BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — The new GEICO ad is catchy. The GEICO pig in a convertible is stopped by police for a broken tail light. When he's asked for proof of insurance, the pig merely pulls out his iPhone and opens his GEICO app.
Major auto insurers are now offering apps that replace the tried and true paper insurance card that drivers have carried in their wallets — or in their glove boxes — since proof of insurance became a legal requirement in most states.
And now, police in Florida say it's no problem if you want to use an app to prove that you're covered.
Boca Raton Police Spokeswoman Ofc. Sandra Boonenberg says the department “does accept proof of insurance in digital format as long as all the information is present and accurate.”
Florida's statute that covers auto insurance only states that the vehicle's owner must have proof that the vehicle is insured. That proof is not required to be a piece of paper. In other words: an app is legally just fine.
But keep in mind that if your phone isn't working, if the battery dies, or if you suddenly lose internet connectivity, that really cool app could end up landing you a ticket for failure to show proof of insurance. While that's traditionally easy to clear with a trip to the court house or police department, it may not be a bad idea to keep a paper copy in your glovebox, just in case.
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