Reports of Accidents; Penalties; Interpretation of Laws

Del. Code tit. 21, ch. 42

in effect

Del. Code tit. 21, § 4201 Duty of driver involved in collisions resulting in property damage or injury.

(a) The driver of any vehicle involved in a collision resulting in apparent damage to property shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of the collision. Said stop should be made as close to the scene of the collision as possible without obstructing traffic more than necessary. The driver shall immediately undertake reasonable efforts to ascertain whether any person involved in the collision was injured or killed. If such collision resulted in injury or death, the driver shall comply with § 4203 of this title. If, after reasonably ascertaining that there are no injuries or deaths, and if the damaged vehicle is obstructing traffic, the driver of the vehicle must make every reasonable effort to move the vehicle or have it moved so as not to obstruct the regular flow of traffic more than necessary. If the damage resulting from such collision is to the property of the driver only, with no damage to the person, property of another, or the environment, the driver need not stay at the scene of the collision but shall immediately make a report of the damage resulting as required by § 4203 of this title. (b) The driver shall give the driver’s name, address and the registration number of a vehicle and exhibit a driver’s license or other documentation of driving privileges to the owner of the property or the driver or occupants of any vehicle with which the driver’s vehicle collides. (c) Whoever violates subsection (a) of this section shall be fined no less than $230 nor more than $1,150 or imprisoned not less than 60 days nor more than 6 months. (d) The Secretary shall revoke the driver’s license and/or driving privilege of every person convicted under this section. Such revocation shall be for a period of 6 months.

Del. Code tit. 21, § 4202 Duty of driver involved in collision resulting in injury or death to any person; penalty.

(a) The driver of any vehicle involved in an collision resulting in injury or death to any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such collision. Said stop should be made as close to the scene of the collision as possible without obstructing traffic more than necessary. The driver shall give the driver’s name, address and the registration number of the driver’s vehicle and exhibit a driver’s license or other documentation of driving privileges to the person struck or the driver or occupants of any vehicle collided with and shall render to any person injured in such collision reasonable assistance, including the carrying of such person to a hospital or physician or surgeon for medical or surgical treatment if it is apparent that such treatment is necessary or is requested by the injured person, or by contacting appropriate law-enforcement or emergency personnel and awaiting their arrival. (b) Whoever violates subsection (a) of this section when that person has been involved in a collision resulting in injury to any person shall be guilty of an unclassified misdemeanor, be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $3,000 or imprisoned not less than 1 year nor more than 2 years. (c) Whoever violates subsection (a) of this section when that person has been involved in a collision resulting in death to any person shall be guilty of a class E felony. The provisions of § 4206(a) or § 4217 of Title 11 or any other statute to the contrary notwithstanding, the sentence for such offense shall include a period of incarceration of not less than 1 year and the first 6 months of any sentence imposed shall not be suspended. (d) The Secretary shall revoke the driver’s license and/or driver’s privilege of every person convicted under this section. Such revocation shall be for a period of 1 year if the person is convicted and sentenced pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. Such revocation shall be for a period of 2 years if the person is convicted and sentenced pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. (e) Except as provided in § 927 of Title 10, notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the Court of Common Pleas shall have original jurisdiction to hear, try and finally determine any misdemeanor violation of this section, and any other violation of any offense set forth in this title which was allegedly committed during the same incident. The jurisdiction of the justices of the peace over such matters is hereby terminated.

Del. Code tit. 21, § 4203 Duty to report collisions; evidence.

