Uninsured Motorist Coverage — Wisconsin
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Wisconsin Requires Uninsured Motorist Coverage
You're adding a second or third car to your Wisconsin policy and reviewing the coverage breakdown. You notice uninsured motorist coverage listed for each vehicle with separate premium charges. You wonder whether this is optional—something you can drop to lower the cost—or whether Wisconsin law requires it on every car you insure.
Wisconsin is one of twelve states that mandate uninsured motorist coverage on every auto insurance policy. The requirement applies to each vehicle on your policy, not just the first car. You cannot drop UM coverage unless you submit a written rejection to your carrier, and even then the rejection must be renewed at every policy term. Most multi-car households keep the mandated coverage because the rejection process creates more friction than the premium justifies.
“Wisconsin requires carriers to offer UM limits equal to your liability limits—you can accept lower limits or reject coverage, but both require written action.”
See What Wisconsin Drivers Pay for the Coverage They Need
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Wisconsin Uninsured Motorist Rate
More than one in seven drivers on Wisconsin roads carries no liability insurance. When an uninsured driver causes a collision, your uninsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills, lost wages, and vehicle damage up to your policy limits.
Insurance Information Institute, 2023
What Wisconsin Uninsured Motorist Coverage Actually Pays
Uninsured motorist coverage in Wisconsin pays for injuries and property damage caused by a driver who carries no liability insurance or by a hit-and-run driver who cannot be identified. The coverage applies when the at-fault driver's liability policy does not exist or when the driver flees the scene. UM coverage steps in where the other driver's liability insurance would have paid if they had been insured.
Wisconsin UM coverage includes two components: bodily injury and property damage. Bodily injury UM pays medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering for you and your passengers when an uninsured driver injures you. Property damage UM pays for vehicle repairs or replacement when an uninsured driver damages your car. Both components are mandatory unless you reject them in writing.
The coverage applies per vehicle. If you insure three cars on one policy, each car carries its own UM limits. When an uninsured driver hits your second car, that car's UM bodily injury and property damage limits apply to the claim. The limits on your first or third car do not stack with the damaged vehicle's limits unless your policy includes a stacking provision, which most Wisconsin policies do not offer by default.
Wisconsin law requires carriers to offer UM limits equal to your liability limits. You can accept lower UM limits, but only after rejecting the equal-limits offer in writing.
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Uninsured Motorist Limits and Multi-Car Policies
Wisconsin requires carriers to offer UM bodily injury limits equal to your liability bodily injury limits. If you carry the state minimum liability limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, your carrier must offer UM limits of $25,000/$50,000. You can accept those limits, choose lower UM limits, or reject UM coverage entirely—but all three options require a written response.
On a multi-car policy, each vehicle carries its own UM limits. If you insure two cars with $25,000/$50,000 liability on each, both cars will carry $25,000/$50,000 UM unless you reject the coverage or select different limits in writing. The UM limits do not combine across vehicles unless your policy includes a stacking endorsement. Wisconsin carriers rarely offer stacking by default; if you want stacked UM limits, you must request the endorsement and pay the additional premium.
When an uninsured driver injures occupants of your second car, that car's UM bodily injury limits apply to all injured passengers combined. The per-person limit of $25,000 applies to each individual's claim, but the per-accident limit governs the total paid for all injuries in one collision.
$25,000 / $50,000
Wisconsin Minimum Liability Limits
Wisconsin requires $25,000 bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 per accident, and $10,000 property damage. Carriers must offer uninsured motorist limits equal to these liability minimums unless you reject the offer in writing.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Underinsured Motorist Coverage and the Mandatory Offer
Wisconsin also requires carriers to offer underinsured motorist coverage, which pays when the at-fault driver carries liability insurance but their limits are too low to cover your injuries. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage is not mandatory—you can decline it without a written rejection—but the carrier must offer it at limits equal to your UM limits. Most multi-car households accept UIM because the premium difference is small and the coverage closes the gap left by drivers who carry only the state minimum $25,000/$50,000 liability.
