JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The panic attacks soon could be a thing of the past for motorists searching frantically through their glove boxes for a proof-of-insurance card to show police.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation that allows people to show proof of insurance with an electronic image on their smartphones. The bill applies both to traffic stops and to motorists seeking to register their vehicles at local license offices.

Nixon called the measure "common sense legislation" that will "make life a little easier for motorists" by eliminating the hassle of keeping paper copies of their insurance cards.

The state insurance department says more than two dozen states have passed similar measures.

The new Missouri law will take effect Aug. 28.

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