A claim lives or dies on identification. Insurers can argue about fault and quantum for weeks, but if you can't say whose car hit you, there's often no claim at all. Here's what NSW law requires, what you should collect on top, and the workarounds when the other driver won't cooperate.
What the law requires you to exchange
Under the NSW road rules, every driver involved in a crash must stop and give their particulars to the other driver (and to police in some situations). The required particulars are:
- The driver's name and address
- The name and address of the vehicle's owner, if that's someone else
- The vehicle's registration number
- Any other information needed to identify the vehicle
This cuts both ways. You must give your details too. Refusing to exchange, or leaving the scene without doing so, is an offence in NSW and should be reported to police.
What to collect on top (the claim-winning extras)
- Photo of their number plate: the anchor detail every claim starts with. Just don't stop there: a rego by itself rarely gets a claim moving
- Photo of their driver's licence (if they'll allow it): locks in name, address and licence number in one shot
- Their insurer's name, and ideally a claim number: ask the at-fault driver to phone their insurer and lodge the claim before you part ways, then note the claim number. A lodged claim locks their story in: chasing it later is far harder
- A phone number: direct contact avoids everything running through insurers
- Photos of both vehicles' damage and final positions, plus the street context
- Witness names and numbers: independent witnesses are gold in fault disputes
- Time, date, location and weather: a two-line note in your phone while it's fresh
Only got the rego? Don't stop there.
Straight talk: a registration alone is rarely enough to get a claim moving. Insurers generally won't act on a plate number by itself. What moves a claim is the full kit: the driver's name, their insurer and, best of all, a lodged claim number. If the rego is all you have, call us straight away. The earlier we're involved, the better the odds of chasing down the missing pieces.
If they refuse to give details
- 1 Stay calm, don't escalate. Photograph the number plate, the driver and the vehicle from a safe distance.
- 2 Note their description and anything identifying (company logos on the vehicle help).
- 3 Ask any witnesses to stay a moment or share their number.
- 4 Report it to police on 131 444: failing to exchange details is exactly the situation the reporting rules cover. Keep the event number.
If they drive off (hit and run)
Same playbook, faster: any part of the rego helps, as does dashcam. Report to police promptly and canvass the area for CCTV: service stations, shopfronts and council cameras often catch plates, but footage is commonly overwritten within days, so ask quickly.
Parked-car hits
If you return to find your parked car damaged, look for a note (drivers who damage an unattended vehicle are required to leave their particulars or report to police), check nearby CCTV, and ask shops or residents whether they saw anything. A parked car is the clearest not-at-fault scenario there is: identification is the only hurdle. Then follow the after-accident checklist.
Quick answers
Do I have to give MY details even if the crash was their fault?
Yes. The duty to exchange particulars applies to every driver involved, regardless of fault. Give yours, collect theirs, and let the evidence decide the rest.
What if the driver isn't the car's owner?
Collect both: the driver's name and address, plus the owner's name and address. The claim typically runs against the vehicle's insurance, so the rego and owner details matter most, but the driver's identity matters if fault is disputed.
Is a photo of their licence enough on its own?
It's excellent: name, address and licence number in one image. Still photograph the number plate too, and ask which insurer they're with: the licence identifies the person, the rego identifies the vehicle, and the insurer (ideally with a lodged claim number) is what actually gets the claim moving. A strong claim wants all three threads.
About this guide: general information for NSW drivers, prepared by the Crash Assist team, not legal, financial or insurance advice. Accidents turn on their facts; for an answer specific to yours, get in touch, it costs nothing to ask.