(a)
(1) Every owner, upon receipt of a registration certificate, shall write his or her signature thereon, with pen and ink in the space provided. Every such registration certificate shall be, at all times, carried in the vehicle to which it refers or shall be carried by the person driving or in control of the vehicle, who shall display it upon demand of a police officer or any officer or employee of the Office of Motor Vehicle.
(2) No person charged with violating this section shall be convicted if he or she produces in a court a registration certificate for the vehicle which was issued prior to, and in effect at, the time of the arrest.
(b) The provisions of this section requiring that a registration certificate be carried in the vehicle to which it refers or by the person driving it shall not apply when the certificate is used for the purpose of making application for renewal of registration or upon a transfer of registration of the vehicle.
(c)
(1) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to amend or repeal the requirement contained in § 27-14-601 which makes it unlawful for any truck to be operated upon the highways of Arkansas without the license registration card or certificate being at all times in the possession of the operator thereof and subject to inspection.
(2) Possession of a photocopy of the license registration card or certificate shall be deemed to comply with the requirements of this section.