Proof of motor vehicle liability insurance

What it does

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, with limited exceptions, a person may not operate a motor vehicle on a highway unless the owner or operator of the vehicle has in effect a motor vehicle liability policy with respect to the vehicle that provides coverage in at least certain minimum amounts. While operating the vehicle, the person must have in his or her immediate possession proof of insurance complying with this requirement and the person must display this proof on demand by any traffic officer. However, a person may not be convicted of failing to have proof of insurance in his or her possession if the person later produces proof of insurance, in effect at the time a citation was issued, at the time of the person's appearance in court in response to the citation or in the office of the traffic officer who issued the citation.

Also under current law, a person may not do any of the following for purposes of creating the appearance of satisfying insurance requirements: 1) forge, falsify, counterfeit, or fraudulently alter any proof of insurance or other insurance document; 2) possess any forged, falsified, fictitious, counterfeit, or fraudulently altered proof of insurance or other insurance document; or 3) represent that any proof of insurance or other insurance document is valid and in effect, knowing or having reason to believe that the proof of insurance or other insurance document is not valid or not in effect.

Who's behind it

7 senators are its authors⁠. 5 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.

28 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.