Reviewed and approved by Samuel Corso, licensed Texas insurance agent.

Published September 12, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

Does car insurance cover a hit-and-run in Texas?

When a driver hits your car and leaves, the question becomes what your own policy does. This guide walks through what the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says about that, coverage by coverage.

The short version. Car insurance can cover a hit-and-run in Texas, depending on your coverages. TDI says in Will your auto insurance pay after a hit-and-run crash? that collision coverage or uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) property damage coverage pays for car repairs after a hit-and-run, and that liability insurance does not repair your car. TDI's Auto insurance guide adds that uninsured motorist coverage won't pay for a hit-and-run you didn't report to police.

Here's what we'll cover: the coverages TDI names for repairs, what TDI says about the police report, what UM/UIM coverage pays for, the deductible, coverages for injuries, a car hit while parked, steps at the scene, what happens after you file, and how to check your own policy.

Which coverages TDI names for hit-and-run repairs

After a hit-and-run in Texas, TDI names two coverages that pay to repair your car, subject to a police-report condition that TDI's Auto insurance guide words as applying to uninsured motorist coverage (see the next section). In its blog post Will your auto insurance pay after a hit-and-run crash?, dated January 13, 2025, TDI says: "To get your car repaired, you’ll need a car insurance policy with collision coverage or uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) property damage coverage."

The same post says liability insurance is required in Texas but won't pay to repair your car after an accident. In TDI's words: "Liability insurance only pays to repair the other person’s car if you’re at fault in an accident."

The table below sets out what TDI's pages say about each coverage. It is a summary of those pages, and your own policy wording decides what applies to you.

In plain terms, the answer for your car depends on whether collision or UM/UIM property damage coverage is on your policy and, for uninsured motorist coverage, on the police report TDI describes. Our guide on what car insurance is required in Texas covers liability insurance in more detail.

What TDI says about reporting a hit-and-run to police

TDI ties uninsured motorist coverage for a hit-and-run in Texas to a police report. TDI's Auto insurance guide, last updated 12/11/2025, says to call the police if you were hit by a driver who left the scene, and then says: "Your uninsured motorist coverage won’t pay for a hit-and-run accident if you didn’t report it to police."

TDI's tip sheet Were you in a wreck? Tips for auto insurance claims gives matching guidance for the scene. It says to call the police if someone was injured or the other driver drove away, and to get a copy of the police report for your insurance company.

TDI's sentence about the police report refers to uninsured motorist coverage. The TDI pages cited here do not say whether the same condition applies to a collision claim, so check your policy or ask your insurance company about that.

What TDI says UM/UIM coverage pays for

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in Texas can respond when the other driver can't be found to pay for damage, subject to the police-report condition in TDI's Auto insurance guide. TDI's blog post Protect against other drivers with uninsured motorist coverage, dated March 7, 2025, says: "Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage pays if you’re in a hit-and-run accident and the other driver can’t be found to pay for damage."

The same blog post lists what UM/UIM coverage pays for in general, beyond hit-and-run accidents. It says the coverage pays your car repair and medical bills, and also pays to replace the property in your car, a rental car if you need it, and pain and suffering costs. TDI's Auto insurance guide says UM/UIM coverage has dollar limits, which it describes as the most the company will pay even if the cost is higher.

On rental cars, TDI's Auto insurance guide says your insurance company will pay for a rental car if you have UM/UIM coverage and the accident was a hit-and-run, subject to the police-report condition above. The guide adds that the company will pay only for the time it believes is reasonable to repair or replace your car, at a set amount each day, and only up to your policy's rental coverage dollar limits. The guide describes rental reimbursement as a separate coverage that pays for you to rent a car if yours is stolen or being repaired after an accident.

Not every policy has this coverage. TDI's tip sheet What is uninsured motorist coverage, and do I really need it?, last updated 10/14/2024, says insurance companies must offer uninsured motorist coverage when you buy auto insurance, and that if you don't want it, you have to turn it down in writing. The same page says you can usually add more uninsured/underinsured coverage in $5,000 increments.

So on TDI's description, UM/UIM coverage, where you have it and its conditions are met, reaches further than the repair bill. Our guide on uninsured motorist coverage in Texas goes through the coverage in full.

