A driver hit my car and drove off, and I don't have the plate number. Who pays for the damage?

Car insuranceWho paysNew JerseyTexasChecked Nov 7, 2026

From K.Actuary, founded by Sangmin Kwon, ASA · sources checked 2026-11-07 · Source: Texas Department of Insurance · Auto insurance guide · Types of auto coverages View original ↗

In short

Your own policy may pay, even with no plate number.
Call the police now. Get a copy of the report.
In Texas, no police report can mean no pay.

What this means

If you cannot find the other driver, your own policy may pay. In Texas, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage also pays for a hit-and-run accident [1]. Insurers in Texas must offer you this coverage, and you must say no in writing if you do not want it [2]. In New Jersey, collision coverage pays for damage when your car hits another vehicle or an object [3].

Call the police right away. The Texas Department of Insurance says to call the police if a driver who hit you left the scene [4]. It also says your uninsured motorist coverage will not pay for a hit-and-run if you did not report it to police [5]. New Jersey says that without a police report, your company could deny your claim [6].

Texas law has one more rule. When the driver is unknown, uninsured motorist coverage requires actual physical contact between that driver's vehicle and you or your property [7]. You must also pay a deductible on an uninsured motorist claim in Texas [8]. These sources come from Texas and New Jersey, so rules in your state may differ.

Your next step

Report the hit-and-run to the police today and get a copy of the report [4] [6]. Then tell your insurer and send the report. The sources give no deadline for the police report — report it right away.

Check it yourself

Open your policy and find the uninsured motorist and collision parts, and the "duties after an accident" part. These sources are from Texas and New Jersey only, so rules in your state may differ. The sources do not say how many days you have to report to police in other states — "Don't know yet". Ask your state insurance department or a lawyer if your claim is denied.

Where this comes from (8)

[1] Texas Department of Insurance · Auto insurance guide · Types of auto coverages · checked 2026-11-07
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage pays if you’re hit by someone who didn’t have insurance or didn’t have enough to pay your medical and car repair bills. It also pays if you’re in a hit-and-run accident.
[2] Texas Department of Insurance · Auto insurance guide · Types of auto coverages · checked 2026-11-07
Insurance companies must offer you this coverage. If you don’t want it, you must tell the company in writing.
[3] New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance · Filing an Auto Damage Claim with Your Own Insurer · page text · checked 2026-11-07
Collision coverage protects you from damage caused to your car by a collision with another vehicle, a fixed object, or an object lying in the roadway.
[4] Texas Department of Insurance · Auto insurance guide · Auto claims · checked 2026-11-07
Call the police if you were hit by a driver who left the scene.
[5] Texas Department of Insurance · Auto insurance guide · Auto claims · checked 2026-11-07
Your uninsured motorist coverage won’t pay for a hit-and-run accident if you didn’t report it to police.
[6] New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance · Filing an Auto Damage Claim with Your Own Insurer · FAQ 2 · checked 2026-11-07
Immediately report a loss to the police if your vehicle is stolen, vandalized, or damaged by a hit-and-run driver. Without a police report your company could deny your claim.
[7] Texas Legislature · Texas Insurance Code · Sec. 1952.104(3) · checked 2026-11-07
require that, for the insured to recover under the uninsured motorist coverage if the owner or operator of any motor vehicle that causes bodily injury or property damage to the insured is unknown, actual physical contact must have occurred between the motor vehicle owned or operated by the unknown person and the person or property of the insured.
[8] Texas Department of Insurance · Auto insurance guide · Deductibles and dollar limits · checked 2026-11-07
You must pay a deductible for collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motorist claims.

How we found this

We matched your question to 8 official sources, quoted the exact lines, and re-checked each quote against its source on 2026-11-07.

What we don’t know yet

Your own plan or notice may say something different. If your letter cites another rule, send it and we will look again.

Every answer is checked against the official rule it quotes.

Information only — not legal advice. Your plan, insurer or agency decides.

This answer quotes the official sources listed above, with the date we checked them. Your own policy, notice and state rules control. We are not your lawyer or your insurer. We don’t file, argue or negotiate claims for you — you send any letter or form yourself.

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