Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in Wisconsin to Get the Best Rates

Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in Wisconsin to Get the Best Rates

Sunday, June 18 2017 By Steve Bowen

Here at QuoteWizard, we strive to help Wisconsinites save on their insurance. Sometimes, the best rates are hidden. We help residents of the Badger State find them. On, Wisconsin!

This page will show you which types of coverage are legally required in Wisconsin, provide information about the cost of driving including average rates, and share some insights about insurance risk to help you protect yourself and your family.

Average Wisconsin Car Insurance Rates

Drivers here are safe, with so few accidents, that Wisconsin car insurance rates are much lower than the national average. The price you pay may vary depending on your own driving record, zip code, limits, and coverage.

The average cost of auto insurance in Wisconsin is $646.48. The national annual average cost is $866.31.

Wisconsin Average Annual Car Insurance Rates

Coverage	Rates
Liability	$367.00
Collision	$217.19
Comprehensive	$132.64
Total Cost Per Year	$646.48
Price Per Month	$53.87

Finding the right car insurance company and policy in Wisconsin just got easier. Say goodbye to countless hours of researching offerings and comparing rates. With QuoteWizard’s help, you can do both in a matter of minutes--even seconds.

We’ll connect you to a number of top auto insurance companies so you can quickly compare quotes and find the coverage you need for a price you can afford.

Last year, 49,039 people used QuoteWizard to get an auto insurance quotes comparison in Wisconsin from top companies and find the cheapest rates.

Top 10 Vehicles in Wisconsin

These are the top vehicles owned by Wisconsin drivers requesting car insurance quotes through QuoteWizard in the past year.

Best Car Insurance Companies in Wisconsin

Last year, these were the most common car insurance companies reported by QuoteWizard users living in the state of Wisconsin. Out of the 49,039 Wisconsin drivers that used QuoteWizard to request insurance quotes last year, 8,603 were uninsured.

Wisconsin State Auto Insurance Laws

Car Insurance Minimum Coverage

If you drive a vehicle registered in Wisconsin, you must maintain a minimum level of insurance coverage of 25/50/10, plus uninsured/underinsured coverage. This means that you must have a policy with at least the following:

• $25,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per person
• $50,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per incident
• $10,000 of coverage for property damage liability per incident
• $25,000 of uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person
• $50,000 of uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per incident

Required Proof of Car Insurance

Any time you drive in Wisconsin, you must be prepared to show your car insurance identification card to law enforcement upon request. You will get this identification card from your car insurance company when you buy a policy. The card must include all of the following:

• Name of the insurance company
• Policy number
• Effective date of the policy
• Expiration date of the policy
• Description of the year, make, or model of the insured vehicles, or the name of the insured driver

Penalties

Failure to show valid proof of insurance at an accident or traffic stop may result in a fine of up to $10 and the suspension of your driver’s license. Operating a vehicle without the required coverage may be punishable by a fine of up to $500. Knowingly providing false evidence of insurance coverage may result in a fine of up to $5,000.

SR-22 Requirements

Wisconsin residents that have had their driver’s licenses suspended due to drunk driving convictions or other violations must provide proof of financial responsibility by filing an SR-22 form. “SR” stands for safety responsibility and it certifies that a driver has the minimum amount of insurance required by state law.

Wisconsin state law requires that an SR-22 be carried for 36 consecutive months. If a driver fails to renew their policy 15 days before expiration, a letter is sent to the state that may result in the suspension of their license. Once renewed, the license will be reinstated, but this can be a time-consuming process.

State of Wisconsin Traffic Safety Laws

Distracted Driving Laws

Using a cell phone while driving is against the law in Wisconsin for novice drivers. Full-fledged drivers may use hand-held cell phones while driving. All drivers are banned from sending or receiving text messages while driving in Wisconsin.

Implied Consent Law

Wisconsin’s Implied Consent law requires that any driver submit to testing to determine the alcohol or drug content of their blood, breath, or urine when arrested by law enforcement for suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI). Refuse the test and you’ll face the following penalties in addition to the penalties for an OWI:

• First Offense: 1-year driver's license revocation
• Second Offense: 2-year driver's license revocation (offenses must be within 10 years of each other)
• Third Offense: 3-year driver's license revocation (offenses must be within 10 years of each other)

OWI Law and Penalties

If you drive or operate a motor vehicle in the Wisconsin with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher, you are guilty of OWI.

Child Restraint Law

Wisconsin requires that all children less than 4 years of age or weighing less than 40 pounds ride in federally approved child safety seats. Children under 8 years of age must ride in federally approved booster seats until they weigh more than 80 pounds, or exceed 4 feet 9 inches in height.

