Reviewed and approved by Samuel Corso, licensed Texas insurance agent.

Published August 2, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

What counts as proof of insurance in Texas?

You may be asked for proof of insurance when you renew a registration, after an accident, or by a peace officer. This guide sets out what two Texas agencies publish about proof of insurance, so you can check your own card before you need it.

The short version. For proof of insurance in Texas, the Texas Liability Insurance Card tells you to show the card or a copy of your policy, according to the card wording in the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) insurance card order of April 17, 2014. That 2014 order treats a phone image as a separate way to show proof, if the image includes the required information as provided by the insurer. Check current requirements with TDI.

Here's what we'll cover: what TDI says the requirement is, what TDI says about a phone image, the items TDI's 2014 order listed for the card, where the card says you'll be asked for it, the TexasSure database, and what TDI says can happen if you have no insurance.

The short answer

Proof of insurance in Texas starts with a requirement that TDI describes on its consumer pages. TDI's auto insurance FAQ, last updated February 26, 2026, puts it this way: "Texas law says you must show proof that you can pay for accidents that you cause. Most people do this by buying auto liability insurance."

TDI's Auto insurance guide, last updated December 11, 2025, gives the minimum amounts: "Texas law requires you to have at least $30,000 of coverage for injuries per person, up to a total of $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for property damage. This is called 30/60/25 coverage."

The card itself is described in a TDI order. That insurance card order of April 17, 2014 said the liability insurer must issue a standard proof of motor vehicle liability insurance form for each motor vehicle insurance policy, and that the form must be titled Texas Liability Insurance Card. The wording that order set for Side B of the card tells the holder to show the card or a copy of the insurance policy. Requirements may have changed since 2014, so check current card requirements with TDI.

What TDI says about proof on your phone

An image on a phone was treated in TDI's 2014 order as its own way of showing proof of insurance in Texas, apart from the paper card. In the insurance card order of April 17, 2014, TDI agreed with a commenter that displaying an image on a digital device is a method of showing evidence of financial responsibility that is distinct from TDI's prescribed card form.

The order attached a condition. It said the image must include the required information, as provided by a liability insurer, including a disclosure for named driver policies. This guide could not confirm that 2014 wording against a current TDI page, so check current rules with TDI.

That condition is the part to check on your own phone. A cropped or old screenshot may leave out items such as the expiration date.

A phone can also run out of battery or lose signal, so a paper card in the glovebox is a simple backup. Opening the card on your screen before you hand the phone to anyone is a sensible habit.

What TDI's 2014 order listed for the card

A Texas Liability Insurance Card has a Side A and a Side B in TDI's insurance card order of April 17, 2014. The items below are among those the order set out for Side A. The order also listed a ninth item, a warning for named driver policies, which is left out here because this guide could not confirm it against a current TDI page. The list may not match the current requirements, so check those with TDI.

1. The name and address of each insured or covered person.
2. The year, make, and model of each covered vehicle, or a description of the types of vehicles the policy covers and, at the company's option, the VIN.
3. The effective date of the policy.
4. The expiration date of the policy.
5. The policy number.
6. The name and toll-free phone number of the insurer, if the insurer is required to maintain a toll-free number for consumer inquiries.
7. The name and phone number of the agent, if applicable.
8. A statement that the policy provides at least the minimum amounts of liability insurance Texas requires for the specified vehicles and named insureds, and may provide coverage for other persons and vehicles as provided by the insurance policy.

The order also said the insurer must issue Side B in English and must make Side B available in Spanish, either on the same card or on a separate card.

Two of those items are worth reading on your own card: the expiration date and the vehicles listed. If you have changed cars or renewed since the card was issued, the card you carry may no longer match your policy, and you can check with your insurer or agent whether a current one is available.

Where the card says you'll be asked for it

Side B of a Texas Liability Insurance Card names the occasions when you show it. In the Side B wording set by the insurance card order of April 17, 2014, the card says you must show the card or a copy of your insurance policy when you apply for or renew your motor vehicle registration, your driver's license, or your motor vehicle safety inspection sticker. The same wording says you may also be asked to show the card or your policy if you have an accident or if a peace officer asks to see it. That wording dates from 2014, so check current requirements with TDI.

The inspection item on that list was written in 2014, and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) has since posted a change. TxDMV's Register Your Vehicle page, as read on October 1, 2026, carries this note: "As of January 1, 2025, non-commercial vehicles are no longer required to obtain a safety inspection prior to vehicle registration"

The TxDMV page adds two qualifiers. It says non-commercial vehicles registered in 17 counties (Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson) must still obtain a passing emissions inspection prior to registration. It also says all commercial vehicles must continue to obtain a passing commercial inspection regardless of county of residence.

