Auto registration and proof of insurance

T

The Rodent

New Member
Perhaps I'm paranoid about safety, but I don't want anything in my car that has my address on it. Too many instances of cars been stolen and thieves using registration info (for address) and garage door openers to enter and burglarize homes.

Is it acceptable to keep a COPY of the registration and proof of insurance with the address blacked out? I would keep the originals at home. Even the Home button on my GPS isn't my actual address!

Have tried to Google this without any success. Maybe there's some better Googlers out there or someone who works n law enforcement or insurance industry.
 

I don't know about the law.

Have you considered carrying the information in your wallet or concealing it in an envelope taped under the seat, dashboard, etc...

Good luck!
 
yes I have thought about that. Registration won't be in the car if my wife takes the car without me. Also, hiding the docs has its' pitfalls if I need to produce it quickly for a law enforcement officer.
 

No, you cannot alter any DMV documents like that. Best bet would be to get 2 copies of the registration card so you & your wife each had one for that vehicle. It only costs a $1 or two more. All insurance companies give you 2 insurance cards too. Some states are now permitting documents to be stored on your smart phone. You would need to check with your state DMV to find out if that is permitted where you live.
 
We keep a copy of our documents in our wallets, nothing in the car itself. At any given time with any of our vehicles, we both are legal. I agree with Gemma, you can't alter or black things out on these documents.
 
I keep those documents in my purse, and have done so ever since I had a car stolen in Washington, DC back in the 60s.

I also keep an extra photocopy at home.

Don't go around altering government documents. Not a good idea.
 
I had never even thought of such a thing. My papers are right in the glove box where they"belong" Maybe it is a result of living rural. We do not lock our house and often keys are left in the ignition. In NY having the registration and insurance card is actually redundant because the officer can get every thing he needs before leaving his cruiser and approaching your window. His asking for your paper work is only to give you a chance to make a mistake and give him an opportunity to establish probable cause to escalate a simple traffic stop to a higher level.
 
Carla said:
There is a retired state policeman on here I believe. Maybe he will see this.
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Like always, I can only state how our laws would effect this situation. First, keep in mind that your driver's license, registration and proof of insurance card are all legal documents. So, just by that fact alone, the law states that no legal document may be altered without the proper procedure being applied.

When I did a traffic stop or investigated an accident, I would always ask the driver for the three documents stated above. (Keep in mind that I have never run into a situation that has been described.) The PA driver's license has the driver's picture and also a hologram on it. (For security and verification purpose.) On the back of the license there is a magnetic strip that state police troopers can scan through a scanner that is carried in the cruiser. So, put this altogether and the Trooper can without any question identify and verify that the person's license they have is the person driving the vehicle and is standing in front of them. Same for the registration and the insurance card. When a person's insurance expires and is not renewed, it is reported to the state. The computers are updated regularly.

If I would get a set of documents that were blackened out, first, I would check the picture, then I would scan the license, verify that the license, registration and insurance are all up to date. If everything was in order, I would just question why the address was blackened out. However, since this issue has been brought up, I plan on asking what the legality of the documents are.

Thanks for asking this question.
 
911 said:
Like always, I can only state how our laws would effect this situation. First, keep in mind that your driver's license, registration and proof of insurance card are all legal documents. So, just by that fact alone, the law states that no legal document may be altered without the proper procedure being applied.

When I did a traffic stop or investigated an accident, I would always ask the driver for the three documents stated above. (Keep in mind that I have never run into a situation that has been described.) The PA driver's license has the driver's picture and also a hologram on it. (For security and verification purpose.) On the back of the license there is a magnetic strip that state police troopers can scan through a scanner that is carried in the cruiser. So, put this altogether and the Trooper can without any question identify and verify that the person's license they have is the person driving the vehicle and is standing in front of them. Same for the registration and the insurance card. When a person's insurance expires and is not renewed, it is reported to the state. The computers are updated regularly.

If I would get a set of documents that were blackened out, first, I would check the picture, then I would scan the license, verify that the license, registration and insurance are all up to date. If everything was in order, I would just question why the address was blackened out. However, since this issue has been brought up, I plan on asking what the legality of the documents are.

Thanks for asking this question.
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Appreciate the response. Look forward to any additional follow-up you may be able to provide.
 
In the UK, all details are kept on a central database and the police can check ownership, insurance, road tax etc.. within a few seconds. We used to have to display a 'tax disc' to show that road tax had been paid, but that is no longer needed. I seem to recall that cars in Ireland had to display insurance details too, but I'm not sure if that's needed now.
You do not have to carry any documents with you - even your license, although you may be obliged to produce them at a police station if asked.
 
Capt. Lightning: I am afraid that would not be a good idea here in PA. When we do a traffic stop and see the license with the photo, it verifies that the license belongs to the person that we are speaking with. If they tell us that they left their wallet at home, they have 24 hours to produce it and at that point we are also able to scan their fingerprints along the road or in the cruiser. You may be surprised how many felons we have captured doing business this way.
 
911 said:
Capt. Lightning: I am afraid that would not be a good idea here in PA. When we do a traffic stop and see the license with the photo, it verifies that the license belongs to the person that we are speaking with. If they tell us that they left their wallet at home, they have 24 hours to produce it and at that point we are also able to scan their fingerprints along the road or in the cruiser. You may be surprised how many felons we have captured doing business this way.
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Hey, 911 -- do the police have any problem with being shown a photocopy of the registration and or certificate of insurance? Well, anyway I get my insurance certificate by e-mail and I print it, but what about the registration? Does it matter? Doesn't seem like it should, unless you were in court or something??
 
The Rodent said:
Appreciate the response. Look forward to any additional follow-up you may be able to provide.
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OK, got the answer back today. Remember. this is the law as it applies to PA.

If the documents have blackened out any of the pertinent information, e.g.; name, address, any license or serial numbers, this is illegal here in the Commonwealth. The advice given was to not alter the information by blackening out the information and carry the necessary cards on your person.

Hope this helps.
 

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