The UM/UIM deductible TDI describes

TDI gives a dollar figure for the deductible on uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in Texas. Its tip sheet What is uninsured motorist coverage, and do I really need it?, last updated 10/14/2024, says: "The deductible for uninsured/underinsured coverage is $250." TDI's blog post Protect against other drivers with uninsured motorist coverage describes it as a $250 deductible for car repair.

TDI's pages compare that with collision in different words. The uninsured motorist tip sheet says the deductible if you use your collision coverage is likely much higher. TDI's hit-and-run post says UM/UIM coverage usually has a lower deductible than collision coverage.

If your policy has both coverages, the deductible is one difference between them that you can see on your own policy. You can ask your insurance company which coverage a hit-and-run claim is being handled under and which deductible applies. Our guide on how to file a car insurance claim in Texas covers the process end to end.

Which coverages may pay for injuries

If someone is hurt in a hit-and-run in Texas, TDI points to three coverages on your own auto policy. Its tip sheet Accident not your fault? Here's how to deal with the other driver's insurance, last updated 4/24/2025, says that if you have medical bills, your personal injury protection coverage, medical payments coverage, or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage might pay.

• Personal injury protection (PIP). TDI's Auto insurance guide says PIP pays your and your passengers' medical bills, and also pays for things like lost wages and other nonmedical costs. On whether you have it, the guide says: "All auto policies in Texas include PIP coverage. If you don’t want it, you must tell the company in writing."
• Medical payments coverage. The same TDI guide says medical payments coverage pays your and your passengers' medical bills, and also pays if you're hurt while riding in someone else's car or while walking or biking. TDI's Were you in a wreck? tip sheet says your auto policy might have this coverage.
• UM/UIM coverage. TDI's blog post Protect against other drivers with uninsured motorist coverage says the coverage pays your medical bills and pain and suffering costs. For a hit-and-run, that is subject to the police-report condition above.

TDI's pages say PIP and uninsured motorist coverage can each be turned down in writing and that a policy might have medical payments coverage, so your declaration page is the place to see which of these you carry.

Hit while parked

What if the car was parked when it was hit? TDI's hit-and-run post does not treat a parked car separately. It names collision coverage or UM/UIM property damage coverage for repairs after a hit-and-run accident, and the police-report condition above still applies to uninsured motorist coverage.

Comprehensive coverage is a different coverage. TDI's Auto insurance guide defines it this way: "Comprehensive (other than collision) coverage pays if your car is stolen or damaged by fire, flood, vandalism or something other than a collision." TDI's hit-and-run post does not mention comprehensive coverage.

How your policy treats damage to a parked car depends on its wording, so that is a question for your insurance company or agent. The coverages you carry are listed on your declaration page.

At the scene: steps you can take

After a hit-and-run in Texas, these are steps you can take at the scene and soon after. The order is ours, and the facts inside each step come from the TDI pages linked.

1. Call the police. TDI's Were you in a wreck? tip sheet says to call the police if someone was injured or the other driver drove away. The police-report condition above, from TDI's Auto insurance guide, applies to uninsured motorist coverage.
2. Get the police report. The same tip sheet says to get a copy of the police report for your insurance company. TDI's Auto insurance guide says it usually takes a few days for the police officer to file a report, and suggests getting the officer's name and badge number so you can follow up.
3. Take pictures and write down details. TDI's Were you in a wreck? tip sheet says to get pictures of the other cars involved, including license plates and damages, and of street signs and road angles. It also says to write down the location, the time of the wreck, weather conditions, and what happened.
4. Talk to witnesses. The same tip sheet says to ask witnesses for names and phone numbers.
5. Report the accident to your insurance company. TDI's Auto insurance guide says to tell your company about the accident as soon as possible, and notes that most companies have deadlines for filing claims.
6. Ask about repair shops. TDI's Were you in a wreck? tip sheet says your insurance company might give you a list of body shops, but you can take your car to any shop you choose.

Our guide on what to do after a car accident in Texas walks through the full sequence.

After you file: timing, and your deductible

Once you file a hit-and-run claim with your own company in Texas, TDI describes a set of deadlines for the company. TDI's Auto insurance guide, last updated 12/11/2025, says Texas law sets deadlines for insurance companies to act after you file a claim, and lists them this way:

• Acknowledgment. The guide says the company must tell you it got your claim within 15 days of getting notice.
• Decision. The guide says the company must accept or reject your claim within 15 business days of getting all the information it needs from you. It adds that a company that needs more time can take 45 days to decide and must tell you the reason for the delay.
• Payment. The guide says the company must send you a check within five business days after it agrees to pay your claim.

