Do I need to provide PHYSICAL copies of my license and registration?

[D'z Nutz]

A question I've wondered about that maybe one of our resident police officers can answer: if I'm in a situation where I've been pulled over and I happen to be without either my license and/or registration, will a presenting a scanned image or photo of either on my phone suffice?

I can't find anything that suggests they will or will not accept it. Granted, this means if a police officer was willing to accept a digital copy I'd have to surrender my phone while he or she takes it back to their vehicle to write me up or validate my information, but it sure beats being fined for failure to produce documents on top of any violations that may be coming my way.

How long until someone reposts rage's pedo license? Haha

[speedog]

Alberta's TSA section 167(1) would seem to indicate you would need the actual physical DL and vehicle registration..

[AndyL]

Pretty sure I took a ticket once for photocopies of reg/insurance (company kept originals in the office).

I'm 99% positive police don't have to accept digital anything. Insurance they usually seem to accept - unless you're deemed to be a douche or in need of an imposition of the stupid tax...

[J-hop]

Originally posted by AndyL
Pretty sure I took a ticket once for photocopies of reg/insurance (company kept originals in the office).

I'm 99% positive police don't have to accept digital anything. Insurance they usually seem to accept - unless you're deemed to be a douche or in need of an imposition of the stupid tax...

Yea I know for a fact AMA will accept digital copies of insurance when registering vehicles so one would think a police officer would too. But they may argue the law is that you must produce the papers not just prove you have them.

As for the reg and licence I don't know. If you can provide insurance, have a valid sticker on your plate and the cop can see on his screen who the car is registered to I don't see the logic behind ticketing someone but then again I'm not a cop.

Seems like a stupid outdated system. I hate carrying around papers with all my information on them.

[sexualbanana]

I got pulled over a couple months ago and for whatever reason I didn't have my most recent registration in the car, just the old one. The officer was reasonably cool about it and said if I did any online banking and I could show a payment to the insurance company, that he would accept it.

I don't, but it may be dependent on the officer and the mood they're in.

[MR2-3SGTE]

License and registration need to be original for sure. I doubt any copies at all would overlook that. Insurance apparently needs to be by law (according to an officer that pulled me over), but most cops don't care much for it. When you first sign a new policy, your sometimes given a temporary insurance paper until the original comes in the mail. That one is just as valid as the original.
I've shown my insurance papers on my phone in PDF to many cops and they didn't mind, although some said that I should keep my papers with me as well because some cops may not be lenient.

[jwslam]

Originally posted by MR2-3SGTE
I've shown my insurance papers on my phone in PDF to many cops and they didn't mind

How often do you get pulled over?

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Never had any problems with digital copies of my insurance. I keep my registration in each vehicle and my license on me though.

[hurrdurr]

I had a digital copy and was slapped with a nice ticket for failure to show valid insurance (Y)

[AndyL]

Originally posted by J-hop



Yea I know for a fact AMA will accept digital copies of insurance when registering vehicles so one would think a police officer would too. But they may argue the law is that you must produce the papers not just prove you have them.

As for the reg and licence I don't know. If you can provide insurance, have a valid sticker on your plate and the cop can see on his screen who the car is registered to I don't see the logic behind ticketing someone but then again I'm not a cop.

Seems like a stupid outdated system. I hate carrying around papers with all my information on them.

Yup for registration it's enough...

But roadside - they want real documents, registration is also form of title - so without signature on the back accepting conditions, and proof that it hasn't been transfered - who's to say it's really yours...

Insurance wise - think it's officers discretion, technically you need the hard copy. But many will go above and beyond so they don't have to fill out tow forms and issue 2500$ fines and let a judge sort it out.

Digitals awesome - but easy to forge and alter, and what happens if your phones dead or you're out of a service area (or just dropped it in a puddle).

[msommers]

Call non-emerg about this.

I'd be curious about the answer as I had my car broken into recently where all they took was the fucking reg/insurance papers. Asked the girl at the registry if this was a common thing or what and she said it happens often (paying for replacements, not renewals).

[RX_EVOLV]

Like others said I think it depends on the mood of the officer.

one time I was pulled over at a routine speed trap. I couldn't find my registration in my glove compartment. After a few mins the officer went to his car, came back and said he found my registration on the computer so he knows I'm registered, and just told to me make sure I have a copy next time.

[Thaco]

they can and probably will ticket you, but if you go down to the courthouse and produce proof that you had valid license/reg at the time of the "offence" they'll throw it out anyway, and the cops know this, it just depends if they wanna be a dick and make you waste your time doing that.

[FraserB]

Originally posted by Thaco
they can and probably will ticket you, but if you go down to the courthouse and produce proof that you had valid license/reg at the time of the "offence" they'll throw it out anyway, and the cops know this, it just depends if they wanna be a dick and make you waste your time doing that.

This would probably work for a "driving without" ticket, not a "failure to provide". Two different tickets.

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by AndyL


Yup for registration it's enough...

But roadside - they want real documents, registration is also form of title - so without signature on the back accepting conditions, and proof that it hasn't been transfered - who's to say it's really yours...

Insurance wise - think it's officers discretion, technically you need the hard copy. But many will go above and beyond so they don't have to fill out tow forms and issue 2500$ fines and let a judge sort it out.

Digitals awesome - but easy to forge and alter, and what happens if your phones dead or you're out of a service area (or just dropped it in a puddle).

THIS, I have also heard of people getting a ticket for registration slip not being signed at the back. So really, if they want to, they can throw the book at you.

[Calgaryscot]

Why not just carry them and not worry about it?

[Shlade]

Originally posted by msommers
Call non-emerg about this.

I'd be curious about the answer as I had my car broken into recently where all they took was the fucking reg/insurance papers. Asked the girl at the registry if this was a common thing or what and she said it happens often (paying for replacements, not renewals).

Keep your house locked. If I were a scum bag looking for houses to do B&E's in I'd start with reg papers from cars.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Shlade
Keep your house locked. If I were a scum bag looking for houses to do B&E's in I'd start with reg papers from cars.

I never understood the logic behind that, unless your garage remote was stolen too. But I'm sure you would reset your opener to clear that code if that was indeed the case.

[Shlade]

Originally posted by rage2

I never understood the logic behind that, unless your garage remote was stolen too. But I'm sure you would reset your opener to clear that code if that was indeed the case.

At the end of the day locks only keep honest people out.

[ryder_23]

Originally posted by D'z Nutz
A

I can't find anything that suggests they will or will not accept it.

51(d) : drive a motor vehicle on a highway unless that person’s operator’s licence is in that person’s possession;