Yeah, digital docs are convenient until they're suddenly useless. Honestly, just print out your insurance card and keep it in the glovebox—takes two minutes, tops. Also, screenshot your policy info and save it offline on your phone. That way, even if your app logs you out or you're stuck with no signal, you're covered. Learned that lesson after my own awkward roadside tech fail...
Good tips, especially the screenshot idea—never thought of that. I usually just print mine out and stash it in the glovebox too. Learned the hard way after fumbling around with my phone at a rest stop in Wyoming at 2 AM... not fun.
One thing I'm still fuzzy on though: does South Dakota specifically require a physical insurance card, or are digital copies officially accepted there? I've heard some states are picky about it, and I'd rather not risk a ticket over something so simple. Planning a road trip through SD next month, so it'd be good to know ahead of time.
Pretty sure SD accepts digital copies these days, but honestly, I'd still carry a printed one just in case. Has anyone had issues with digital insurance cards in other states? Curious if it's smooth sailing everywhere yet or still hit-or-miss...
Digital insurance cards have definitely gotten more accepted recently, but from my experience, it's still a mixed bag depending on the state. Last summer, I took a road trip through a few states—Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota—and while I didn't personally get pulled over (thankfully), one of my clients did have an incident in Iowa. He had his insurance card saved digitally on his phone, thinking he'd be fine, but the officer had trouble scanning it due to glare and screen brightness issues. It was eventually sorted out after some back-and-forth, but it caused unnecessary stress and delay.
Even though most states officially accept digital proof now, practical hiccups like poor reception or phone battery dying can still happen. From what I've seen professionally, officers generally prefer something tangible they can easily read without any fuss. Digital copies are convenient and eco-friendly (and I'm all for saving paper and money!), but having a printed backup tucked away in your glove box is just good practice.
I know it's tempting to rely solely on your phone these days—trust me, I'm budget-conscious and hate printing things unnecessarily—but insurance is one of those areas where convenience shouldn't outweigh practicality. Better safe than sorry...especially when you're traveling through unfamiliar territory.
Hope that helps clear things up a bit!
Totally agree about having a printed backup—saved me more than once. Funny story, I once had my phone die right as the officer walked up to my window...talk about bad timing. Thankfully, I had a crumpled paper copy stuffed in the glove box (probably from like two years ago, but still valid). Does anyone know if South Dakota cops are generally cool with digital cards, or should I start digging through my junk drawer for printer ink?
