Now they can get you out of a ticket. Thirty-six states now allow drivers to show electronic proof of insurance coverage during a traffic stop, according to the Property Casualty Insurance Association of America (PCI).
A late payment can stay on your credit report for up to seven years. This is the standard time limit for most items. Only a bankruptcy can stay longer -- up to 10 years in some cases. But for late payments, seven is the magic number. You can think of your credit reports as a record of your previous debt payments.
How long late payments stay on your credit report. A late payment will stay on your credit report for 7 years. However, it will only negatively impact your credit score for 36 months. The newer the late payment is, the more it impacts your credit score. Typically, you can recover from a single 30-day late pay after 12 months of positive payment history.