Sec. 3101a.

(1) An insurer, in conjunction with the issuance of an automobile insurance policy, as defined in section 3303, shall provide 2 certificates of insurance for each insured vehicle. The insurer shall mark 1 of the certificates as the secretary of state's copy, which copy, except as otherwise provided in subsection (2), shall be filed with the secretary of state by the policyholder upon application for a vehicle registration. The secretary of state shall not maintain the certificate of insurance received under this subsection on file.

(2) The secretary of state shall accept as proof of vehicle insurance a transmission, in the format required by the secretary of state, of the insured vehicle's vehicle identification number. Vehicle identification numbers received by the secretary of state under this subsection are confidential and shall not be disclosed to any person except pursuant to an order by a court of competent jurisdiction in connection with a claim or fraud investigation or prosecution. The transmission to the secretary of state of a vehicle identification number is proof of insurance to the secretary of state for motor vehicle registration purposes only and is not evidence that a policy of insurance actually exists between an insurer and an individual.

(3) A person who supplies false information to the secretary of state under this section or who issues or uses an altered, fraudulent, or counterfeit certificate of insurance is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both.