Personal Finance: Ask the Experts: Brown signs bill to let drivers show insurance on smartphones

Personal Finance: Ask the Experts

Get advice on money matters from The Bee's Claudia Buck and a panel of local experts

September 13, 2012

Brown signs bill to let drivers show insurance on smartphones

Heads up, drivers. Starting in January, when you get pulled over and have to show an officer proof of auto insurance, you can flash your phone.

Under a bill signed recently by Gov. Jerry Brown, California is one of seven states that allow consumers to use their smartphone or other mobile device to show they've got insurance. That means no more fumbling around in your glove compartment to find your paper copy.

Instead, insurers now have the option of providing consumers with electronic proof of coverage: via email or an app for mobile devices. The paperless option is voluntary, both for insurance companies and individuals.

Given the prevalence of smart phones in the hands of tech-savvy Californians, electronic proof of coverage is "the wave of the future," according to an email sent to the governor by Armand Feliciano, vice president of the Association of California Insurance Companies.

Six other states - Arizona, Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana and Minnesota - also offer the electronic option, according to ACIC. The bill, AB 1708 by state Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), was signed into law in early September.

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Claudia Buck is The Sacramento Bee's personal finance columnist. Read all her columns here. Contact her at cbuck@sacbee.com

Terri Carpenter

Terri Carpenter offers advice on job hunting, retraining and career counseling. Carpenter works at Sacramento Works Inc., the career and job training arm of the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA). With 15 years in the field, she has hands-on experience with everyone from first-time job seekers to career professionals seeking advice after a layoff or looking for a mid-career change. Ask her a question.

Carlena Tapella

Carlena Tapella is a partner in the law firm of Webb & Tapella Law Corp. in Sacramento. The firm specializes in estate planning and probate, such as estates, trusts, conservatorships and litigation. She is a past president of the Sacramento County Bar Association's Estate Planning & Probate Section. Ask her a question.

Kimberly Foss, certified financial planner, is the founder of Empyrion Wealth Management in Roseville. With nearly 30 years in the financial industry, her clients include women in transition, small business owners, retirees and "pre-retirees." Ask her a question.

Gregory Burke, a CPA and tax expert with John Waddell & Co. in Sacramento since 1984, worked as an IRS tax auditor for six years. He’s a past chairman of the California Society of CPAs. Ask him a question.

Daniel Tahara takes your questions about California taxes. Tahara, a spokesman for the state Franchise Tax Board, has 10 years of experience as a tax auditor. Ask him a question.