Vehicle Registration Update 7m ago
Crime Prevention Specialist Sonia Azevedo from San José Police Department
Proof of Vehicle Registration and Insurance

A while back, we put out information that recommended people not keep the vehicle registration or insurance documents in the glove box of their cars. This recommendation brought about dozens of posts from residents asking what they should do if a law enforcement officer puled them over and asked for proof of registration and insurance. There is no law in the California Vehicle Code that says one must keep this proof in the car, specifically the glove box. In fact, VC section 4000-4023 says only that the driver must be able to prove that the car is legally registered. VC section 16020 requires the same for your proof of insurance. Both sections make no mention that the documents must be left in the car.

This crime prevention strategy is most important if your car is ever broken into or stolen. Without these documents, a thief cannot easily sell the car, register it in another name, or know where the true owner lives. We recommend that you keep your registration and insurance card in your wallet. If you share a car with a spouse or other person, they should keep a copy of these in their wallet as well. Another option is to keep photos of these documents on your cell phone. After speaking to several officers, I’ve learned that this practice is acceptable to meet the requirements. Officers call into our Dispatch to confirm who owns the car. If the information from Dispatch matches what you provide, you will have met the requirements of the law.

If you have further questions, you can do further research online by going to The California Vehicle Code Applies to all CA Vehicles | DMV.

This crime prevention strategy is most important if your car is ever broken into or stolen. Without these documents, a thief cannot easily sell the car