What should be done with old car insurance cards?

The simple answer is to dispose of the card. You could turn it back in to the insurance company, but all they will do is throw it away. For the sake of identity protection, you can shred the card or tear it into tiny pieces, but insurance cards do not contain a great deal of personal information, and most people simply drop their old cards in the trash.

In most states, insurance is now reported to the DMV automatically by the insurance company. You are still required to carry a printed copy of the insurance, but most traffic officers will have already verified your insurance before they approach your vehicle. Because car insurance is written in 6 month or 1 year terms, many people end up with several old insurance cards in their glove box, and that can lead to some confusion when you go to show the card to a police officer. The best thing to do is to remove the old cards as soon as you get replacement cards, and dispose of them to avoid future confusion more than a possible invasion of your privacy