:46","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:46","permalink":{"id":230393,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14758,"identifier":"11","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11","url":"\/46.2\/III\/8\/11\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12875,"edition_id":1,"name":"Regulation of Traffic","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12827,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":230189,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12875,"identifier":"8","token":"46.2\/III\/8","url":"\/46.2\/III\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12827,"edition_id":1,"name":"Operation","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12770,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228597,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12827,"identifier":"III","token":"46.2\/III","url":"\/46.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12770,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicles","identifier":"46.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":225289,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12770,"identifier":"46.2","token":"46.2","url":"\/46.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":56513,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-894","catch_line":"Duty of driver to stop, etc., in event of accident involving injury or death or damage to attended property; penalty","url":"\/46.2-894\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-894","metadata":false},{"id":74478,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-895","catch_line":"Duty of certain persons accompanying driver to report accidents involving injury, death, or damage to attended property","url":"\/46.2-895\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-895","metadata":false},{"id":72454,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-896","catch_line":"Duties of driver in event of accident involving damage only to unattended property","url":"\/46.2-896\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-896","metadata":false},{"id":59872,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-897","catch_line":"Duty of certain persons accompanying driver to report accidents involving damage only to unattended property","url":"\/46.2-897\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-897","metadata":false},{"id":60733,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-898","catch_line":"Reports are in addition to others","url":"\/46.2-898\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-898","metadata":false},{"id":74864,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-899","catch_line":"Article applies to accidents on private or public property","url":"\/46.2-899\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-899","metadata":false},{"id":73394,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-900","catch_line":"Penalty for violation of \u00a7\u00a7 46.2-895 through 46.2-897","url":"\/46.2-900\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-900","metadata":false},{"id":60161,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-901","catch_line":"Suspension of driver's license for failure to report certain accidents","url":"\/46.2-901\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-901","metadata":false},{"id":74439,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-902","catch_line":"Leaving scene of accident when directed to do so by officer","url":"\/46.2-902\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-902","metadata":false},{"id":81237,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-902.1","catch_line":"Officer may require certain motorists to furnish proof of insurance; penalty","url":"\/46.2-902.1\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-902.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":74478,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-895","catch_line":"Duty of certain persons accompanying driver to report accidents involving injury, death, or damage to attended property","url":"\/46.2-895\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-895","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":59872,"structure_id":14758,"section_number":"46.2-897","catch_line":"Duty of certain persons accompanying driver to report accidents involving damage only to unattended property","url":"\/46.2-897\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-897","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/46.2-896\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 8 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1958, chapter 541; in 1970, chapter 59; in 1977, chapter 267; in 1982, chapter 503; in 1984, chapter 780; in 1989, chapter 727; in 1997, chapter 431<\/a>; in 2005, chapter 137<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":59872,"section_number":"46.2-897","catch_line":"Duty of certain persons accompanying driver to report accidents involving damage only to unattended property","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-897\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":56513,"section_number":"46.2-894","catch_line":"Duty of driver to stop, etc., in event of accident involving injury or death or damage to attended property; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-894\/"}],"permalink":{"id":230403,"object_type":"law","relational_id":72454,"identifier":"46.2-896","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-896","url":"\/46.2-896\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/46.2-896\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/11\/46.2-896","dublin_core":{"Title":"Duties of driver in event of accident involving damage only to unattended property","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 46.2-896","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The driver<\/span> of any vehicle<\/span> involved in an accident in which no person is killed or injured, but in which an unattended vehicle<\/span> or other unattended property is damaged, shall make a reasonable effort to find the owner<\/span> or custodian of such property and shall report to the owner<\/span> or custodian the information which the driver<\/span> is required to report pursuant to \u00a7 46.2-894<\/a> if such owner<\/span> or custodian is found. If the owner<\/span> or custodian of such damaged vehicle<\/span> or property cannot be found, the driver<\/span> shall leave a note or other sufficient information including driver<\/span> identification and contact information in a conspicuous place at the scene of the accident and shall report the accident in writing within 24 hours to the State Police or the local law<\/span>-enforcement agency. Such note or other information and written report shall contain the information that the driver<\/span> is required to report pursuant to \u00a7 46.2-894<\/a>. The written report shall, in addition, state the date, time, and place of the accident and the driver<\/span>’s description of the property damage.\n\t\tWhere, because of injuries sustained in the accident, the driver<\/span> is prevented from complying with the foregoing provisions of this section, the driver<\/span> shall, as soon as reasonably possible, make the required report to the State Police or local law<\/span>-enforcement agency and make a reasonable effort to locate the owner<\/span> or custodian of the unattended vehicle<\/span> or property and report to him the information required by \u00a7 46.2-894<\/a>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDUTIES OF DRIVER IN EVENT OF ACCIDENT INVOLVING DAMAGE ONLY TO UNATTENDED\nPROPERTY (\u00a7 46.2-896)\n\nThe driver of any vehicle involved in an accident in which no person is killed\nor injured, but in which an unattended vehicle or other unattended property is\ndamaged, shall make a reasonable effort to find the owner or custodian of such\nproperty and shall report to the owner or custodian the information which the\ndriver is required to report pursuant to \u00a7 46.2-894 if such owner or custodian\nis found. If the owner or custodian of such damaged vehicle or property cannot\nbe found, the driver shall leave a note or other sufficient information\nincluding driver identification and contact information in a conspicuous place\nat the scene of the accident and shall report the accident in writing within 24\nhours to the State Police or the local law-enforcement agency. Such note or\nother information and written report shall contain the information that the\ndriver is required to report pursuant to \u00a7 46.2-894. The written report shall,\nin addition, state the date, time, and place of the accident and the\ndriver’s description of the property damage.\n\t\tWhere, because of injuries sustained in the accident, the driver is prevented\nfrom complying with the foregoing provisions of this section, the driver shall,\nas soon as reasonably possible, make the required report to the State Police or\nlocal law-enforcement agency and make a reasonable effort to locate the owner or\ncustodian of the unattended vehicle or property and report to him the\ninformation required by \u00a7 46.2-894.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 46-189; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7 46.1-176; 1970, c. 59; 1977, c.\n267; 1982, c. 503; 1984, c. 780; 1989, c. 727; 1997, c. 431; 2005, c. 137.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}