Illinois Car Insurance Guide (Cheap Rates + Best Companies)

Illinois is the majestic midwestern state just east of the Mississippi River. Known as the “Prairie State”, this state is abundant with rolling hills, farmlands, and forests as far as the eye can see. This can lead to some of the most beautiful road trips in America.

One thing you don’t want to have to worry about on this majestic road trip is what kind of insurance you should have while driving around the Land of Lincoln.

That’s what we’re here for. We’re going to discuss, in-depth, everything you’ll need to know to drive safely in Illinois.

What Are Illinois Insurance Coverage and Rates?

Deciding on the perfect coverage for yourself can feel like you’re way in over your head. But rest assured, we’re here to help.

We’ll be breaking down Illinois’s insurance coverage and rates for everything from their minimum coverage to their specific rates by zip code and city.

Keep reading to find out more.

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What is the Illinois Minimum Coverage?

Minimum liability coverage is required in every state, and why is that? This minimum coverage ensures that should you ever be involved in an accident, you have the funds necessary to pay for that accident.

Illinois follows something known as 25/50/20 minimum liability coverage. We’ve broken up these costs in the table below.

What exactly does this mean?

• 25 = $25,000 for the costs of injury/death of one person involved in the accident
• 50 = $50,000 for the costs of injury/death of more than one person in the accident
• 20= $20,000 for the costs of any property damage caused in the accident

Illinois requires that you have all of this for minimum liability coverage, as well as uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

This may sound like a lot of money, but do you know why these amounts were selected?

Illinois falls under an fault accident system, meaning that if you are at-fault for an accident, you are the one who is held responsible (liable) for any personal injuries or property damage.

So getting above this minimum liability coverage is always recommended. Other types of coverage to consider include comprehensive coverage (for damages related to weather, natural disasters, theft, etc.), uninsured motorist coverage, collision coverage, and GAP insurance. Everyone wants the cheapest auto insurance possible, but you have to make sure you’re adequately covered for all possible scenarios.

What Are Forms of Financial Responsibility?

It is mandatory in the state of Illinois to carry some form of financial responsibility. This is also known as proof of insurance, and it basically shows that you are indeed carrying at least the minimum liability coverage in order to legally drive in the state.

But what exactly constitutes as proof of insurance? Well, any of the following are acceptable in the state:

• A current and valid insurance ID card (physical copy or electronic copy on your mobile device)
• Copy of your insurance policy

If you think you’ll never have to worry about having to show your proof of insurance, think again. Illinois randomly selects drivers to verify that they meet this minimum car insurance requirement. If you are selected, you’ll receive a letter in the mail, and will need to provide this proof within 30 days of this notice.

What Are the Premiums as a Percentage of Income?

The average per capita disposable income in the state of Illinois in 2014 was $42,256. What exactly does this mean? It means that after taxes, the average Illinois citizen earned $42,256. This is a pretty good thing, considering most other states are lower than $40,000 for their disposable income.

Taking into account that the average annual cost of car insurance in Illinois is only $854, this means that only two percent of your entire disposable income would go to paying for your car insurance.

So, way to go Illinois. Way to save that bring in that cash and save a little on the side.

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What Are the Average Monthly Car Insurance Rates in IL (Liability, Collision, Comprehensive)?

Your average monthly car insurance rates by coverage may be cheaper than expected for additional coverage like comprehensive. Review rates for car insurance coverage below:

What About Additional Coverage?

What is one of the best ways to tell how an insurance company is doing financially? You take a look at their loss ratio. A loss ratio tells you how much a company is spending on claims compared to how much they’re bringing in through premiums.

You don’t want a loss ratio too high (over 100 percent), as that means that the company is having to pay out too much on claims and aren’t bringing in enough through premiums. A company with a loss ratio too high is losing money and may have to raise rates.

On the other hand, a loss ratio that is too low means that the company isn’t paying out as many claims as they anticipated and may have overpriced its policies. So think back to Goldilocks, you want one that’s not too much, not too little, but JUST right.

So check out the table below to see how Illinois providers are doing.

