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Guide · Car accidents · All states

Someone hit your parked car: what to do, and who pays

Updated By the Counselworthy teamGeneral information, not legal advice

Short answer

  • Usually your own collision coverage pays, minus the deductible.
  • If the driver left a note, their property damage liability pays instead.
  • Call the police and file a report, then your insurer.
  • In New Jersey, uninsured motorist coverage for your car leaves out hit-and-run vehicles, so it won't pay when the driver is unknown.

Checked November 7, 2026.

Sources: Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel, Will My Auto Policy Cover Me if I’m the Victim of a Hit-and-Run Accident? (January 31, 2023); National Association of Insurance Commissioners, A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance (2022); N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), as amended by P.L.2022, c.87 (approved August 5, 2022). Every fact cites a source

Checker

What happened to your car?

Pick the closest one. It shows whose coverage usually pays and the New Jersey rule behind it. It can't tell you who was at fault, what the repairs are worth, or whether to make a claim.

Someone hit it and leftYour own collision coverage, if you have it
What it is
The repairs, minus your deductible.
Why it matters
Collision pays for damage from hitting another car or object, whoever caused it.
The rule
In New Jersey, uninsured motorist coverage for your car leaves out hit-and-run vehicles. Collision isn't required by law, so check whether your policy has it.
What you can do now

Call the police and file a report, then tell your insurer and give it the report.

Source: Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel, Will My Auto Policy Cover Me if I’m the Victim of a Hit-and-Run Accident? (January 31, 2023); New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, Auto Insurance New Jersey Buyer's Guide; N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), as amended by P.L.2022, c.87 (approved August 5, 2022)
They left a noteTheir property damage liability coverage
What it is
Damage they caused to your car.
Why it matters
Property damage liability pays for damage a driver causes to someone else's car.
The rule
New Jersey law requires the note. Once you claim, their insurer generally has 45 calendar days from notice to pay or explain in writing.
What you can do now

Photograph the note on your car, keep it, and ask the other driver which insurer to claim with.

Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners, A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance (2022); N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(b), (d), as reprinted in Senate Bill 270 (2024); N.J.A.C. 11:2-17.6(b), (e); N.J.A.C. 11:2-17.7(a), (b), (c)(2), (c)(3), (e), (f)
Someone got the plateTheir insurer, once the driver is known
What it is
Damage they caused, from their property damage liability.
Why it matters
A driver who knew they hit an unattended car had to stop, or leave a note.
The rule
In New Jersey, leaving without one is punished like leaving a crash scene with only damage: for a first offense, a fine of $200 to $400 or up to 30 days in jail, and 6 months without the right to drive.
What you can do now

Give police the plate, your photos and any witness's name for the report.

Source: N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(b), (d), as reprinted in Senate Bill 270 (2024); National Association of Insurance Commissioners, A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance (2022); Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel, Will My Auto Policy Cover Me if I’m the Victim of a Hit-and-Run Accident? (January 31, 2023)
The driver has no insuranceYour uninsured motorist coverage for property
What it is
Damage from an uninsured driver, minus the first $500.
Why it matters
Every New Jersey auto liability policy but a basic one carries it.
The rule
The limit is $25,000 for all insurers in one accident, for plans issued or renewed from January 1, 2023. It doesn't cover hit-and-run vehicles.
What you can do now

Ask your insurer in writing whether your policy carries this coverage, and keep the driver's details.

Source: N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), as amended by P.L.2022, c.87 (approved August 5, 2022)
I hit a parked carYour property damage liability coverage
What it is
Damage you caused to the other car.
Why it matters
It pays for damage you cause to someone else's car, or to objects your car hits.
The rule
In New Jersey, stop and find the owner. If you can't, leave a written notice on the car with your name and address and the owner's. Over $500 of damage, also tell the police.
What you can do now

Leave the note somewhere it will be seen, photograph it on the car, and tell your insurer.

Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners, A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance (2022); N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(b), (d), as reprinted in Senate Bill 270 (2024); N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(a), (c); N.J.S.A. 39:4-130
Someone in the car was hurtYour own PIP first, in New Jersey
What it is
Medical bills, whoever caused the crash.
Why it matters
In New Jersey, PIP pays first, and injuries from a hit-and-run driver can go to uninsured motorist coverage.
The rule
A driver in a crash that hurts someone must stop at the scene. Report it to police right away.
What you can do now

Get checked by a doctor, and ask police for the report number.

Source: N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4; N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4.3; N.J.S.A. 39:6A-5(g); N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), (b), (e); N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(a), (c); N.J.S.A. 39:4-130

What to do if someone hits your parked car

The first hour decides what you can prove later.

  1. Photograph itTake a photo or sketch a diagram of the scene, and photograph the damage up close. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners advises the first after any accident.Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners, A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance (2022)
  2. Look for a noteNew Jersey law requires a driver who hits an unattended car to leave a written notice in a conspicuous place on it, with the name and address of the driver and owner of the car that hit it.Source: N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(b), (d), as reprinted in Senate Bill 270 (2024)
  3. Call the police and file a reportIf the other driver left, call the police and file a report as soon as possible, then contact your insurance company, the Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel says.Source: Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel, Will My Auto Policy Cover Me if I’m the Victim of a Hit-and-Run Accident? (January 31, 2023)
  4. Write down what you knowWhere the car was parked, when you left it and when you found it, and anyone who saw it. Police and your insurer will ask.

