Auto Theft Prevention Grant Program

On average, 23 cars are stolen every day in Minnesota – that’s almost one car every hour. Auto theft affects the lives and finances of thousands of Minnesotans every year and steals from the wallets of every consumer in the form of higher insurance premiums.

Program Background

In 1996, the Minnesota Legislature created the Auto Theft Prevention Grant Program. The program is funded from a surcharge collected from automobile insurance carriers that provide comprehensive insurance coverage issued in the State of Minnesota. The amount of the surcharge is $.50 cents per vehicle for every six months of coverage. Using this funding, the program makes money available through a competitive grant process for activities that address the problem of auto theft.

In July 2004, the Auto Theft Prevention Program was statutorily transferred to the Minnesota Department of Commerce. The Commerce Department’s Insurance Fraud Division (IFD) has managed the program since 2009. Occassionally the Minnesota Department of Commerce will post requests for proposals.

Recent Grant Recipients

Efforts previously supported by Minnesota’s Auto Theft Prevention Grant Program include: jail interviews of known suspects and associates that yield a high rate of recovery and charges; increased crime scene processing of recovered stolen vehicles; mobile and stationary license plate readers that allow law enforcement to fight auto theft without hiring additional officers; and more. Recent grant recipients include:

Minnesota Auto Theft At A Glance

In 2010, more than 8,400 vehicles were stolen in Minnesota, worth $21.3 million. As shocking as those figures are, auto theft has steadily decreased over the last seven years. In fact, the incidence of auto theft in Minnesota has dropped by more than 37 percent since 2004. That is thanks in large part to the success of this statewide partnership.

Minnesota currently ranks in the top 15 states for lowest auto insurance premiums, thanks in part to this program. The average Minnesotan pays $1,264 in auto premiums compared to $2,536 in Louisiana.

Number of Annual Auto Thefts in Minnesota (2004 – 2010)
Data extracted from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) 2010 Uniform Crime Report