So you can see that both Medical Payment coverage (MedPay) and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage providers are doing fairly well. Rates are starting to lower, so it’s something companies will want to watch out for, but for the time being Illinois citizens can rest easy.

How About Add-Ons, Endorsements, and Riders?

Looking for additional, affordable, coverage options that could benefit you?

Great news! There are many wonderful options out there for you to assist you with your car insurance needs. We’ve collected a few of the most valuable coverage types you might want to consider adding to your policy.

• Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP)
• Personal Umbrella Policy (PUP)
• Rental Reimbursement
• Emergency Roadside Assistance
• Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
• Non-Owner Car Insurance
• Modified Car Insurance Coverage
• Classic Car Insurance
• Pay-As-You-Drive or Usage-Based Insurance

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What Are the Average Monthly Car Insurance Rates by Age & Gender in IL?

It’s a well-known myth that men typically pay more for their auto insurance coverage than women do. While this isn’t always the case, insurance prices are higher for male drivers in the state of Illinois.

What About the Cheapest Rates by ZIP Code?

Want to find out who in Illinois is paying the most for their car insurance premiums? Who’s got the cheapest insurance premiums?

Check out the tables below to find out.

This first table lists the 25 ZIP codes in Illinois with the highest average car insurance rates.

Here’s a list of the 25 Illinois ZIP codes with the lowest average car insurance rates.

What Are the Cheapest Rates by City?

Now that we’ve looked at zip codes, let’s see what Illinois cities are the most expensive and which have the cheapest options.

Dixmoor is the most expensive city for car insurance. Let’s see how much cheaper the least-expensive cities are.

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What Are the Car Insurance Companies in Illinois?

There are honestly so many car insurance providers in the nation that it can be pretty overwhelming trying to weed through them all. All of them are fighting for your business, and are willing to talk sweet to you in order to get you to sign on the dotted line.

We want you to know what you’re getting into with this. We’ve weeded through the top providers in the state of Illinois to help you get through all of this with your head intact and be able to find affordable coverage to suit your needs.

Let’s get going.

What Are the Largest Companies Financial Rating?

You remember earlier about us talking about ways you can determine an insurance provider’s financial strength? Well, there’s another sure-fire way, and there’s no complicated math involved.

An A.M. Best Rating gives insurance providers a financial rating based on various factors. The higher the grade they give to a company, the more likely that particular company is to have the ability to pay for customer claims.

So who exactly has the highest A.M. Best Ratings in Illinois?

What Are the Companies with the Best Customer Ratings?

In 2018, J.D. Power did an auto insurance study where they compared the customer satisfaction ratings for the top providers in each region. Illinois falls smack-dab in the North Central Region.

 

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What Are the Companies with Most Complaints in Illinois?

Customer satisfaction can be a double-edged sword for providers; you can have really great customer satisfaction, but you can also accumulate complaints as well. Also, there are times when customer service simply isn’t what you may have come to expect.

The complaint index, seen below, shows which Illinois auto insurance providers have the most complaints.

Keep in mind, however, that while a company may have a decent number of complaints, this isn’t necessarily indicative of a poor company. It is still definitely something to consider, as the complaint index can give you an idea of how a company handles its customer satisfaction and complaints.

What Are Illinois Car Insurance Rates by Company?

One of the biggest factors for most individuals shopping for car insurance is how much is it going to cost? How much can you expect to be paying for your coverage? Which companies offer the most affordable options for an auto coverage policy?

The chart below shows the average rates for the top providers in the state, and how they compare against the overall state average.

What Are the Commute Rates by Companies?

Six major factors affect car insurance rates in Illinois. Which auto insurance factors will affect rates the most? Find out below:

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What Are the Coverage Level Rates by Companies?

Who wants to pay more, for less? Not us, that’s for sure. Did you know that depending on the company, you could be paying more for a lower coverage plan than another company for a much higher coverage plan?

What Are Credit History Rates by Companies?

What Are Driving Record Rates by Companies?

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What is the Number of Insurers in Illinois?

There are two main different types of insurance providers in the nation.

• Foreign Providers: providers that are available in any state (think of providers such as Progressive, Allstate, USAA, etc.)
• Domestic Providers: providers that are available ONLY in that state (think of that local little insurance agency that you could only find in Illinois)

So how many of each do you have available to you in Illinois?

