Also in our tri state area, shot records are required to be with the dog, available on presentation if asked. Health certificates are required for dogs out of state at any show. We just carry ours as mine being shown already have them for Therapy work.
Microchips are necessary to verify the dog being shown is the registered name. Its better not to have the question, take months to get the points than loose them.
We have HUGE shows in this area. Everyone carries shot records, complete with microchip numbers, if we go out of our state health certificates as a animal crossing state lines, and a bench show , like westminster, determines the class of each dog at the bench.
Unless the rules have changed in the last two years when we were there, those are rules. Even here they randomly scanned Zubin as well as others for his last win. The reason is that some breeders are using other champions, to show in the ring for another dog. A " black and white" is a black and white. A belgium is black.. etc.. Its easier for the dogs to be chipped to remove the question. All of us in our breed look at better to have than get it later- . National specialities most will scan the winners.