As winter retreats here in Aurora, we look ahead to the spring and one of its inaugural activities: spring cleaning. Much more than dusting windowsills and scrubbing sinks, spring cleaning is an opportunity to take inventory of your life, a conscious un-cluttering of both your personal space and your mind as you prepare for the year ahead.
Part of this process includes properly organizing your paperwork. As with anything else in modern life, car ownership involves a great deal of documentation. It can be overwhelming to keep everything straight – but simplifying your auto needs is what we do here at Charge-A-Car, where you can purchase and finance your next car in the same afternoon!
What You Should Have
License & Registration: If you’ve ever seen someone pulled over in a movie, chances are you know to always have your license and registration handy while driving. Make sure your registration is up to date; if the expiration date is near, take the necessary steps to renew it. It should then be signed and stored somewhere in your vehicle, such as the glove compartment or beneath the central console. As for your driver’s license, hopefully it’s already safely stored away in your purse or wallet – otherwise, your spring cleaning to-do list just got longer.
Proof of Insurance: Owning vehicle insurance is a requirement for every licensed driver. It’s another item you’ll want to keep in your car in the event that you’re pulled over. You should also have it on hand in case of an accident, so that you can exchange insurance information with the other driver. At the very least, keep a photo of your insurance card available on your phone.
Vehicle Title: Unlike your registration and insurance cards, the title to your car needs more protection than your glove compartment can offer. This piece of paper is the only proof of ownership of your vehicle that you have, making it immensely valuable. Keep your title stored away in a secure place you’ll remember, such as a home safe.
Service & Maintenance Records: Though documenting your vehicle’s history of service and maintenance isn’t a requirement, it’s still a good idea. It will keep track of what services were performed when, so that you’ll know the next time you’re due for, say, an oil change. More importantly, keeping detailed records of your car’s history will serve you well when it comes time to sell.
Keeping Your Paperwork Organized
While your registration and insurance should be kept inside the vehicle, we recommend keeping all other paperwork together. A safe space in your home is preferable, as it allows you regular access. This includes the title and service records, but also any other relevant paperwork, such as warranty and emissions test documentation. If necessary, divide and categorize accordingly, i.e. keep your insurance payments bundled together. Make sure you have the proper storage space to accommodate everything.
In today’s digital world, it’s important to back everything up. Make physical copies of your paperwork if that’s your preference, but also consider uploading your files to cloud storage. By digitizing, you’re ensuring your files will remain available to the world – even when you’re having difficulty tracking down their physical counterparts.
One Last Step
Once you’ve collected and organized all relevant paperwork, your future suddenly becomes much more open. For starters, you now have everything you need to trade in your ride today! Any vehicle in our extensive inventory could be yours when you schedule your test drive at Charge-A-Car, Aurora’s number one spot for used car shopping.