In addition, children:

• Less than 1-year-old or who weigh less than 20 pounds must be in rear-facing child seats in the back seat of vehicles
• Between 1 and 4 years of age and who weigh between 20 and 40 pounds must be restrained in child safety seats in the back seat of vehicles
• Between 4 and 8 years old must be seated in federally approved safety seats or boosters until they exceed 80 pounds in weight, or 4 feet 9 inches in height.

If you're pulled over by law enforcement and it's discovered that your child isn't lawfully secured, you can face the following penalties:

• If your child is less than 4 years old the maximum penalty is $175.30
• If your child is between the ages of 4 and 8 the maximum penalty for a first offense is $150.10, $200.50 for a second offense, and $263.50 for third or subsequent offenses

Graduated Driver’s License Program

Wisconsin has implemented a 3-tier graduated driver’s license program beginning with an instruction permit and ending with full driver privileges once all conditions are met.

Teens are allowed to apply for an instruction permit once they’re 15 1/2 years old, pass a vision and written test, and enroll in an approved driver's education course.  Drivers with instruction permits are required to drive 30 hours under supervision to advance to the next step in the process. Ten of those hours must be at night.

Once these conditions are satisfied, and the driver has reached at least the age of 16, they can take the driver’s test. If they pass the test, a probationary license is issued.

Drivers with probationary licenses cannot drive between the hours of midnight and 5 am. For the first nine months of driving, drivers with probationary licenses cannot have more than one other person in the car (excluding immediate family members). These restrictions go away once a driver completes all of the above requirements, and is age 16 3/4. Wisconsin drivers are eligible for a full, regular license once they turn 19.

Senior Drivers in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has no special provisions for senior drivers, but all drivers are required to renew their driver's licenses every 8 years.

Seat Belt Laws

Wisconsin requires that all passengers in moving vehicles wear seat belts. Children are required to use approved child seats. The maximum penalty for failing to comply is $10 for the first offense.

Vehicles Registered in Another State

When you drive a vehicle in Wisconsin that is required to be registered in another state, you must have the type of insurance required by that state. You must be able to provide proof of this insurance to law enforcement if requested.

The Cost of Driving in Wisconsin

Average Wisconsin Car Insurance Rates

The average cost of car insurance in Wisconsin in 2014, the most recent year for which data was available, was $646.48 compared to a national average of $866.31. Wisconsin is only the 44th most expensive state for car insurance.

Fuel Taxes

The state of Wisconsin taxes gasoline and diesel fuel at 32.9 cents per gallon. This is in addition to the Federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline, and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel. The total tax on gasoline amounts to 51.3 cents per gallon. For diesel fuel, the total tax in Wisconsin is 57.3 cents per gallon.

Car Insurance Risk in Wisconsin

Uninsured Motorists

The percentage of Wisconsin residents estimated to be driving without car insurance is 11.7%. That ranks Wisconsin as #25 among US states and the District of Columbia - almost exactly average.

Traffic Fatalities

In 2014, there were 507 traffic fatalities in Wisconsin, a 7% decrease from the state’s 543 traffic fatalities in 2013.

Crash Statistics

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation maintains a website with crash data here: Crash Data

Vehicle Thefts

Wisconsin had 9,919 vehicle thefts reported in 2014, a 34.2% increase compared to 2013. In 2014, the vehicle theft rate was 172.3 per 100,000, a increase of 33.9% from the 2011 rate of 128.7 per 100,000.

The vehicle theft rate in Wisconsin is well below the overall US vehicle theft rate, which was 216.2 per 100,000 in 2014.

Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Wisconsin for 2014

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau - Hot Wheels Report 2014

Rank	Year	Model
1	2003	Dodge Caravan
2	2000	Dodge Stratus
3	2002	Dodge Intrepid
4	2002	Chrysler Town & Country
5	1997	Honda Accord
6	1999	Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
6	1998	Honda Civic
7	2006	Chevrolet Impala
8	2000	Chevrolet Pickup ( Full Size)
9	1999	Plymouth Voyager

Wisconsin Auto Insurance Company Market Share

Source: Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance

Rank	Market Share	Company
1	18%	American Family
2	9.0%	Artisan & Truckers
3	6.2%	Progressive
4	3.8%	Acuity
5	3.4%	Allstate
6	3%	West Bend Mutual
7	2.2%	Mid-Century
8	2.1%	Erie Insurance
9	2%	Geico

Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance

Website:

http://oci.wi.gov

Insurance Commissioner:

Ted Nickel

Insurance Hotline:

(800) 236-8517

Hours:

Monday - Friday
7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

File a Consumer Insurance Complaint:

Complaints Page

Sources:

• FBI Uniform Crime Report
• NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System
• Insurance Information Institute – Minimum Coverage Levels by State
• American Petroleum Institute
• National Insurance Crime Bureau
• Governors Highway Safety Association
• Insurance Information Institute – Insurance Expenditures by State
• Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles - DMV

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