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In the vast majority of states, drivers are required to have auto insurance coverage, and must present proof of it when and if they're pulled over. But an increasing number of them are now changing the ways in which this information can be presented, as a means of potentially stamping out fraud and giving more convenience to consumers simultaneously. Ohio is the latest to do so, and insurance agents there might want to start letting their clients know a little bit more about what's required of them, and what they can do to comply with the new law going forward.

Ohio recently became the 39th state that will allow residents to present law enforcement officials with digital, rather than physical, proof of insurance, according to a report from the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Until now, residents of the Buckeye State had to present updated insurance cards, which they received in the mail every six months, but which may have also been easy to forge. Now, they can instead pull up proof of insurance on their smartphones.

Why does this help?
For one thing, this change may make it easier for consumers to have the most up-to-date insurance information on hand at all times; they're far less likely to lose their phones than a small slip of paper, the report said. And because it can cut down on fraud, that's valuable to drivers and law enforcement as well.

""We have found that customers like the ease and convenience of this option, rather than a paper copy, because many people have their phones with them all of the time,"" Erin Hendrick, a spokesperson for a major insurer in the state, told the newspaper. ""It makes insurance quick and easy because there's no need to wait for a new card to arrive in the mail.""

The more insurance agents can do to help all their clients better understand the ins and outs of coverage, and what the laws in their particular states require them to do, the better off they're likely to be in terms of keeping those people satisfied with their coverage. Studies show that consumers actually care more about having a good relationship with their insurers and agents than they do about saving a little bit of money on their policies every once in a while. Consequently, keeping lines of communication open could go a long way toward improving both customer satisfaction ratings and client retention rates.

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