California Vehicle Code § 20002a VC defines the crime of misdemeanor hit and run, which is fleeing the scene of an accident causing only property damage and no physical injuries.
The language of the code section states that:
20002. (a) The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to any property, including vehicles, shall immediately stop the vehicle at the nearest location that will not impede traffic or otherwise jeopardize the safety of other motorists. Moving the vehicle in accordance with this subdivision does not affect the question of fault. The driver shall also immediately do either of the following:
(1) Locate and notify the owner or person in charge of that property of the name and address of the driver and owner of the vehicle involved and, upon locating the driver of any other vehicle involved or the owner or person in charge of any damaged property, upon being requested, present his or her driver’s license, and vehicle registration, to the other driver, property owner, or person in charge of that property. The information presented shall include the current residence address of the driver and of the registered owner. If the registered owner of an involved vehicle is present at the scene, he or she shall also, upon request, present his or her driver’s license information, if available, or other valid identification to the other involved parties.
(2) Leave in a conspicuous place on the vehicle or other property damaged a written notice giving the name and address of the driver and of the owner of the vehicle involved and a statement of the circumstances thereof and shall without unnecessary delay notify the police department of the city wherein the collision occurred or, if the collision occurred in unincorporated territory, the local headquarters of the Department of the California Highway Patrol.
(b) Any person who parks a vehicle which, prior to the vehicle again being driven, becomes a runaway vehicle and is involved in an accident resulting in damage to any property, attended or unattended, shall comply with the requirements of this section relating to notification and reporting and shall, upon conviction thereof, be liable to the penalties of this section for failure to comply with the requirements.
(c) Any person failing to comply with all the requirements of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
This chart illustrates the penalties:
| Hit and run causing only property damage in California | Always a misdemeanor:
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| Hit and run causing injury or death in California | As a misdemeanor:
As a felony:
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Our California criminal defense attorneys will explain the following in this article:
- 1. Elements of “Hit & Run”
- 2. Legal Defenses
- 3. Penalties
- 4. What if the damage was only to my car?
- 5. Related Crimes
1. Elements of “Hit & Run”
Vehicle Code 20002 VC is the California statute that makes it a crime to fail to stop your vehicle, after being involved in an accident, when the accident resulted in some property damage.1
A prosecutor must prove four things to convict you of misdemeanor hit and run. These are:
- while driving, you were involved in a vehicle accident,
- the accident caused damage to someone else’s property,
- you knew, or reasonably should have known, that you had been involved in an accident that caused property damage, and
- you willfully failed to stop at the accident scene or provide the owner of the damaged property with your identifying information(such required information includes your name and current address and insurance.2
Note that your duty to stop at the accident scene applies no matter who caused the accident.3 This duty applies even if an accident occurred on private property (such as in the case of you driving through a homeowner’s fence). If the owner of the vehicle or damaged property is not there, you should leave a written note.4
Property damage under this statute does include any damage to a dog or other pet.5
It may be possible to get VC 20002 charges reduced or dismissed.
2. Legal Defenses
We have gotten thousands of these cases dismissed without a trial. The most effective defenses to misdemeanor hit-and-run charges that we rely on are:
- There was no property damage;
- You did not realize there was a collision; and/or
- You were misidentified.
There was no property damage
You are guilty under VC 20002 for failing to stop after an auto accident only if it caused some property damage. This means it is a defense to show that, while you may have sped off after an accident, no property damage was involved.
It is also a defense to show that, while your own car may have been damaged, no other property was affected.
To show that there was no property damage, we hire experts to visit the alleged accident scene and inspect the vehicles and property involved. In our experience, expert testimony can prove vital in getting VC 20002 charges dismissed.
You did not realize there was a collision
It is common for minor car accidents to occur without one or both drivers realizing it. You may be oblivious to minor scrapes if you had the radio on high.
This “ignorance” defense is more effective when driving an older or lower-cost car. More modern, high-end cars have sensors that beep loudly when other cars get too close.