Insurance is still on TxDMV's registration list. The same Register Your Vehicle page lists proof of current liability insurance among the items to send when you renew by mail, and tells people renewing in person to take proof of current liability insurance to the county tax office or an approved substation.

After an accident, the card is also how drivers trade insurance details. TDI's Auto insurance guide, last updated December 11, 2025, suggests taking a picture of the other driver's insurance card to save time and giving the other driver the same information about you.

TexasSure, the state's insurance verification database

TexasSure is the Texas database used to verify auto insurance. TxDMV's TexasSure - Insurance Verification page, as read on October 1, 2026, describes it as an automated database that is a joint project of the Texas departments of motor vehicles, insurance, public safety and information resources, and says it quickly identifies vehicle owners without mandatory insurance coverage.

The page also describes what a TexasSure notice can mean. It says that if you received a notice, your vehicle identification number (VIN) may be incorrect on either your title or your insurance policy, and it suggests comparing the VIN on your policy with the one on the vehicle and contacting your insurance agent if they do not match.

The TxDMV page does not say the database replaces the card, and the card wording in TDI's 2014 order tells the holder to show the card or a copy of the policy. For you, that means keeping a current card to hand and checking that the VIN on your policy matches your vehicle.

If you can't produce proof

TDI has published two statements about what can happen to a Texas driver who has no auto insurance. The table shows what each TDI source says and its date.

Both TDI statements are about not having insurance or not meeting the requirement. The two statements are worded differently on the fine amounts, and this guide does not reconcile them. Neither one describes what happens to an insured driver who does not have the card with them, so this guide does not state an outcome for that case. For current penalties, check with TDI.

If you are insured, you can check with your insurer or agent whether it provides a current card and a phone image, and keep a printed copy in the glovebox.

What to do with this

These are steps you can take with your own Texas insurance card. They are Credify's suggestions, drawn from the points above.

• Read your card. Check the expiration date and the vehicles listed, in the app or on paper.
• Keep two formats. A paper card in the glovebox backs up a phone with no battery or signal.
• Use the insurer's image. TDI's order of April 17, 2014 tied phone proof to an image that includes the required information as provided by the insurer.
• Ask about a new card when your vehicles change. That order listed the covered vehicles, or the types of vehicles covered, among the items on the card.
• Match the VIN. TxDMV suggests comparing the VIN on your policy with the one on your vehicle if you receive a TexasSure notice.

Key facts

• TDI's auto insurance FAQ, last updated February 26, 2026, says Texas law says you must show proof that you can pay for accidents you cause, and that most people do this by buying auto liability insurance.
• The minimum liability coverage is given in TDI's Auto insurance guide, last updated December 11, 2025, as $30,000 for injuries per person, up to $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.
• TDI's insurance card order of April 17, 2014 said the card must be titled Texas Liability Insurance Card and listed items for Side A, including the policy's effective and expiration dates and the policy number. Requirements may have changed since, so check with TDI.
• That 2014 order treated an image on a wireless device as a separate way to show proof, and said the image must include the required information as provided by a liability insurer, including a named driver disclosure.
• Side B wording in the 2014 order says to show the card or a copy of the policy when applying for or renewing a vehicle registration, driver's license, or safety inspection sticker, and that you may be asked for it after an accident or by a peace officer. That wording dates from 2014 and predates the TxDMV inspection change in the next bullet.
• According to TxDMV's Register Your Vehicle page, as read on October 1, 2026, non-commercial vehicles no longer need a safety inspection before registration as of January 1, 2025, 17 listed counties still need a passing emissions inspection, and commercial vehicles must still pass a commercial inspection. The page lists proof of current liability insurance for renewing by mail or in person.
• The TDI FAQ, last updated February 26, 2026, says a driver without auto insurance will likely get a ticket and could be fined up to $350 by the court, and up to $1,000 with a license suspension if it happens again.
• TxDMV's TexasSure page, as read on October 1, 2026, describes TexasSure as an automated database that quickly identifies vehicle owners without mandatory insurance coverage.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, insurance card order, FAQ: Auto insurance, claims, coverage issues, and more and Auto insurance guide; Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Register Your Vehicle and TexasSure - Insurance Verification. TDI's Help Line is 800-252-3439. This page is general information, not legal advice; for questions about your legal rights, check your policy or contact the Texas Department of Insurance.

Take the next step

Once your card is in order, the limits on the policy are worth a look. TDI's Auto insurance guide suggests thinking about buying more liability coverage, because the minimum limits might be too low if you cause a multi-vehicle accident or the other driver's car is totaled.

For more on the minimum, see what car insurance is required in Texas. To line up two quotes on the same terms, see how to compare auto insurance in Texas, and for the state's published rate data, see why car insurance is expensive in Texas.

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