31 Relating to: proof of motor vehicle liability insurance.

  Date of enactment: July 5, 2013
2013 Senate Bill 62   Date of publication*: July 6, 2013

* Section 991.11, Wisconsin Statutes : Effective date of acts. "Every act and every portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the governor's partial veto which does not expressly prescribe the time when it takes effect shall take effect on the day after its date of publication."

2013 WISCONSIN ACT 31

An Act to amend 344.62 (2), 344.64 (1), 344.64 (2) and 344.65 (1) (c) of the statutes; relating to: proof of motor vehicle liability insurance.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1 . 344.62 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

344.62 (2) Except as provided in s. 344.63, no person may operate a motor vehicle upon a highway in this state unless the person, while operating the vehicle, has in his or her immediate possession proof that he or she is in compliance with sub. (1). The operator of the motor vehicle shall display the proof required under this subsection upon demand from any traffic officer. The proof required under this subsection may be produced in either printed or electronic format, including by display of electronic images on a cellular telephone or other electronic device. If this proof is displayed in electronic format on any cellular telephone or other electronic device, the traffic officer may not view, and producing proof in electronic format is not considered consent for the traffic officer to view, any content on the telephone or other device except the proof required under this subsection.

Section 2 . 344.64 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

344.64 (1) Forge, falsify, counterfeit, or fraudulently alter any printed or electronic proof of insurance, policy of insurance, or other insurance document or electronic image , or possess any forged, falsified, fictitious, counterfeit, or fraudulently altered printed or electronic proof of insurance, policy of insurance, or other insurance document or electronic image that is forged, falsified, fictitious, counterfeit, or fraudulently altered .

Section 3 . 344.64 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

344.64 (2) Represent that any printed or electronic proof of insurance, policy of insurance, or other insurance document or electronic image is valid and in effect, knowing or having reason to believe that the proof of insurance, policy of insurance, or other insurance document or electronic image is not valid or not in effect.

Section 4 . 344.65 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

344.65 (1) (c) No person charged with violating s. 344.62 (2) may be convicted if the person produces proof that he or she was in compliance with s. 344.62 (1) at the time the person was issued a uniform traffic citation for violating s. 344.62 (2). This proof may be produced either at the time of the person's appearance in court in response to the citation or in the office of the traffic officer issuing the citation. This proof may be produced in either paper or electronic format, including by display of electronic images on a cellular telephone or other electronic device. If this proof is displayed in electronic format on any cellular telephone or other electronic device, the person to whom the proof is displayed may not view, and producing proof in electronic format is not considered consent for the person to view, any content on the telephone or other device except the proof required under s. 344.62 (2).