insurance card

Auto insurance is important to carry as a safe driver. You’ll need proof of this when you register your vehicle, if you’re ever pulled over and if you’ve been in an accident. The proof of coverage will make it easy to verify that you indeed have insurance and also provide key information like your policy number and contact info. For filing reports. 

Today, as much of the world is digital and avoiding cutting down trees if possible helps the environment, many ID cards are now being stored online. But does that mean you don’t have to print it out and put a copy in the car with you? Not exactly. 

Here’s what’s allowed when it comes to how your auto id card can be presented and accepted. 

New laws are emerging in states across the U.S. to allow digital copies of insurance cards to be accepted. Most officers are looking for an official PDF version of the cards or the cards from within the official insurance app – but a screenshot of it could also be accepted.

In October of 2018, Connecticut announced it would officially be accepting digital versions of insurance cards. 

With the bill, it made it acceptable for a person to present his or her automobile insurance identification card electronically using their cell phone or another electronic device. This was approved for both the motor vehicles commissioner and police officers. 

They are not permitted to look at anything else on the phone under the law and additional identification may be required – such as when registering a car. 

What Not to Do

Regardless of how you furnish your proof of insurance – there are a few things you never want to do. Going without any insurance coverage at all is not a smart idea. It leaves you and others on the road at risk and it’s punishable. It could result in the loss of your driver’s license and other fines. You should also not try to fake or create some false digital version of an insurance card as this is a crime.