The guide also says these deadlines don't apply if another driver's insurance company is paying the claim.

On getting a deductible back, TDI's tip sheet Accident not your fault? Here's how to deal with the other driver's insurance says your insurance company will try to recover what it paid you from the other driver's insurance, and that if it gets anything back, you might get your deductible reimbursed. That page is describing recovery from another driver's insurance, so it can only matter after a hit-and-run if there is another driver's insurance to recover from.

If the damage is heavy, TDI's Auto insurance guide says that if the cost to repair your car is close to its current value, the company might decide to total it, and that it will then pay your car's value minus depreciation.

Taken together, the clock TDI describes starts with your notice to the company, and the decision deadline runs from when the company has all the information it needs from you.

Will it raise your premium?

Filing a car insurance claim in Texas can affect your premium, according to TDI's general guidance on claims, which does not single out hit-and-run claims. TDI's tip sheet Will my premium go up if I file a claim?, last updated 2/26/2026, says it depends on the type of claim and how many you file, and then says: "But, yes, your home and auto premiums can go up if you file claims."

That page covers home and auto claims in general and does not address hit-and-run claims specifically. It says auto companies can raise your premium if you've had accidents or gotten traffic tickets. It also says home and auto companies can't charge you more for claims you file that the company didn't pay, or for calling your company or agent to ask questions about your policy or the claims filing process.

The same TDI page says most insurance companies get a report from the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) to learn your claims history. Our guide on how your claims history affects car insurance in Texas covers what shows up there.

The practical point is that TDI's page gives no single answer for a hit-and-run claim. You can ask your insurance company how it treats one.

Key facts

• TDI's Will your auto insurance pay after a hit-and-run crash? (January 13, 2025) says collision coverage or UM/UIM property damage coverage pays for car repairs after a hit-and-run accident, and TDI's Auto insurance guide (last updated 12/11/2025) says uninsured motorist coverage won't pay for a hit-and-run accident if you didn't report it to police.
• The same TDI post says liability insurance only pays to repair the other person's car if you're at fault, and won't pay to repair your car.
• TDI's Protect against other drivers with uninsured motorist coverage says UM/UIM coverage pays if you're in a hit-and-run accident and the other driver can't be found, and TDI's Auto insurance guide says it won't pay for a hit-and-run you didn't report to police.
• TDI's What is uninsured motorist coverage, and do I really need it? (last updated 10/14/2024) gives the deductible for uninsured/underinsured coverage as $250 and says the deductible if you use your collision coverage is likely much higher.
• TDI's Auto insurance guide says all auto policies in Texas include PIP coverage, and that if you don't want it you must tell the company in writing.
• TDI's Will my premium go up if I file a claim? (last updated 2/26/2026) says home and auto premiums can go up if you file claims, depending on the type of claim and how many you file.
• TDI's pages list 800-252-3439 as the number to call with questions, including its Were you in a wreck? tip sheet.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Auto insurance guide, Will your auto insurance pay after a hit-and-run crash?, What is uninsured motorist coverage, and do I really need it?, Protect against other drivers with uninsured motorist coverage, Were you in a wreck? Tips for auto insurance claims, Accident not your fault? Here's how to deal with the other driver's insurance and Will my premium go up if I file a claim?. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Take the next step

You can check your car insurance for hit-and-run coverage before anything happens. TDI's Auto insurance guide says the first page of your policy is the declaration page, with a summary of your coverages, dollar limits, and deductibles.

• Look for two coverages. Check whether collision coverage and UM/UIM coverage, including property damage, appear on your declaration page.
• Note both deductibles. Write down your collision deductible and your UM/UIM deductible so you know which deductible would apply to each coverage.
• Ask about adding coverage. TDI's hit-and-run post suggests that if you don't have collision or UM/UIM coverage, you consider asking your agent how much they would cost to add to your policy. TDI's Auto insurance guide says uninsured motorist coverage won't pay for a hit-and-run you didn't report to police.

If you're reviewing your auto coverage, our guides on how to get car insurance in Texas and comparing auto insurance in Texas are a good place to start.

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