Ark. Code Ann. » Title 27 Chapter 53
Arkansas Code Annotated

Ark. Code Ann. § 27-53-103 (2026)

Duty to give information, remain at the scene of an accident, and render aid

✓ current as of May 2026
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    1. The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or damage to any vehicle that is driven or attended by any person shall give his or her name, address, and the registration number of the vehicle he or she is driving.
    2. Upon request and if available, the driver shall exhibit his or her driver's license or commercial driver's license to the person struck, or the driver or occupant of, or person attending, any vehicle collided with and shall render to any person injured in the accident reasonable assistance, including the transporting, or the making of arrangements for the transporting, of the person to a physician, surgeon, or hospital for medical or surgical treatment if it is apparent that treatment is necessary or if transporting is requested by the injured person.
    1. The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or damage to any vehicle that is driven or attended by any person shall remain at the scene of the accident for a reasonable time in order to be present if the driver knows that a law enforcement agency was contacted for assistance unless it is necessary for the driver to leave the scene of the accident to render assistance as required by subdivision (a)(2) of this section.
    2. For the purpose of compliance with subdivision (b)(1) of this section, a reasonable time is not less than thirty (30) minutes.

History. Acts 1937, No. 300, § 38; Pope's Dig., § 6696; A.S.A. 1947, § 75-903; Acts 1995, No. 659, § 5; 2007, No. 145, § 1.

Amendments. The 2007 amendment inserted “remain at the scene of an accident” in the section heading; added (b); and redesignated the existing provisions as (a)(1) and (a)(2).

Cross References. Penalty for violation, § 27-53-101(b).

Research References

U. Ark. Little Rock L. Rev.

Breanna Trombley, Note: Criminal Law — No Stitches for Snitches: The Need for a Duty-to-Report Law in Arkansas, 34 U. Ark. Little Rock L. Rev. 813 (2012).

Case Notes

Failure to Comply.

Evidence supported the finding of jury that defendant did not comply with this section and § 27-53-101 where evidence was to the effect that defendant hurriedly left scene of accident before injured person was removed and after being requested not to do so even though his identity was known and others were rendering aid. Barnhill v. State, 247 Ark. 28, 444 S.W.2d 97 (1969).

Trial court did not err in finding that defendant committed two criminal violations by leaving the scene of the accident and driving with a suspended license, § 27-53-101, this section, and § 27-16-303(a)(1), or in revoking defendant's suspended sentence, based on evidence that he struck a pedestrian and left the scene. Jordan v. State, 2009 Ark. App. 859 (2009).

Instructions.

Where driver's failure to give his name and license number and render assistance to persons injured in a collision as required by this section bears no proximate relation to the cause of the collision, instruction on that point is properly refused. Schlosberg v. Doup, 187 Ark. 931, 63 S.W.2d 337 (1933).

Refusal to give instruction setting out § 27-53-101(a) was not prejudicial error where proof showed that the young driver stopped and returned to the scene as soon as he realized what had happened and there was no showing that he failed to satisfy the requirements of this section. Carter v. Montgomery, 226 Ark. 989, 296 S.W.2d 442 (1956).

Defendant was not entitled to have his proffered instruction given to the jury based on the argument that due process required the state to prove that he knew the victim had been injured and that he purposely left the scene knowing that she had been injured as § 27-53-101 did not contain an element regarding defendant's knowledge of a victim's injuries. Stivers v. State, 354 Ark. 140, 118 S.W.3d 558 (2003).

Sufficiency Review.

Corporal's testimony was substantial evidence that appellant was the driver of the vehicle, as the corporal spoke with the driver and recognized appellant as the driver, nothing contradicted the corporal's identification of appellant, and there could be no inference that appellant was not still the driver at the time of the accident, as a witness testified that he never lost sight of appellant's vehicle during the chase, and thus the court affirmed appellant's conviction for leaving the scene of an accident. Flemons v. State, 2013 Ark. App. 280 (2013).

Appellant's sufficiency argument was preserved only for his conviction of leaving the scene of an accident, as he did not challenge his identity in his directed verdict motion for the fleeing apprehension charge. Flemons v. State, 2013 Ark. App. 280 (2013).

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2003–2026 · leading case: State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. v. Henderson, 150 S.W.3d 276 (Ark. 2004).
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State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. v. Henderson, 150 S.W.3d 276 (Ark. 2004). · cites it 4× “Third, it renders the insured's ability to recover dependent upon the conduct of an unknown third party, who did not fulfill his or her legal obligation to stop at the scene of the accident, as required by Ark.”
Stivers v. State, 118 S.W.3d 558 (Ark. 2003). · cites it 3× “] §27-53-103 [(Supp. 2003)]. 1 At the conclusion of his jury trial, Stivers proffered a jury instruction based on his own interpretation of § 27-53-101, arguing that due process required the State to prove that he knew Price had been injured and that he purposely left the scene…”
Smith v. State, 2015 Ark. App. 418 (Ark. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 2× “GLADWIN, Chief Judge | Claude Smith was convicted after a jury trial in the Pulaski County Circuit Court of violating Arkansas Code Annotated section 27-53-103 (Repl. 2010), by failing to immediately stop or remain at the scene after hitting Lois Sandusky with his truck in a…”
Lovellette v. Carlos Jose Peres Lagos Inc (E.D. Ark. 2021). · cites it 19× “failing to render any reasonable aid to a person involved in a collision as required by A.C.A. § 27-53-103” and that this failure was a proximate cause of Mr.”
Mulazim Muhammad v. State of Arkansas, 2026 Ark. App. 184 (Ark. Ct. App. 2026). “)(1) The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in physical injury or serious physical injury to or death of any person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close as possible to the scene of the accident, but shall then immediately…”
— Ark. Code Ann. § 27-53-103(a)(1) — 1 case
Lovellette v. Carlos Jose Peres Lagos Inc (E.D. Ark. 2021). “failing to render any reasonable aid to a person involved in a collision as required by A.C.A. § 27-53-103” and that this failure was a proximate cause of Mr.”
— Ark. Code Ann. § 27-53-103(a)(2) — 1 case
Lovellette v. Carlos Jose Peres Lagos Inc (E.D. Ark. 2021). “failing to render any reasonable aid to a person involved in a collision as required by A.C.A. § 27-53-103” and that this failure was a proximate cause of Mr.”
— Ark. Code Ann. § 27-53-103(b)(1) — 1 case
Lovellette v. Carlos Jose Peres Lagos Inc (E.D. Ark. 2021). “failing to render any reasonable aid to a person involved in a collision as required by A.C.A. § 27-53-103” and that this failure was a proximate cause of Mr.”
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