A recent law change by the Missouri legislature will now allow people to show police officers proof of insurance on a mobile device when pulled over for a traffic stop. Prior to this new law, Missouri motorists would have to carry a phsyical card issued to them by their insurance company. If the motorist could not find the card then he would receive a citation for No Proof of Insurance which upon conviction carries four points on a driving record and a 30 day drivers license suspension.

Thankfully we are now past the days of having to search desperately through the glove compartment for proof of insurance. We no longer have to worry about finding several expired insurance cards before finally identifying the current card. Now, a simple app or website offered by most insurance companies will allow a motorist to simply pull up the information on his phone to show a police officer.

Several states have already enacted a similar law, but it will be interesting to see how this new law works in practice, especially as the police adjust. It had to be frusrtating for a police officer to wait for a motorist to look through his glove compartment for proof of insurance, but it may take just as long to pull up the proper information on a cell phone. Certainly there could be an issue if the poor motorist does not have cell reception at the place he was stopped. The new law is a step towards progress, but unfortunately, progress rarely moves smoothly.

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Change to concealed carry, proof of insurance among new Missouri laws,” Elizabeth Crisp, August 28, 2013.