Mississippi Hit and Run Laws: Penalties and What to Do

Mississippi Code § 63-3-401 requires every driver involved in an accident to stop, exchange information, and render aid. Penalties range from a misdemeanor for property damage (up to 10 days in jail or a $100 fine for a first conviction under the general traffic penalty in § 63-9-11) to a felony punishable by 5 to 20 years in prison when the accident causes death or serious injury.

Hurt in a hit-and-run? If the driver who hit you fled or had no insurance, your own uninsured/underinsured-motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may pay your injury claim. Estimate what it could be worth with our free Mississippi Car Accident Settlement Calculator.

Quick Summary of Mississippi Hit and Run Laws

Under Mississippi Code §§ 63-3-401 through 63-3-405, every driver involved in an accident must immediately stop, provide required information, and render reasonable assistance to injured persons. Leaving the scene without fulfilling these duties is a crime that ranges from a misdemeanor to a serious felony depending on the severity of the injuries involved.

Mississippi law separates hit and run offenses into three tiers. Accidents involving only property damage carry misdemeanor penalties. Accidents causing personal injury result in higher misdemeanor penalties. Accidents resulting in death, mutilation, disfigurement, or permanent disability elevate the offense to a felony with prison time of up to 20 years.

Mississippi is a fault state that uses a pure comparative negligence rule under Code § 11-7-15. The state also has one of the highest traffic fatality rates in the nation, making compliance with accident-scene obligations especially important.

Last verified: March 2026. This page reflects current Mississippi Code §§ 63-3-401 through 63-3-405 and related provisions.

Penalties for Hit and Run in Mississippi

Mississippi structures hit and run penalties based on the severity of the accident. Each tier carries different maximum sentences and fines.

For a first misdemeanor conviction, § 63-9-11 allows a fine or jail, not both; a second conviction within one year raises the maximum to $200 and 20 days, and a third to $500 and six months. A conviction for leaving the scene of an injury or fatal accident under § 63-3-401 requires the commissioner to revoke your driver's license; that mandatory revocation provision does not extend to property-damage-only offenses under § 63-3-403. The court may also order restitution to victims for medical expenses, vehicle repair costs, and other damages.

Additional Consequences

Beyond criminal penalties, a hit and run conviction creates lasting effects. Your insurance premiums will increase substantially. You may face civil lawsuits from victims seeking compensation. A felony conviction can affect your ability to find employment, obtain professional licenses, and exercise certain civil rights.

What the Law Requires After an Accident

Mississippi Code § 63-3-405 establishes the specific duties of any driver involved in an accident. Understanding these obligations is critical because failure to comply triggers criminal liability.

Duty to Stop

Under § 63-3-401, the driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury or death must immediately stop at the scene or as close to it as possible. You must then return to and remain at the scene until you have fulfilled all requirements under § 63-3-405.

Every stop must be made without obstructing traffic or endangering lives more than necessary.

Duty to Provide Information

You must give the other party your name, address, and vehicle registration number. If the other driver, any vehicle occupant, or a law enforcement officer asks for your driver's license, you must show it.

Duty to Render Aid

If anyone is injured, you must provide reasonable assistance. This includes arranging transportation to a medical facility if necessary or if the injured person requests it.

Mississippi Code § 63-3-405 includes a Good Samaritan provision that protects drivers who render emergency assistance in good faith. If you provide reasonable care to an injured person at the scene or while transporting them to a medical facility, you will not face civil liability for any injuries resulting from that assistance.

Duty Regarding Unattended Vehicles

Under § 63-3-407, if you strike an unattended vehicle, you must immediately stop and either locate and notify the operator or owner, or leave a written notice in a conspicuous place in the struck vehicle. The notice must give the name and address of the driver and of the owner of the striking vehicle, plus a statement of the circumstances. The duty does not apply where no material damage is done and the unattended vehicle's owner was negligent in how it was parked. Section 63-3-407 sets no penalty of its own, so a violation is a misdemeanor punished under the general traffic penalty in § 63-9-11.

Misdemeanor Hit and Run Offenses

Hit and run is a misdemeanor in Mississippi when the accident does not result in death or serious injury. There are two categories of misdemeanor offenses.

