Honestly, I get the appeal of printed cards, but I've had the opposite experience. Last time I got pulled over (rookie mistake—forgot to signal), I was fumbling through my glove box for a solid five minutes. Ended up handing the trooper an expired card from two years ago...awkward. He just sighed and asked if I had it digitally instead. Pulled it up on my phone in seconds, and we were good.
I guess what I'm saying is, paper isn't foolproof either. It's easy to forget updating it or lose track of which one's current. Digital's usually quicker for me, especially since my insurance app auto-updates every renewal. Sure, battery life can be sketchy sometimes, but I keep a charger in my car now—lesson learned after a similar rural road trip fiasco (GPS died halfway through nowhere Nebraska...fun times).
Maybe the best solution is just having both? Digital as your go-to, paper as backup. That way you're covered no matter what decides to fail on you first—your phone or your organizational skills.
"Maybe the best solution is just having both? Digital as your go-to, paper as backup."
Yeah, that's what I do now too. But honestly, does anyone know if South Dakota officially accepts digital proof? I've heard mixed things and don't wanna find out the hard way...
"Yeah, that's what I do now too. But honestly, does anyone know if South Dakota officially accepts digital proof? I've heard mixed things and don't wanna find out the hard way..."
Pretty sure they do. Last summer, we drove through South Dakota on a family road trip—Mount Rushmore, Badlands, the whole touristy shebang—and we got pulled over near Rapid City (nothing major, just a busted taillight). Anyway, I handed the officer my phone with the insurance app open, and he didn't even blink. Just glanced at it, nodded, and moved on to the taillight issue.
But honestly, I wouldn't rely solely on that experience. Rules can change, and sometimes it depends on the officer you get. If you're worried, just print out a copy and stash it in the glovebox. It's not like it takes up much space, and it saves you from that awkward "hold on officer, my phone just died" moment. Been there, done that... not fun.
Also, side note—digital proof acceptance is becoming pretty standard nationwide. But I've heard some rural areas or smaller towns might still prefer paper. So, if you're driving through the middle of nowhere (which, let's face it, is half of South Dakota), having a physical copy handy might be the safer bet.
Bottom line: digital is probably fine, but why risk it? Keep both around and save yourself the headache.
Yeah, digital proof is pretty common now, but I'd be cautious. I passed through SD a few months back and didn't get stopped, but a buddy of mine had trouble near Sioux Falls—officer was skeptical about the phone thing at first. He eventually accepted it, but my friend said it was awkward. Like you said:
"sometimes it depends on the officer you get."
I'd just print one out to be safe... better than stressing over it later.
I get the convenience of digital, but honestly, paper's still king when it comes to traffic stops. Got pulled over near Rapid City once—cop barely glanced at my phone and asked straight up if I had a printed copy. Lesson learned, just print it.
