Fake registration and insurance papers
 

A while ago, my car was broken into. They didn't steal much, only a pair of sunglasses and my registration and insurance papers. They didn't even take the ~$20 in change in my ashtray or my nice maglite.

My local RCMP detachment explained that either I was soon to be a victim of identity theft OR that they may use that information along with a stolen garage door opener to burglarize my house (they didn't steal a garage door opener because mine is built in to the car).

This got me thinking. If all they were after was my paperwork and a convenient pair of sunglasses, how can I get them out of my car faster in case they wanted to break in? I could make fake papers and put them in my glove box! Fake name and put my address as my local cop shop. Put them in one of those plastic sleeves too.

I would carry the real docs in the car of course but maybe inside where the car jack is or somewhere else hidden. Of course I would never actually present the fake docs when I needed to such as a traffic stop or when exchanging information at a collision.

Is it illegal to make them and possess fake documents like that?
Even if I never actually intended to ever pass them off as real and only ever use them as bait?
What if I make a sworn affidavit of my intents before I make the fake docs?
What if I cross the border and CBSA/USCBP go through the car and discover the two different sets of docs?
Someone borrows my car and I forget to disclose that I roll with decoy docs?

This actually seems like more hassle than it's worth now that I type it out but I'm still curious about the legality.

From the ICBC website....................

It's understandable that you're worried that if your car is stolen, your security could be compromised. But the Motor Vehicle Act requires that you keep the original insurance and registration documents in the vehicle.

However, no one said that you have to make it easy for a potential thief to find the papers. Take a photocopy of the documents, black out your address with a felt pen and put the papers in a place like the glove compartment. Then, hide the unaltered originals somewhere in your car where, hopefully, only you can find them if you have to show them to the police

Oh... that would totally work too without being super sketchy.

If you are THAT conncerned, just remove them when you leave the car???

Had this happen to me many years ago. Car got broken into at metro and they took my insurance paper and went to my house. I now put my insurance paper somewhere else to avoid this from happening again.

With the technology available these days I wonder if the MVB would accept a dropbox picture of your regsitreation as proof at roadside in steads of the actual paper?

Better question is would a peace officer accept it if I get pulled over.
Knock on wood, but I only have a black out photo copy in my car.

If ICBC can give you an app to practice for your DL computer test, maybe they can invent an app that would access your regsitration info...password protected access??

Or give it to the RCMP? Shouldn't they be able to pull all that up when they run your license?

Let's see the number of ways a cop can look up registration information...

Licence plate number
Val tag number
VIN
DL number
Owner's address, phone number...

It's a bit silly making people carry their insurance papers in their car now.

The only issue I can see is if you're in an collision and need to exchange insurance information. And even then, ICBC can give you a credit card sized card you can exchange with the other driver.

When I got rear ended last time, I called ICBC and gave the other driver's DL# and the adjuster told me the car's Make/model and even the license plate. There really isn't any reason to have those papers in my opinion. I just took a picture of his DL and of this license plate. I did take a picture of his registration papers too but it was never actually needed.

I guess if the driver isn't the RO, then it gets more complicated and you might need that, but even for that, there's no need to have a piece of paper with your full address information on it.

Having papers in this day and age is pretty much a moot point. The RCMP should already know who you are and if your car is legal when pulling you over. Takes seconds and with the cameras is instant anyways. By running the plate the officer will know who the owner is and if the car is legally insured so what's the point of asking for papers for something they already know?

Berz out.

Because the computers aren't always working, the systems may be shut down for maintenance, or maybe, the cars don't have computers in them.

How often is the "system down" and how many police cars don't have computers? Would a radio call not be answered quickly once a plate is read?

Berz out.

I'm assuming it's also for when you're traveling, you'd pretty much need to get two continents on board to go fully paperless.

If the system is down, the people on the other end of the radio can't help either.

Once upon a time, it would be down for several hours every week. Not sure anymore as I've only just returned to a job where I'd notice but in a different area of the province/on a different server.

I've heard of places throughout the country that still don't have computers in the cars. I also know that for large scale events, cars are brought in for use by extra bodies, that don't have computers (for example, during the Olympics, the cars I drove while on an overtime shift only had lights and sirens - no radio, no computer).

The more hoops you have to jump through, the more chance of getting caught doing something illegal. Just making sure your paperwork is in order. Can't rely on computers all the time.

As someone who used to work rural isolated areas, there aere many places where you are out of radio contact. The Telus-based computer system in-car is also useless in many areas. We have to think province-wide, not just under a LMD cell tower. Another problem we used to have...not sure if this is still so???? but if you work out of your assigned area your car-computer was not usable as your sign in protocols were not accepted and you also might have problems accessing the local radio repeaters if your radio is not set up for them.

Yes, that's still a problem. When I was still in the LMD, if I worked overtime for another detachment, I'd be able to sign in, get PRIME, but no CPIC.

Shaw was worse than Telus, but Telus is still pretty bad for in-car connection