Property Damage to an Attended Vehicle (§ 63-3-403)

If you are involved in an accident resulting only in damage to a vehicle driven or attended by another person, you must stop and comply with the information-exchange requirements of § 63-3-405. Failure to do so is a misdemeanor. Section 63-3-403 sets no specific penalty, so the general penalty in § 63-9-11 applies: a fine of up to $100 or up to 10 days in jail for a first conviction, with higher maximums for a second or third conviction within one year.

Personal Injury (§ 63-3-401, Subsection 3)

If an accident results in personal injury but does not cause death, mutilation, disfigurement, permanent disability, or destruction of a limb, organ, or member, leaving the scene is a misdemeanor. The penalty is 30 days to 1 year in jail, a fine of $100 to $5,000, or both.

This is a significant step up from property-damage-only offenses. Any injury, no matter how minor, triggers the higher penalty range.

Felony Hit and Run Offenses

Hit and run becomes a felony in Mississippi when the accident results in the most severe outcomes.

Death or Serious Injury (§ 63-3-401, Subsection 4)

If a driver willfully fails to stop or comply with accident-scene requirements after an accident resulting in any of the following, the offense is a felony:

• Death of another person
• Mutilation of another person
• Disfigurement of another person
• Permanent disability
• Destruction of the tongue, eye, lip, nose, or any other limb, organ, or member

The penalty is 5 to 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000 to $10,000, or both. The commissioner of public safety will revoke the driver's license of any person convicted under this subsection.

No Vehicular Homicide Statute

Mississippi does not have a specific vehicular homicide statute. This is significant because prosecutors handling fatal accidents may pursue charges under the state's general homicide laws instead.

Under Mississippi Code § 97-3-47, manslaughter is defined as "every other killing of a human being, by the act, procurement, or culpable negligence of another, and without the authority of law." Culpable negligence manslaughter carries up to 20 years in prison.

If the circumstances suggest intentional conduct, prosecutors may pursue murder charges with even steeper penalties.

DUI Hit and Run

Driving under the influence and leaving the scene carries severe consequences. Mississippi Code § 63-11-30 establishes DUI penalties, and when combined with leaving the scene, a driver may face:

• DUI charges with enhanced penalties
• Manslaughter charges if death results from impaired driving
• Fines up to $10,000 for aggravated DUI offenses
• License suspension or revocation for an extended period

Reporting Requirements

Mississippi Code § 63-3-411 requires any driver involved in an accident resulting in death, injury, or total property damage to an apparent extent of $500 or more to give notice immediately, by the quickest means of communication, to the local police department (inside a city or town) or to the nearest sheriff's office or highway patrol station (outside one). The Department of Public Safety may also require supplemental reports.

Failure to submit a required report is a separate misdemeanor offense. You should also contact law enforcement at the scene of any serious accident.

Under § 63-3-413, if the driver is physically incapable of making a required report, another occupant of the vehicle who is capable of doing so must make the report.

Mississippi Traffic Statistics

Mississippi consistently ranks among the most dangerous states for traffic fatalities.

According to TRIP, a national transportation research organization, Mississippi had the highest traffic fatality rate in the nation in 2024. The state's fatality rate reached 24.9 deaths per 100,000 population and 1.79 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, both the worst in the country.

In 2023, Mississippi recorded 737 traffic fatalities statewide. Preliminary data for 2025 shows a 19% decrease compared to 2024, representing significant improvement.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that alcohol-involved fatal crashes in Mississippi increased 22% from 2019 to 2023. The Mississippi Office of Highway Safety continues its enforcement and education campaigns aimed at reducing these numbers.

How Fault Is Determined in Mississippi

Mississippi is a fault state, meaning the driver who caused the accident is responsible for paying damages. If you are a victim, you have three options for seeking compensation:

• File a claim with your own insurance company
• File a claim with the at-fault driver's insurance company
• File a civil lawsuit against the at-fault driver

Pure Comparative Fault Rule

Under Mississippi Code § 11-7-15, Mississippi follows a pure comparative fault system. Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of responsibility, but there is no threshold that bars recovery entirely.

