Q: When you rent a car, do you have to carry your insurance paperwork from your regular car with you? What if you're from out of state? What happens if you get pulled over?

A: State law requires you to show proof of insurance, even in rental cars, but a Washington State Patrol trooper said in most cases the paperwork from the rental car company works.

"I don't think a rental car company would rent a car if the person didn't have insurance or didn't get it with the rental," trooper Curt Boyle said.

If you keep your insurance information in your regular car, show the officer or deputy that stops you the insurance company information, and that should suffice, Boyle said.

State law says proof of insurance is required for drivers. (Specifically "written proof of financial responsibility for motor vehicle operation.")

Drivers from out of state stopped in Washington have to show proof of insurance as required by the laws of the state in which the vehicle is registered, Boyle said.

Some insurance companies remind drivers to check their insurance policies before renting cars. They may already be covered, despite what they're told by a car rental company.

If you get a ticket anyway but did have valid insurance, the ticket may be dismissed. Here are the specifics from RCW 46.30.020:

(2) If a person cited for a violation of subsection (1) of this section appears in person before the court or a violations bureau and provides written evidence that at the time the person was cited, he or she was in compliance with the financial responsibility requirements of subsection (1) of this section, the citation shall be dismissed and the court or violations bureau may assess court administrative costs of twenty-five dollars at the time of dismissal. In lieu of personal appearance, a person cited for a violation of subsection (1) of this section may, before the date scheduled for the person's appearance before the court or violations bureau, submit by mail to the court or violations bureau written evidence that at the time the person was cited, he or she was in compliance with the financial responsibility requirements of subsection (1) of this section, in which case the citation shall be dismissed without cost, except that the court or violations bureau may assess court administrative costs of twenty-five dollars at the time of dismissal.

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