Similar situation where having $25 saved my butt from having to sit in jail three states away from where I lived after a petty drug possession arrest (a little baggie of cannabis fell out of my glove compartment while scrounging for an insurance card).
It's a pretty long story, but ultimately I paid the last $25 I had in my pocket to a clerk, and was released upon my own recognizance (Personal Recognizance). Ultimately ended up with community service; the case itself was rather interesting because the amount of product in my possession was so low the lab had trouble even verifying there was anything there. Officially charged with possessing 0.02g. You read that right. Less than a 10th of a gram.
For that and a couple of other reasons, I got pretty lucky getting out of there the way I did, and getting back home.
Keep your registration and insurance card in the door pocket or clipped to your sun shade, and keep your glove box locked while driving. If you must transport contraband, keep it in a closed, opaque container without identifying markings on the outside.
If you have current insurance, but can't find your proof of insurance card during the stop, just say loudly and clearly that you're insured with [YOUR INSURER], take the ticket, and mail a copy of your insurance information to the prosecutor afterward. If the prosecutor won't drop the charge, plead not guilty and request discovery for the squad car camera recording and all the information the cop had available about you or your vehicle from their in-car computer at the time of the stop.
In all likelihood, the cop's in-car computer already showed whether you were truthful about being insured or not, and they just continue to demand paperwork because it's an easy way to issue tickets that usually don't get contested. It's a money game, and it encourages the justice system to prey on those who can least afford to fight back.
It's a pretty long story, but ultimately I paid the last $25 I had in my pocket to a clerk, and was released upon my own recognizance (Personal Recognizance). Ultimately ended up with community service; the case itself was rather interesting because the amount of product in my possession was so low the lab had trouble even verifying there was anything there. Officially charged with possessing 0.02g. You read that right. Less than a 10th of a gram.
For that and a couple of other reasons, I got pretty lucky getting out of there the way I did, and getting back home.