- I hear you on the digital thing. My last traffic stop, I tried to pull up my insurance on my phone and the officer just waited, arms crossed, while my app spun and spun. Not a great look when you’re sitting in a new S-Class and can’t even show proof of insurance.
- Here’s what I do now:
- Keep the current paper card in the glovebox, right on top. I swap it out the day the new one comes in the mail.
- Snap a photo of the card and save it in my phone’s favorites. That way, if I ever lose the paper, I’ve got a backup that’s easy to find—no digging through apps.
- For the digital side, I set up a shortcut on my home screen straight to the insurance PDF. No more hunting through menus.
- South Dakota technically allows digital proof, but in practice, some officers still want to see paper. It’s like the law’s ahead of the culture, if that makes sense. I’ve had friends get different reactions depending on the cop—some are fine with the phone, others act like you’re trying to show them a TikTok.
- Tossing old cards is key. I used to have a stack in the glovebox and it just made things confusing. One time, an officer actually asked me to hand him the most recent one and I had to sort through five expired cards while he watched. Awkward.
- Honestly, I don’t see everyone catching up for a while. Until every officer is on board with digital, I’m sticking with paper as my main. The tech’s there, but the system’s not quite ready... kind of like those fancy features in my car that only work half the time.
- If you want zero hassle, just keep the latest paper card handy and maybe a digital backup for emergencies. That’s saved me more than once.
Not sure I totally agree that sticking with paper is the only way to avoid hassle, even if it does feel safer. The thing is, the law in South Dakota is pretty clear about accepting digital proof—if an officer refuses it, that's technically on them, not you. I get that in practice it's awkward when someone "acts like you’re trying to show them a TikTok" (
), but I've actually had better luck going all-digital lately.some are fine with the phone, others act like you’re trying to show them a TikTok
I drive an older vehicle and try to keep things as streamlined as possible (read: less stuff to lose or forget). What’s worked for me is using my insurer’s official app instead of a PDF or photo. Most of the bigger companies have apps that update your insurance card automatically when your policy renews. That way, there’s no risk of showing an expired card by accident—something that happened to me once when I grabbed the wrong paper from the glovebox in a rush.
One time last winter, I got pulled over outside Pierre during a snowstorm. My phone was almost dead and fingers were freezing, but the trooper was actually more comfortable with the digital card than he was with my crumpled old paper one. He said he liked being able to see the expiration date clearly and didn’t have to squint at faded ink. Maybe just luck of the draw, but it changed my mind about relying on paper as a backup instead of my main.
I do think tossing old cards is crucial though—nothing worse than fumbling through a stack while someone waits. But honestly, if your phone’s reliable and you’ve got your info saved in more than one spot (like favorites AND an app), digital can be just as smooth... maybe even smoother if you’re prone to losing things like I am.
Guess it depends on how much you trust your tech and how often you run into that “old school” mindset on the road. For me, less clutter wins out—even if there’s still a little risk someone won’t be up-to-date on the rules.
I hear you on the digital thing, but I’m still a little twitchy about it. Maybe it’s just my luck, but every time I try to rely on my phone for something official, that’s when it decides to freeze or die. Had a cop in Rapid City last year who looked at my phone like it was a magic trick gone wrong. He eventually took it, but I swear he was one “back in my day” away from making me dig through the glovebox anyway. I keep both now—old habits die hard, I guess.
I get why you’d double up—tech always picks the worst time to glitch. In South Dakota, digital proof is legal, but not every officer is thrilled about it. I tell folks to keep a paper copy stashed just in case. It’s not paranoia if it keeps things simple, right?
Not paranoia at all—just common sense, honestly. I’ve had my phone die right as I was getting pulled over. That awkward scramble to explain digital proof isn’t fun, trust me. Paper backup might seem old-school, but it’s saved me more than once.
