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Commercial Auto Insurance in Wisconsin

Wisconsin intrastate for-hire motor carriers must file liability insurance with WisDOT before operating: the property-carrier floor is $300,000 at 10,000 pounds gross weight or less and $750,000 above 10,000 pounds. The registered-owner name and insurance name must match exactly on an intrastate authority record, so confirm the legal entity and filing before applying for authority or vehicle registration. 1,2,3

What Is Commercial Auto?

Commercial auto suits businesses that use vehicles for work and need liability protection; damage to your own vehicles is a separate coverage choice. If employees drive personal or rented cars, check how those trips are handled. Read the national Commercial auto guide.

Wisconsin Requirements

RequirementDetails
Property for-hire motor-carrier filingGross weight 10,000 lb or less: $300,000; over 10,000 lb: $750,000 minimum 1,2
Intrastate for-hire operationInsurance filing required before operation; exact registered-owner and insurance name match on authority record 1
Passenger carrier operating solely intrastate15 or fewer seats including driver: $500,000; 16 or more seats: $1,000,000 2

What to Watch for in Wisconsin

  • Make The Policy Name Match The Authority Holder

    WisDOT says the registered owner’s name and insurance name must match exactly on an intrastate operating-authority number; for an individual, the middle name must match too. Reconcile the entity name across registration, authority application, and insurer filing before dispatch, because proof on file is a prerequisite to authority and registration. 1

  • Check The 10,000-Pound Property-Filing Boundary

    Wisconsin sets $300,000 for property for-hire vehicles at 10,000 pounds gross weight or less and $750,000 above that weight. Use the weight figure WisDOT applies to the vehicle and confirm any hazardous-material exception before the insurer files the certificate. 1,2

  • Check Whether Hazardous Material Moves The Filing To FMCSA

    WisDOT says intrastate as well as interstate carriers transporting listed hazardous materials in a vehicle with GVWR of 10,000 pounds or more must file proof with FMCSA at the federal amount. Identify the material under 49 C.F.R. 172.101 and ask which federal filing applies before relying on the state property-carrier amount. 1

  • Keep Coverage In Force During An Oversize Move

    WisDOT says a carrier using an oversize/overweight permit must keep the required insurance in force while the vehicle and permitted load operate on a public highway. Confirm the policy remains active for the entire permitted trip, including a scheduled move that takes place after a renewal or vehicle change. 3

Who Regulates Insurance in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance

The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance administers Wisconsin insurance laws, oversees insurers and insurance producers within its authority, and provides regulatory and consumer resources. You can use the department's complaint process to raise an insurance issue and its licensing resources to check insurance professionals. 4,5,6

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 3% of premium The NAIC's state chart lists a 3% of premium charge for surplus-lines coverage for Wisconsin (the chart's state entries were reviewed in October 2025). Your broker may collect the applicable amount with the premium. Surplus-lines insurers are not licensed in the state and generally are outside state guaranty-association protection; ask your broker to explain the insurer's financial protections and any diligent-search requirement that applies to your placement. 7,8

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for Commercial auto; the state records document licenses for the entities and roles shown below. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Wisconsin. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • CorgiCorgi Insurance Services, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Corgi’s company producer-license table lists 50 jurisdictions: 49 states and the District of Columbia, including DC license 3003091619. New Mexico does not appear in the table and is not included here; the omission does not establish that Corgi is unlicensed there. The company-reported table has no stated as-of date and does not establish product availability. 11
  • TechInsuranceSpecialty Program Group LLCInsurance producer · checked 2026-09-28TechInsurance’s current licensing page names Specialty Program Group LLC / SPG Insurance Solutions and lists state license numbers, but labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses” rather than identifying a license for the named agency. RI is omitted because this disclosure does not establish agency authority there; this is a search limitation, not an assertion that the company is unlicensed. The remaining state entries are company-reported and are not an insurance product availability map. 14

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Wisconsin

  1. Does the registered-owner name match the exact legal name on our Wisconsin authority and insurance filing?
  2. Is each property carrier vehicle at or below 10,000 pounds gross weight, or does the $750,000 filing tier apply?
  3. Do any vehicles move listed hazardous materials at a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or more and need an FMCSA filing?
  4. Will the policy stay in force for every Wisconsin oversize/overweight permit trip?

Commercial Auto in Wisconsin: FAQ

How much liability insurance does a Wisconsin for-hire property carrier need? 1,2

Wisconsin lists a $300,000 minimum for vehicles at 10,000 pounds gross weight or less and $750,000 for vehicles over 10,000 pounds. Listed hazardous-material operations may use a separate federal filing schedule. 1,2

Can a Wisconsin carrier operate before the insurance filing is on file? 1

No. For carriers that need a Wisconsin DOT filing, proof must be on file before operation; on an intrastate authority record, the registered-owner and insurance names must match exactly. 1

Commercial Auto in Other States

Other Coverage in Wisconsin

Sources

  1. Motor Carrier Insurance for Commercial Motor Vehicles. Wisconsin Department of Transportation; Intrastate insurance filings, property and passenger tables, hazardous-material filing scope, exact owner/insurance-name match, Form E and filing-before-operation guidance; current page accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Wis. Stat. §194.41, Contract of Liability for Damage to Person or Property. Wisconsin Legislature; Subsections (1), (2), and (6)(a)–(b), required certificate before permit/registration, 30-day cancellation notice, $300,000 ≤10,000-pound tier, hazardous-material exception, and intrastate passenger tiers; current 2025 Biennium statute text accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Insurance Requirements for Motor Carriers. Wisconsin Department of Transportation; Intrastate/interstate motor-carrier filing scope and insurance continuity while an oversize/overweight permitted vehicle and load are operating; current page accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance; Official regulator website; insurance oversight and consumer/professional resources. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Insurance Department Directory. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance entry; official contact and website listing. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Surplus Lines Insurance Premium Taxes. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; WI row; state surplus-lines premium-tax rate reviewed October 2025. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Guaranty Associations & Funds. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Coverage of claims from insolvencies of insurers licensed in a state; surplus-lines insurers are nonadmitted. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  9. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  10. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  11. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  12. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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