Showing Proof of Insurance from your Phone

Trevor Tarpinian, CEPA®                                                                                    591 Words
Licensed Insurance Counselor                                                                             3:00 mins
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

trevor@tfi4insurance.com

Can You Show Your Insurance on your Phone in MI?

Have you ever been pulled over, shuffled through that black hole of clutter you call a glove compartment, only to fail to find your proof of auto insurance? Good news! The odds of you getting hit with that $25 fee for lack of proof of insurance are decreasing. On Oct 5, 2015, Governor Rick Snyder signed Public Act 135 of 2015 into law, allowing people to show proof of auto insurance coverage both in paper and electronic form. The law was introduced as House Bill 4193 by representative Aric Nesbitt. In Michigan, you can now show proof of coverage from your cell phone or tablet.

Let's go over a few basics of the law:

• "The owner of a motor vehicle who operates or permits the operation of the motor vehicle upon the highways of this state or the operator of the motor vehicle shall produce, under subsection (2), upon the request of a police officer, evidence that the motor vehicle is insured..." [MCL 257.328 (1)] 
• "A certificate of insurance, in paper or electronic form and issued by an insurance company, that certifies that the security that meets the requirements of sections 3101 and 3102 of the insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.3101 and 500.3102, is in force is prima facie evidence that insurance is in force for the motor vehicle described in the certificate of insurance until the expiration date shown on the certificate."  [MCL 257.328 (2)] 
• "If a person displays an electronic copy of his or her certificate of insurance using an electronic device, the police officer shall only view the electronic copy of the certificate of insurance and shall not manipulate the electronic device to view any other information on the electronic device. A person who displays an electronic copy of his or her certificate of insurance using an electronic device as provided in this subsection shall not be presumed to have consented to a search of the electronic device. A police officer may require the person to electronically forward the electronic copy of the certificate of insurance to a specified location provided by the police officer. The police officer may then view the electronic copy of the certificate of insurance in a setting in which it is safe for the officer to verify that the information contained in the electronic copy of the certificate of insurance is valid and accurate." [MCL 257.328 (1)] 

 What does that mean for you? You're now permitted to have your proof of insurance in Michigan on an electronic device, such as a phone. This has a few benefits. No need to store paper copies of your insurance certificate in your car. You also decrease the risk of forgetting to update those paper certificates. Further, doing away with the paper certificate could decrease the chance at theft. Thieves often rummage for personal information in a car.

Many insurance companies now provide apps that give their customers access to electronic copies of their coverage. Whether the companies we represent do or don't, TFI Insurance offers all its customers digital access to their policy summaries and proof of coverage, in a format that can be viewed by phone for a police officer. Want to see a tour of the client portal we give our customers? Contact us and we'll be happy to schedule a demonstration.

MORE ARTICLES FROM TFI INSURANCE