Mississippi was the first state in the nation to adopt pure comparative negligence in 1910. Under this system, even a plaintiff who is 99% at fault can recover 1% of their damages from the other party.

Example: If you suffer $100,000 in damages but a jury finds you 40% at fault, you can still recover $60,000.

Minimum Insurance Requirements

Mississippi requires all drivers to carry liability insurance. Driving without insurance is a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine and license suspension for up to one year.

Statute of Limitations for Civil Claims

• Personal injury claims: 3 years from the date of the accident (§ 15-1-49)
• Wrongful death claims: 3 years from the date of death (§ 15-1-49)
• Property damage claims: 3 years from the date of the accident

If the victim is under the age of 21, the statute of limitations may be tolled until they reach that age. If a driver who fled the scene injured you, get a free claim review from a Mississippi car accident lawyer within that three-year period (attorney advertising).

Possible Defenses to Hit and Run Charges

The prosecution must prove that leaving the scene was willful. Potential defenses include:

• Lack of knowledge: You were genuinely unaware that an accident occurred. This is the most common defense and can be effective when the collision was minor.
• Left to seek help: You departed to get emergency assistance or transport an injured person to a hospital. Mississippi law specifically permits this under § 63-3-405.
• Fear for safety: You reasonably believed that remaining at the scene would endanger your life. You must still report the accident as soon as possible.
• Mistaken identity: You were not the driver, or the vehicle identified was not yours.
• No damage or injury: The other party suffered no actual injury and no property was damaged.
• Victim refused information: The other party declined to accept your information or stated they did not want to exchange details.

If you left the scene, the most important step is to contact law enforcement as soon as possible; § 63-3-411 requires notice immediately. Having a documented record of your attempt to comply can strengthen your defense.

Related Resources

Official Sources:

• Mississippi Code § 63-3-401 (Accident Involving Injury or Death)
• Mississippi Code § 63-3-403 (Property Damage to Attended Vehicle)
• Mississippi Code § 63-3-405 (Duties to Provide Information and Render Aid)
• Mississippi Code § 11-7-15 (Comparative Negligence)
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Other Mississippi Laws:

• Mississippi Recording Laws
• Mississippi Car Seat Laws
• Mississippi Statute of Limitations
• Mississippi Whistleblower Laws

More Mississippi Laws

• Mississippi Car Accident Laws
• Mississippi Statute of Limitations

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to report an accident in Mississippi?

Immediately. Under Mississippi Code § 63-3-411, the driver in any collision resulting in death, injury, or apparent property damage of $500 or more must give notice right away, by the quickest means of communication, to the local police department, or outside city limits to the nearest sheriff's office or highway patrol station.

What qualifies as serious injury under Mississippi hit and run law?

Mississippi Code § 63-3-401 defines serious injury as mutilation, disfigurement, permanent disability, or destruction of the tongue, eye, lip, nose, or any other limb, organ, or member. These injuries elevate a hit and run from a misdemeanor to a felony with penalties of 5 to 20 years in prison.

Can I be charged with murder for a fatal hit and run in Mississippi?

Yes. Because Mississippi lacks a specific vehicular homicide statute, prosecutors may pursue manslaughter or murder charges under the state's general homicide laws for fatal accidents. Manslaughter under § 97-3-47 carries up to 20 years in prison for culpable negligence.

Does Mississippi protect drivers who help injured people at the scene?

Yes. Mississippi Code § 63-3-405 includes a Good Samaritan provision that protects drivers who render emergency assistance in good faith from civil liability. If you provide reasonable care to an injured person at the scene or while transporting them to a medical facility, you cannot be held civilly liable for injuries that result from that assistance.

What should I do immediately after an accident in Mississippi?

Stop your vehicle at the scene or as close as possible. Check on all parties involved. Call law enforcement, especially for accidents involving injury or death. Exchange your name, address, and vehicle registration number with the other driver. Render reasonable assistance to anyone injured, including arranging transportation to a hospital if needed. Document the scene with photos if possible. Do not admit fault. Contact your insurance company promptly.