National Highways Pothole Claims Guide
How to identify an English strategic-road incident, obtain a contact reference and use National Highways’ official Red Claim route.
At a glance
- Answer first
- For damage on an English motorway or trunk road managed by National Highways, obtain a Customer Contact Centre reference and use the official Red Claim form.
- Not every A-road
- Some A-roads are local-authority roads. Confirm the maintaining authority before choosing a route.
- No automatic payment
- National Highways says there is no automatic right to compensation; the facts and legal evidence are investigated.
Step-by-Step Guide
Confirm who maintained the road
Report the incident and obtain the required reference
Submit through the official Red Claim form
Evidence to organise
- date, time, direction, lane and precise location;
- the Customer Contact Centre reference and any police or recovery reference;
- safe photographs or dashcam footage showing location and sequence;
- vehicle-damage photographs, inspection findings and itemised invoices;
- copies of everything submitted while retaining original records.
Debris is different
If National Highways rejects the claim
Ask which inspection, defect and repair records support the decision, then compare those records with the response. The existence of a pothole does not itself establish negligence, and a Section 58 response does not itself decide whether its factual basis is complete. Use the rejection next-steps guide for a careful review sequence.
Scope and legal boundary
This guidance covers England and Wales. Welsh Government manages motorways and trunk roads in Wales; local authorities manage other Welsh local roads. DfT council ratings cover England only and must not be applied to Wales.
Do not stop on a motorway or live carriageway to take photographs. Protect people before collecting evidence and use an existing safe place away from moving traffic.
Related resources: council reports, the England-only ratings dataset, and the free eligibility journey.
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