UIM works differently than UM. When an underinsured driver injures you, their liability policy pays first up to their limits. Your UIM coverage pays the difference between their liability limit and your UIM limit, minus what their carrier already paid. UIM does not pay unless the other driver's liability limits are lower than your UIM limits.
Compare Carriers That Write Multi-Car Policies in Wisconsin
Twenty-one carriers write auto insurance for Wisconsin households with multiple vehicles. Not all carriers handle UM rejection the same way. Some make rejection forms available through their online account portal; others require a phone call and mailed signature. When you're structuring coverage across two or three cars, the carrier's UM rejection process matters if you're considering declining the mandated coverage.
Use the site's comparison tool to see which carriers write multi-car policies in Wisconsin and how each handles uninsured motorist coverage. Enter your household's vehicle count, driver count, and coverage preferences. The tool returns carriers licensed in Wisconsin that write policies for your vehicle mix, along with each carrier's UM and UIM offer requirements. Compare the carriers' rejection processes and premium structures before binding coverage.
How to Reject Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Wisconsin
To reject UM coverage, you must sign a written rejection form provided by your carrier. The form names the coverage being rejected and states the limits you are declining. Wisconsin law requires the carrier to offer UM limits equal to your liability limits first; you can accept lower UM limits or reject UM entirely, but both require a signed rejection of the equal-limits offer. The rejection applies only to the current policy term. At renewal, the carrier must offer UM coverage again, and you must submit a new rejection if you want to continue without it.
Most Wisconsin carriers make rejection cumbersome by design. The rejection form is not available online; you must request it by phone or email, sign it, and return it before the policy binds. If you add a vehicle mid-term, the carrier will bind UM coverage on the new car automatically unless you submit a new rejection form within the grace period. For multi-car households, the rejection process creates enough friction that most drivers accept the mandated coverage rather than manage rejection paperwork at every renewal and vehicle addition.
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Get My Wisconsin Car Insurance QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Can I drop uninsured motorist coverage in Wisconsin?
Yes, but only by submitting a written rejection form to your carrier. Wisconsin mandates UM coverage by default; rejection requires explicit written action at every policy term. Most carriers do not offer rejection forms online—you must request the form, sign it, and return it before the policy binds.
Does uninsured motorist coverage apply to all cars on my Wisconsin policy?
Yes. Each vehicle on your policy carries its own UM limits. If you insure three cars, all three have separate UM bodily injury and property damage coverage. The limits do not stack across vehicles unless your policy includes a stacking endorsement, which most Wisconsin carriers do not offer by default.
What is the difference between uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in Wisconsin?
Uninsured motorist coverage pays when the at-fault driver carries no liability insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage pays when the at-fault driver's liability limits are too low to cover your injuries. Wisconsin requires carriers to offer both, but only UM is mandatory—you can decline UIM without a written rejection.
Do I need to reject uninsured motorist coverage every year in Wisconsin?
Yes. A UM rejection applies only to the current policy term. At renewal, your carrier must offer UM coverage again, and you must submit a new written rejection if you want to continue without it. The rejection does not carry forward automatically.
What happens if an uninsured driver hits my car in Wisconsin and I rejected UM coverage?
You have no UM coverage to pay for your injuries or vehicle damage. You can sue the uninsured driver personally, but most uninsured drivers lack assets to satisfy a judgment. Without UM coverage, you rely on your own collision and medical payments coverage, if you carry them, or pay out of pocket.
Can I carry different uninsured motorist limits on different cars in Wisconsin?
Yes. Wisconsin allows you to set different UM limits for each vehicle on your policy. Your carrier must offer UM limits equal to each car's liability limits, but you can accept lower UM limits or reject UM entirely on a per-vehicle basis by submitting separate rejection forms for each car.