Friday, July 27, 2012

Electronic Proof of Insurance


Electronic Proof of Insurance

Allows you customer to take a picture of their Proof of Insurance Card while in your phone app, save the picture onto their phone and display the picture to any police officer asking for proof of insurance.

New Laws This Year

As of this writing these state will accept electronic proof of insurance.

  1. Alabama
  2. Arizona
  3. California
  4. Colorado
  5. Idaho
  6. Louisiana
  7. Minnesota

What Exactly is Acceptable as Electronic Proof of Insurance

The Colorado law uses this wording…

This may be, but is not limited to, insurer provided electronic image/proof on applicant’s cellular phone, lap top, or other portable type of electronic device.”

Idaho uses this wording…

“This may be, but is not limited to, insurer provided electronic image/proof on applicant’s cellular phone, lap top, or other portable type of electronic device.”

Louisiana’s wording is…

an image of the card or similar documents
26 capable of being displayed on a mobile electronic device,”

Arizona wording

“The card meets the requirement or an image of the card that is displayed on a wireless communication device meets the requirement”

Minnesota does not define the format, only that “The insurance identification card may be provided
2.3
in an electronic format if the insured agrees.” 

California also does not define the file format.

No Right to View Other Content

If only a picture is needed, then the insured can always just take their phone and take a picture of their Proof of Insurance Card setting on their desk. But do they really what to let the police officer look at all the other pictures in their Gallery while they try and find the one they took of their Proof of Insurance?

All of the laws include language making it clear that the police officer has no right to view any other material on the mobile device or that the action of showing your Proof of Insurance on your mobile device is not permission to provide any other access to your mobile device.

Here is the California wording:

“(g) For the purposes of this section, when a person provides evidence of financial responsibility using a mobile electronic device to a peace officer, the peace officer shall only view the evidence of financial responsibility and is prohibited from viewing any other content on the mobile electronic device.”

Give Your Insureds a Helpful Tool

Adding this form to your agency’s phone app is another way to provide better customer service.

Let us know if you want this added to your app.