In these cases, we search for any available surveillance video (such as from traffic cameras or ring alarms) that may have captured the alleged collision. If the footage shows you were oblivious to any impact, the D.A may agree to drop the case.
You were misidentified
The nature of hit-and-run accidents is that the culprit drives away too fast for anyone at the scene to get a good look at them. This can lead to innocent people being misidentified as the suspect.
Police investigation of a hit and run may determine that it was your car, but not necessarily that you were the one driving. Prosecutors often may have insufficient evidence to identify who the at-fault driver was positively.
In addition to relying on surveillance video, we try to find eyewitnesses and any recorded communications showing that you had an alibi at the time of the crash.
Misdemeanor hit & run in California carries up to 6 months in jail.
3. Penalties
Hit and run causing no injury is punishable in California by:
- imprisonment in county jail for up to six months, and/or
- a maximum fine of $1,000.6
Please note that instead of jail time, a judge may award you with misdemeanor (or summary probation).
You also face infraction penalties of $250 in fines if you fail to exchange insurance information in violation of VC 16025.7
California courts recently stated that civil compromises can no longer be used in misdemeanor California hit-and-run cases.8
4. What if the damage was only to my car?
It is not a California crime to leave the scene of an accident that caused no injuries or damage to the other car. However, to be safe, you should take photos of the other car to show no damage occurred.
Stop and exchange information with the other driver if you are unsure whether property damage occurred. Or if the other car was parked and unattended, leave a conspicuous note. Examples of car accident damage that may not be visible include:
- Misaligned tires;
- Leaks;
- Reduced battery life;
- Delays to the computer’s diagnostic system; or
- Broken light bulbs
Anyone you hit might seem fine but could have sustained soft-tissue damage – this may take time to manifest.
Either way, most insurance companies require their policyholders to notify them of all accidents, even if they are minor. Otherwise, the insurer may deny any claim that may later arise out of the accident.
5. Related Crimes
- DUI (VC 23152(a))
- DUI causing injury (VC 23153)
- Exhibition of speed (VC 23109(c))
- Driving without a license (VC 12500(a))
- Driving on a suspended license (VC 14601.1(a))
Additional Reading…
You may also wish to review our article on How long after a hit and run can I be charged?
For accusations in Colorado, please see our article on: “Colorado Hit and Run charges / Leaving the Scene of an Accident (42-4-1601 & 42-4-1602 C.R.S.).”
For accusations in Nevada, please see our article, “Hit and Run Laws in Nevada (NRS 484E.010).”
Legal References:
- California Vehicle Code 20002 VC. See also People v. Greeley (Cal. App. 6th Dist., 2021) 70 Cal. App. 5th 609; People v. Ellis (Cal. App. 5th Dist., 2019) 43 Cal. App. 5th 925.
- CALCRIM No. 2150. Failure to Perform Duty Following Accident/Property Damage—Defendant Driver (Veh. Code, § 20002). See also People v. Carbajal (1995), 10 Cal.4th 1114. You commit an act “willfully” when you do it willingly or on purpose. It is not required that you intend to break the law, hurt someone else, or gain any advantage. In providing identifying information, you must have provided enough information so that the owner of the damaged property understood you were driving the vehicle. (People v. Kroncke (1999, 70 Cal.App.4th 1535.)
- People v. Scofield (1928) 203 Cal. 703.
- People v. Stansberry (1966) 242 Cal.App.2d 199.
- People v. Fimbres (1930), 288 P. 19.
- California Vehicle Code 20002c. See also People v. Busser (Cal. App. 4th Dist. July 20, 2010) 186 Cal. App. 4th 1503; People v. Pierce (Court of Appeal of California, Second Appellate District, Division Six, 2023) 88 Cal. App. 5th 1074.
- VC 16025.
- People v. Dimacali (2019), 32 Cal. App. 5th 822.