Proof of insurance is something every licensed Wisconsin driver needs to be able to provide in the event of a traffic stop since our law change many years ago. Everyone who purchases an Auto Insurance policy in Wisconsin should receive their policy documents each term in the mail, or in email if you have opted-in to that service from your insurance company. If you get your policy and declarations page in the mail you will see your “Insurance ID Card” near the end of the document. You can then put it in your glove compartment. Now we have various other ways to provide proof of insurance.
Your Current Declaration Summary Page
Even the declarations page is proper proof of insurance so the ID Card isn’t a must. The important thing to the authorities is that you have an address on the document which matches your drivers license. You should also make sure your name (or named driver) is correct. Finally, make sure the date in question falls within your effective and expiration dates on the document.
A Mobile App
Some other ways to provide proof of insurance are with a phone app. We have a custom app which will provide you with your correct and updated insurance ID Cards on demand here. This means no matter which insurance company we place you with you just need one app on your phone. Most insurance carriers also have an app available now which can be obtained on their websites respectively. Sometimes these apps will have additional functionality like claim reporting.
Take a photo
One final simple way to provide proof of insurance is just to snap a photo of your ID card and keep that on your phone. This will work just fine and is a good alternative if you don’t like to have a lot of extra apps on your device.
Finally, If you are stopped and do not have proper proof of insurance usually they will issue you a citation or warning which will be rescinded if you simply send them proof of coverage in a timely manor. You can then call us or your agent and we can send you the documents later.
