Question: I heard somewhere that proof of insurance does not need to be in paper form and can be maintained electronically. Does that mean that each family member and myself who drives can photograph current insurance cards for our vehicles that...

Question: Is it true that if you drop a lost driver’s license in a mailbox, the United States Postal Service will mail it to the owner? I’ve heard that you can just put it in the drop box and they will get it to them. Answer: This is a good que...

Question: I thought I heard something in the news about 911 not working. What can a person do when needing to report an emergency and having issues getting through? Answer: Here is some information in our Department of Public Safety’s blog we r...

Question: Can a vehicle with a Minnesota collector plate be driven legally in Arizona? Is it legal to drive it to and from both states? Answer: Can’t speak for Arizona’s laws, but the general rule is to follow all of the current registration law...

Question: I read somewhere that the number of DWI arrests had declined recently? This this true? What about non-alcohol related DWI arrests? Answer: While alcohol-related DWI incidents have dropped over the past 10 years in Minnesota, controlled...

Question: Do I need to obtain the new Real ID and Driver’s License when my license expires? Answer: The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services division (DPS-DVS) began issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and ID car...

Question: What is the legal following distance? What can I do when someone is following too close behind me? Isn’t there a rule of so many vehicle lengths for miles per hour to use as a guide? Answer: The only law regarding following distance p...

Question: Minnesota just recently enacted a hands-free while driving law, but many states do not have such a law. How is this enforced when people from out of state are traveling on our Interstate highways? I have not seen any signs go up stating...

In the past five years, officers reported snowy or icy road conditions in more than 79,569 crashes (2014-2018). These crashes resulted in 214 traffic deaths and 20,761 injuries. During the winter, it’s important to drive at safe speeds according t...

Question: The new hands-free law, does that apply to tractors, lawn mowers and UTV’s? Answer: The hands-free law applies to all motor vehicles. A motor vehicle would include tractors and lawn mowers on a street or highway. The hands free law would no... Full story

Question: Thank you for the work you do and for your service with the Minnesota State Patrol. I have a rather random, but seasonally appropriate question: with harvest season upon us and with slow moving farm vehicles/implements on roadways, is it pe... Full story

Question: I was told the fine for passing a school bus, when the red lights are activated and the stop arm is extended, had recently increased. Answer: In 2017, the fine for a school bus stop arm/red lights violation increased from $300 to $500 here...

Question 1: How long do I have before I need to update my address on my driver’s license after moving? Answer 1: Anytime a person moves in Minnesota to a new address within this state, they need to update their driver’s license within 30 days. If a p...

Question: I’ve been helping my neighbor prep for sale a 1955 Ford pickup that has been in her family since new. I noticed the other day that the VIN plate is missing from the glove box door (the rivet holes are still there). It must have been lost b...

Question: Read your article from 2014 concerning collector plates. I have a related question. I have a 20 year old car that would qualify for collector plates. Collector plates are usually a single plate if I’m not mistaken. I currently have regular...

Question: I just wanted to suggest a topic for your Ask a Trooper column in the paper, and on the radio: What are the rules when a traffic light is out, because of a power outage for example? I treat them as a four-way stop, which I believe is correc...

Railroad Crossing Safety Question: Can you talk about railroad crossing safety and the laws that cover it? Answer: In my career, I had responded and investigated train/vehicle crashes where the majority of them resulted with a fatality or a serious...

Question: There was a story in the news about a recent hit and run fatal crash where the State Patrol was looking for the public’s help in locating the vehicle that fled. How many hit and run incidents are there in Minnesota and what is the law t...