Insurance agents getting calls from clients about lostauto-insurance cards could soon become a thing of the past as morestates seek to legalize the use of electronic ID cards.

Wyoming is looking to become the latest state to adopt such asystem, with legislators considering a bill that would allowmotorists to use an electronic format for proof of insurance for apolice stop.

Christian J. Rataj, state affairs manager for the NationalAssociation of Mutual Insurance Companies, says the association“commends the Wyoming Legislature for considering aconsumer-friendly, environment-friendly, andlaw-enforcement-friendly proof of insurance bill that addresses themodern realities of the electronic communications age, whereconsumers maintain a host of important personal records on theirmobile devices.”

Rataj says that one positive point in the proposed legislation(SF 87), which awaits a state Senate-committee hearing, is that itdoes not require insurers to offer the electronic format, insteadallowing them to offer it as an option.

Alex Hageli, director, personal lines policy for the PropertyCasualty Insurers Association of America, says there is only onesentence in the proposed bill that is problematic. It deals withinformation being maintained in the state's online-verificationsystem. His concern is that there could be lag time between cardissuance and upload to the state's system. This could create aproblem for a motorist who presents the card not knowing theinformation was not yet received by the state. He recommends thesentence be removed, pointing out that no other state has it.

Currently, there are six states that allow law enforcement touse electronic format as proof on insurance, says Rataj. Coloradoallows its use only for motor-vehicle registration. He sayslegislation to allow law enforcement to use it there ispending.

Late last year, California became the latest state to allowelectronic proof of insurance.

Hageli says a number of additional states are examining allowingelectronic identification, which would be especially nice forpeople who forget to take their card with them.

“If you always have your phone with you, you always have yourcard with you,” says Hageli.

Besides Colorado expanding the use of the electronic card, andWyoming's legislation, Hageli says other states where the format isunder consideration include Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Indiana,Maine, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and WashingtonState.

In addition to California, states that allow electronic formatas proof of insurance during a traffic stop are Alabama, Arizona,Idaho, Louisiana and Minnesota.

He says the companies that he is aware of that are offering theelectronic insurance card include Allstate, Liberty Mutual, andUSAA. Progressive is on the verge of a roll out and GEICO issupportive of it.

A spokeswoman for State Farm says customers can access theirinsurance ID card through the company's Pocket Agent app.

Justin Herndon, a spokesman for Allstate, says the company doesnot offer an app for that purpose yet, but customers can accesstheir ID card with their smart phone by accessing their accountinformation.

A spokesman for Progressive says customers can view theirinsurance ID card on their cell phone through the company'sapp.

“This is one of those subjects that everyone is supportive of,”says Hageli. “It is only a matter of time before every [insurer]develops the apps.”

Update: 5:43 p.m. EST with company information from StateFarm, Allstate and Progressive.