From 23 November 2026, South Australian drivers will no longer have to report every crash to police just because the damage is more than $3,000. The change is in the Road Traffic (Road Rules—Ancillary and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Reporting Duties) Amendment Regulations 2026, which were gazetted on 12 November and come into operation on 23 November.
Until that date, regulation 39 still requires a crash to be reported if someone else’s property is damaged and a fair estimate of the repair cost is more than $3,000. The new regulation keeps a $3,000 threshold, but only for a narrower list of crashes. An additional report to police will be required where property is damaged and the crash involves a motorcycle, bicycle, heavy vehicle, bus, train, tram, pedestrian, personal mobility device, electric personal transporter or motorised wheelchair, unless the only damaged property belongs to the driver or a fair estimate of the damage is $3,000 or less.
A car-to-car smash with more than $3,000 damage, no injuries, details exchanged and no vehicle towed will no longer have to be reported under that additional duty. The everyday duties do not change. Drivers must still stop, help anyone who is injured, and exchange name, address and registration details.
You must still report a crash to police if anyone is killed or injured, if the required details are not exchanged, or if a vehicle is towed or carried away. The Australian Road Rules say those particulars must be given as soon as possible and, except in exceptional circumstances, within 24 hours. Official South Australian guidance also says that where someone is injured or killed, you should report at the scene or at a police station within 90 minutes.
As at 14 November 2026, the SA.GOV.AU “Report a road crash” page and SAPOL’s online collision-reporting service still described the old rule, including the blanket $3,000 reporting trigger. Those pages may be updated as the new regulation takes effect, so check the official advice if you are involved in a crash from 23 November. Insurers may still ask for a police reference number even when a report is no longer legally required; see our guide to car insurance in South Australia.
The change follows a long-running argument that the old $3,000 rule was catching many property-only crashes as repair costs rose. For other recent road-law changes, we have also covered tougher NSW road-crime laws and registration costs by state.