Does insurance cover a hit-and-run on a parked car?

Usually only coverage you bought for your own car. Which one depends on your state.

Collision coverage

Collision pays for damage from hitting another car or object, and it doesn't matter who is at fault. Your deductible comes off first.

Source: Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel, Will My Auto Policy Cover Me if I’m the Victim of a Hit-and-Run Accident? (January 31, 2023); New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, Auto Insurance New Jersey Buyer's Guide
Uninsured motorist, in some states

In Texas, uninsured motorist coverage pays when your car is damaged by a hit-and-run driver, with a $250 deductible, the state's public insurance counsel says.

Source: Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel, Will My Auto Policy Cover Me if I’m the Victim of a Hit-and-Run Accident? (January 31, 2023)
NJNot uninsured motorist, in New Jersey

New Jersey's uninsured motorist coverage for property leaves out hit-and-run vehicles. It pays only when the driver is known and uninsured or underinsured.

Source: N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a), as amended by P.L.2022, c.87 (approved August 5, 2022)
NJCollision is optional, in New Jersey

The law doesn't require collision coverage, though a lease or a car loan may. Your insurer can seek repayment if the driver is found.

Source: New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, Auto Insurance New Jersey Buyer's Guide

NJHow often drivers leave: Jersey City's police reports

Police mark on each crash report whether a driver left the scene. These count every crash they reported, including those that hurt no one.

  • 1 in 5crashes police reported in Jersey City, hurt or not, was a hit-and-run, where a driver left: 6,130 of 31,778.
  • 86%of hit-and-runs police reported in Jersey City hurt no one: 5,246 of 6,130.

What police wrote on each crash report (form NJTR-1), 2019 to 2023, the newest years NJDOT has published in full. It isn't a finding of fault. Source: NJDOT crash tables, checked November 8, 2026.

See every crash on Jersey City's crash map

What to do if you hit a parked car

Your own property damage liability coverage pays for damage you cause to someone else's car.

  1. Stop and find the ownerNew Jersey law says a driver who hits an unattended car must stop and find and notify its owner or driver.Source: N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(b), (d), as reprinted in Senate Bill 270 (2024)
  2. Or leave a written noteIf you can't find them, attach a written notice in a conspicuous place on the car, giving your name and address, and those of the owner of the car you were driving.Source: N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(b), (d), as reprinted in Senate Bill 270 (2024)
  3. Tell the police over $500Damage over $500 to one person's property means notifying the local police by the quickest means. Without an officer's report, a written report goes to the Motor Vehicle Commission within 10 days.Source: N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(a), (c); N.J.S.A. 39:4-130
  4. Driving off is an offenseFor a first offense: a fine of $200 to $400 or up to 30 days in jail, and 6 months without the right to drive in New Jersey.Source: N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(b), (d), as reprinted in Senate Bill 270 (2024)
  5. Then your insurerProperty damage liability pays for damage you cause to someone else's car or to objects your car hits.Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners, A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance (2022)

Will a claim raise your rates?

  1. Not-at-fault rules varyIn some states, insurers can't charge you a higher premium because of accidents that weren't your fault, the NAIC says. Ask your agent or insurer how your state handles a hit-and-run.Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners, A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance (2022)
  2. Weigh the deductibleA collision claim pays only above your deductible. For small damage, get a repair estimate before you decide.Source: New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, Auto Insurance New Jersey Buyer's Guide

Do you need a lawyer when someone hits your parked car?

If no one was hurt, it's a property claim, and the steps are yours to take.

  1. A police report and a claimThe steps that matter are the report and a claim with your insurer or theirs, and both start with you.Source: Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel, Will My Auto Policy Cover Me if I’m the Victim of a Hit-and-Run Accident? (January 31, 2023)
  2. Slow or unfair handlingComplaints about an insurer go to the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, in writing.Source: New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, How to Request Assistance; N.J.S.A. 17:29B-4(9)(f)
  3. An injury changes itIf someone in the car was hurt, that's an injury claim with its own deadline: generally 2 years to sue in New Jersey.Source: N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2(a)

Sources

General information, not legal advice. We don't know the facts of your claim. A lawyer can review them, and most injury lawyers offer a free consultation.

What to do next

Questions people ask

Someone hit my parked car and left. What do I do?

Photograph the damage, look for a note and anyone who saw it, call the police and file a report, then tell your insurer. Your own collision coverage usually pays, minus the deductible.

Does insurance cover a hit-and-run on a parked car?

Collision coverage does, if you have it. Uninsured motorist coverage pays in some states, such as Texas. In New Jersey, uninsured motorist coverage for your car leaves out hit-and-run vehicles.

What should I do if I hit a parked car?

Stop and find the owner. In New Jersey, if you can't, leave a written notice on the car with your name and address and the owner's, and tell the police when the damage is over $500. Your property damage liability coverage pays for it.

Is it a crime to hit a parked car and drive away?

In New Jersey, yes. A first offense carries a fine of $200 to $400 or up to 30 days in jail, and 6 months without the right to drive.

My car was hit while parked on the street. Will my rates go up?

It depends on your state and your insurer. In some states, insurers can't raise your premium for accidents that weren't your fault, the NAIC says. Ask your agent before you claim.

Should I file a police report for a parked car hit-and-run?

Yes. The Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel says to call the police and file a report as soon as possible, then contact your insurer. Keep the report number for your claim.

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