There are currently 191 Domestic Providers and 860 Foreign Providers in Illinois. This means you have 1,051 insurance providers you could use in Illinois. That’s a lot of choices to find the right auto policy to suit your needs and budget.

What Do I Need To Know About Illinois State Laws?

The best way to ensure your car insurance rates are low is to be a safe driver with a clean driving record. In order to do that, you’re going to want to know the state laws for Illinois.

After all, the last thing we want for you is to get a ticket for a law you didn’t even know existed.

Scroll down to learn more.

What About Car Insurance Laws?

Not surprisingly, there are specific car insurance laws that each state has enacted. Let’s dive into some of the Illinois-specific car insurance laws.

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How Are State Laws for Insurance Determined?

According to the NAIC:

“Regarding rate filings, no filing needed for individual risks that cannot be rated in the normal course of business due to special or unusual characteristics. A company must maintain documentary information regarding rates.”

What About Windshield Coverage?

There are some states that have very specific laws regarding windshield coverage on your insurance policy. Illinois doesn’t have any specific laws regarding this, they give drivers the option of whether they would like this optional coverage type.

Should you ever need to replace/repair your windshield, however, you will be permitted to use aftermarket parts with written notice.

What About High-Risk Laws?

If you are a driver with a significant history of accident or traffic violations, chances are you’ve been classified as a high-risk driver. This makes getting car insurance difficult, as most providers aren’t willing to offer coverage to drivers they think will be a massive liability to them. Some high-risk drivers even have to pay significantly more for their auto insurance coverage by purchasing SR-22 insurance.

But what are you to do? You are required to have insurance coverage in order to legally drive in the state, so what options do you have?

Luckily for you, Illinois has a program that assists high-risk drivers to get the insurance coverage they need. The Illinois Automobile Insurance Plan (ILAIP) is a program that assigns high-risk drivers to insurance providers in the state. In order for a provider to provide coverage in the state, they must agree to be part of this program.

This program can be a godsend to those drivers who have no other options, but this program should be used only as a last resort. Once you’ve been accepted into the program and are assigned to an insurance provider, whatever rate they offer you, no matter how high it may be, you will have to accept.

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What About Low-Cost Insurance?

Unfortunately, if you are in need of a government-assisted low-income insurance program, Illinois does not have anything like that in the state.

But don’t let this get you down, there are plenty of other ways to save yourself some cash on your insurance plan.

Aside from some of the earlier mentioned ways of saving money (having a clean driving record, good credit history, etc.), you can always check to see if your insurance provider offers any insurance discounts so that you are getting the cheapest car insurance they can offer. There may be several discounts you qualify for that can lower your auto insurance rates but don’t even know it.

Many auto insurance companies offer bundling discounts if you choose to combine your auto policy with your homeowners insurance policy (or renters insurance policy). Make sure to ask your insurance carrier about bundling discounts, as this can significantly lower the cost of insurance for both policies.

Is There Much Automobile Insurance Fraud in Illinois?

Insurance fraud is an epidemic in the United States, with Americans losing on average BILLIONs of dollars each year due to automobile insurance fraud.

What exactly is insurance fraud? It’s plainly defined as the attempt made by an individual to receive benefits or payment for something which they are not qualified to have.

There are five ways in which insurance fraud can be committed, according to the state of Illinois:

1. Knowingly obtains, attempts to obtain, or causes to be obtained claim proceeds that are undue
2. By deception, control over the property of an insurance company, or self-insured entity
3. By the making of a false claim
4. By causing a false claim to be made on any policy of insurance issued by an insurance company
5. Intending to deprive an insurance company or self-insured entity permanently of the use and benefit of that property

What kind of crime is fraud considered then in Illinois?

• Class A Misdemeanor: if the value is $300 or under
  • Penalty: Up to 1 year in prison and/or $2,500 fine
• Class 3 Felony: if the value is over $300
  • Penalty: Up to 5 years in prison and/or $10,000 fine
• Class 2 Felony: if the value is over $10,000 but less than $100,000
  • Penalty: Up to 7 years in prison
• Class 1 Felony: if the value is over $100,000
  • Penalty: Up to 15 years in prison

So if you’re looking to spend some time in the slammer, don’t commit insurance fraud. It’s really not even remotely worth it in the long run.

