Montana Troopers Get Instant Insurance Verification System

Montana Highway Patrol troopers will soon be able to immediately verify a driver’s insurance coverage.

Highway Patrol Col. Mike Tooley says troopers in a central Montana district will start using the electronic verification system later this month, with the rest of the state to follow over the summer. Local police also will have access to the system as part of the routine check of a driver’s database.

It was authorized by the 2009 Legislature. The annual cost of about $500,000 is paid for by a license plate fee.

Officials say as many as one in seven drivers do not have current insurance, and some avoid tickets by showing police a falsified insurance card. The new system aims to decrease the number of uninsured drivers.