(a) After complying with the requirements of §§ 4201 and 4202 of this title, the driver of any vehicle involved in the following described vehicular collisions shall immediately report such collision to the police agency which has primary jurisdictional responsibility for the location in which the collision occurred: (1) When the collision results in injury or death to any person; (2) When the collision occurs on a public highway and results in property damage to an apparent extent of $2,000 or more; or (3) When it appears that any collision involving a driver whose physical ability is impaired as a result of the use of alcohol or drugs or any combination thereof. (b) When a collision is not required to be reported under subsection (a) of this section, the driver may report such collision to the appropriate police agency as described in subsection (a) of this section, after complying with § 4201(b) of this title. (c) Police agencies may investigate any collision which occurs within that agency’s jurisdiction. (d) Police agencies shall investigate and complete the State of Delaware Uniform Traffic Collision Report supplied by the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security on all reported collisions involving an impaired driver, apparent property damage to the extent of $2,000 or more or personal injury or death to a person, when such collisions occur within that agency’s jurisdiction. (e) The Department of Safety and Homeland Security may require drivers involved in collisions, or police departments, to file supplemental reports of collisions upon forms furnished by it whenever the original report is insufficient in the opinion of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Such reports shall be without prejudice, shall be for the information of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security and shall not be open to public inspection. The fact that such reports have been so made shall be admissible in evidence solely to prove a compliance with this section but no report or any part thereof or statement contained therein shall be admissible in evidence for any other purpose in any trial, civil or criminal, arising out of such collisions. (f) [Repealed.]

Del. Code tit. 21, § 4204 Report of damaged vehicles; cars involved in fatal collisions.

(a) The person in charge of any garage or repair shop to which is brought any motor vehicle which shows evidence of having been involved in a serious collision or struck by any bullet shall report to the nearest police station or sheriff’s office within 24 hours after such motor vehicle is received, giving the engine number, registration number and the name and address of the owner of such vehicle. (b) Cars involved in collisions resulting in death to human beings shall not be moved from the place of the collision until arrival of police, except if needed to convey an injured person to a hospital or doctor.

Del. Code tit. 21, § 4205 Penalties.

(a) Whoever violates this chapter or Chapter 41 of this title shall for the first offense be fined not less than $25 nor more than $75. For each subsequent like offense, the person shall be fined not less than $57.50 nor more than $95. All second offenses, before being punishable as such, shall have been committed within 24 months after the commission of the first offense unless otherwise specifically provided. (b) Subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to violations for which penalties are prescribed elsewhere in this chapter or Chapter 41 of this title.

Del. Code tit. 21, § 4205A Classification of offenders sentenced to imprisonment under this title.

(a) For offenses under this title, except those which involve injury or death caused to another person by the person’s driving or operation of the vehicle or which involve a driving under the influence-related conviction or offense as defined in § 4177B(e)(1)a.-d. of this title, the terms of imprisonment defined in this title may be served at Supervision Accountability Level IV as defined in § 4204(c)(4) of Title 11. (b) For offenses under this title which involve injury caused to another person by the person’s driving or operation of the vehicle or a driving under the influence-related conviction or offense as defined in § 4177B(e)(1)a.-d. of this title, any term of imprisonment defined in this title shall be served at Supervision Accountability Level V as defined in § 4204(c)(5) of Title 11 or at Supervision Accountability Level IV as defined in § 4204(c)(4) of Title 11 provided that such Level IV placement must be served in a Department of Correction facility which requires full-time residence at the facility and that the person may not be outside the confines of that facility without armed supervision. (c) For offenses under this title which involve death caused to another person by the person’s driving or operation of the vehicle any term of imprisonment defined in this title shall be served at Supervision Accountability Level V as defined in § 4204(c)(5) of Title 11. (d) A sentencing judge shall not designate under which provision of this section an offender sentenced to imprisonment for a violation of a provision of this title is to be classified to serve the offender’s imprisonment. Classification pursuant to the provisions of this section of an offender sentenced to imprisonment for violation of a provision of this title shall be done at the discretion of the Department of Correction in accordance with Chapter 65 of Title 11.

Del. Code tit. 21, § 4206 Removal of vehicles from collision scene prohibited.

No person shall remove from the scene of a collision resulting in apparent property damage any vehicle without the consent of the owner of any property which has been damaged in such collision unless a police officer is present at the scene of such collision and authorizes the removal. For the purposes of this section, the term “person” shall not include the owner of the vehicle, the operator of the vehicle at the time of the collision or a passenger in such vehicle at the time of the collision.

Del. Code tit. 21, § 4207 Uniformity of interpretation.

Chapters 41 and 42 of this title shall be so interpreted and construed as to effectuate the general purpose of those chapters to make uniform among the states the law relating to motor vehicles.

Source: DE Code (Official Site)URL: https://delcode.delaware.gov/title21/c042/index.htmlFetched: 6/28/2026