What to Do After a Car Accident on Guam (Step-by-Step, 2026)

Most drivers on Guam handle the first ten minutes after a collision badly — not because they panic, but because nobody ever told them what the island actually requires. Guam has its own reporting rules, its own deadlines, and its own insurance minimums. Here is the sequence.

1. Check for injuries before anything else

Before you look at the bumper, look at the people. Yourself, your passengers, the other vehicle. If anyone is hurt, call 911 immediately. Leaving the scene of an accident involving injury is a felony on Guam. Leaving the scene of a property-damage-only accident is a misdemeanor.

2. Move to safety if the vehicles are drivable

If both cars still roll and nobody is injured, get out of the travel lane. Route 1 and Route 8 at rush hour are not places to conduct an insurance conversation. Hazards on, move to a shoulder or a lot.

3. Stop and identify yourself

Guam law requires you to stop and properly identify yourself to the other party. Exchange name, contact number, vehicle registration, and insurance certificate details. Do not argue fault at the scene — you don't have the information yet, and neither do they.

4. Call the police

If property damage exceeds $100 or anyone has been injured, contact the police. Guam gives you a 24-hour window to report the accident. Do not treat that window as optional because the damage "looks minor." Bumper covers hide $3,000 of structure.

5. Report to Revenue & Taxation

This is the step almost everyone misses. If the damage exceeds $250 or someone was injured, you are also required to report the accident to the Department of Revenue & Taxation within 10 working days from the time the police report is completed. Two separate obligations, two separate deadlines.

6. Document everything

Before the vehicles move, if it is safe: wide shots showing both vehicles and their position, close shots of every damaged panel, a photo of the other driver's registration and insurance certificate, the location, and the time. Video is better than stills for damage — it shows depth and gap alignment that a flat photo hides. Send those photos to your repair shop the same day. At Auto Worx, photos and video are how a body estimate starts.

7. Choose where your vehicle gets repaired

Your insurer may recommend a shop. The repair itself is a contract between you and the shop that performs it, and the shop — not the insurance company — stands behind the workmanship. Ask questions before you sign anything: who writes the estimate, what happens if hidden damage is found during teardown, and who warranties the work.

What Guam insurance actually covers

Every registered vehicle on Guam must carry liability insurance under Guam's mandatory insurance law — minimums of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for third-party bodily injury, and $20,000 per accident for property damage.

Note what that does not include. Liability pays for damage you cause to someone else. It does not repair your own vehicle. That requires collision coverage, which is optional on Guam unless your lender requires it.

The quiet problem: hidden damage

A modern vehicle absorbs impact through crush zones, sensor mounts, and bonded structure. A parking-lot tap can misalign a radar bracket. A low-speed rear hit can crease a rail behind an intact bumper cover. This is why a proper body estimate on Guam requires photos, video, and a physical teardown — not a walk-around and a number.