Best Car Insurance in Wisconsin

No, you cannot insure a car with a salvage title in Wisconsin. Salvage vehicles are cars that have been declared a total loss, meaning they're too damaged to be worth repairing and cannot be driven legally. As a result, no legitimate car insurance company writes policies for them.

Although insurance companies in Wisconsin won't insure a car with a current salvage title, you can get coverage if you have the vehicle repaired and inspected by a state-certified mechanic. If it's declared safe to drive, the DMV will issue the car a rebuilt salvage title. Several insurance companies, including Allstate and Geico, sell policies to vehicles with a rebuilt salvage title.

Keep in mind that some insurers will only sell liability insurance for rebuilt salvage cars, meaning that they won't pay for any physical damage to the vehicle. Even if you are able to get collision and comprehensive insurance, your policy may not cover the full value of the car if it's totaled again.

Insurance companies in Wisconsin do not have a specific timeframe in which a claim must be settled. State law requires insurers to acknowledge the claim within 10 days of receiving it, then send the necessary paperwork. But insurers are only required to make a decision on the claim “within a reasonable time,” and there is no guidance on how long they have to send the payment after they approve a claim.

Even though Wisconsin does not require a specific timeframe for the resolution of insurance claims, you still have the right to an efficient settlement. If you think that your insurance company is violating the law or operating unethically, you can file a “bad faith” lawsuit, which can award you the original settlement amount with added interest and penalties.

With that being said, it's important to remember that several factors can affect exactly how long it takes for an insurance company to settle a claim. For example, severe accidents, claims involving bodily injury, and poor communication between involved parties can all slow down the process.

No, you do not need uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) insurance in Wisconsin. In fact, drivers in Wisconsin do not even have the option to purchase UMPD coverage.

Instead of UMPD, you can purchase collision insurance, which is an optional type of coverage that pays to repair or replace your vehicle after any accident, regardless of fault.

Gap insurance in Wisconsin works the same way as gap insurance in the rest of the U.S., by paying the balance remaining on a car loan or lease contract after a liability, comprehensive, or collision policy pays out the actual cash value of a totaled vehicle. The state of Wisconsin doesn't require any driver to carry gap insurance. However, certain lenders in Wisconsin may require customers to carry gap insurance – short for guaranteed asset (or auto) protection insurance – if they get a car loan or lease.

Dozens of companies, including banks and dealerships, offer gap insurance in Wisconsin. While you should take your time deciding which one is right for you, you can also have confidence in the fact that gap insurance works the same way in Wisconsin as in the rest of the country.

Best Gap Insurance Companies in Wisconsin

• Esurance
• Nationwide
• The Hartford
• Progressive
• Allstate

It's worth noting that gap coverage is usually cheaper to purchase from an insurance company than a dealership. For more information, check out WalletHub's complete guide to gap insurance.

You can get car insurance discounts in Wisconsin based on how you drive, the car you own, and your relationship with your insurance company. In Wisconsin, car insurance companies are allowed to consider factors like employment, residential, and marital status when setting premiums. That means there are also discounts available for being married, owning a home, or being affiliated with certain employers or educational institutions.

Almost anyone can get a discount on car insurance in Wisconsin because most insurance companies make it easy to qualify for a variety of savings. Wisconsin insurers typically offer discounts that fall into one of three categories—policy discounts, driver discounts, and vehicle discounts.

Policy discounts typically reward customer behavior that is desirable to the insurance company. For example, most Wisconsin drivers can save by registering for paperless billing or getting both home and auto policies from the same company. Driver discounts are available to Wisconsin residents who are lower-risk to insure, like those with clean driving records. And vehicle discounts help drivers save if their car has certain safety features or anti-theft systems.

Car Insurance Discounts in Wisconsin

Remember, discounts vary among different insurance companies, so it's always best to contact the provider directly to determine which discounts you qualify for.