What is the Statute of Limitations?

The statute of limitations is the time frame in which you have to submit and resolve a claim should you ever be in a car accident. This limit varies from state to state on how long you have and depends on whether it is a personal injury claim or a property damage claim.

In Illinois, the statute of limitations for these are as follows:

• Personal Injury: 2-3 years
• Property Damage: Five years

This may seem like a large chunk of time to get this done but keep in mind that if you’re dealing with the repercussions of said accident (hospital visits/stays, vehicle damage, etc.), that time may just fly by. So make sure you submit your claim as soon as you can. Better to do it when it’s fresh in your mind than to put it off.

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What Are the Vehicle Licensing Laws?

In this section, we’ll move into the topic of vehicle licensing laws for Illinois. Let’s find out what exactly you’ll want to know for your license.

What Are the Penalties for Driving without Insurance?

As we’ve mentioned a few times previously, having proof of insurance on you while you’re driving is mandatory. If you don’t? You’ll be facing some serious penalties.

What Are the Teen Driver Laws?

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What Are the License Renewal Procedures?

What About New Residents?

Want to make the Prairie State your forever home? If so, there are a few things you’ll want to make sure you note down when you get settled.

To make things a little easier on you, we know how stressful moving can be, we’ve listed all the things you’ll want to know before your move.

• Vehicle Licensing matters are handled by The Office of the Illinois Secretary of State
• Pay a visit to the Secretary of State’s Location in order to turn over all of your other state licenses, provide ID documents, and have your picture taken
• Ace the visual screening tests, written and/or driving examinations
• Pay the required fees
• Receive your 90-day temporary paper driver’s license (you can expect your permanent driver’s license to arrive in the mail within about 15 days)
• For those drivers that are under the age of 21, you will need to complete a driver education course before getting your license (the class is approximately six hours)

What is the Negligent Operator Treatment System?

Illinois falls under a modified comparative negligence system in terms of negligent driving. What the heck does this mean?

If you are in an accident with someone, typically what happens is that the responsibility of that accident is determined between two parties.

So if you’re speeding through a red light and someone is texting and doesn’t see you and therefore hits you, both parties would be found partially responsible. If you then later take this person to court for damage, you will be assigned a percentage of responsibility.

If your percentage of the responsibility of the accident is less than that of the other person, you will be entitled to damages.

You will receive damages, however, it will be subtracted from the percentage that you are responsible for. So let’s say you’re found to be responsible for the accident by 45 percent, that 45 percent will be taken out of any damages you would receive.

If your percentage of the responsibility of the accident is MORE than the other person, you will NOT be entitled to damages.

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What are the Rules of the Road?

Now we get into the rules of driving around Illinois roads.

Buckle up, and let’s get going.

What About Fault Versus No-Fault?

We previously touched on the fact that Illinois is an at-fault state. This means that if you are ever in an accident and are the one who caused the accident, you (more specifically your insurance company) will be liable for the costs of that accident. Not only just for you but for the other driver as well.

So if you only have the minimum insurance coverage, you may quickly find yourself in trouble with a significant enough accident. It’s wise to at least consider higher coverage plans, you might just thank yourself down the road.

What About Seat Belt and Car Seat Laws?

What is a sure-fire way to protect yourself, and others, while you’re driving? Wearing a seat belt, or strapping your child into a car seat.

Illinois expects all drivers to wear a seat belt, and law enforcement will pull over anyone they think isn’t wearing one. You could be facing a fine of $25 if you aren’t.

If your child is younger than 2 years old, they will need to be in a rear-facing child restraint, unless they weigh 40 pounds (or more) or are 40 inches (or more) tall.

Protect not only yourself but others in your vehicle as well by making sure EVERYONE buckles up. Whether it be a car seat or a seat belt.

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What Are the Keep Right and Move Over Laws?

Keep Right and Move Over Laws are super simple and easy to follow. Let us elaborate.

Keep Right Laws in Illinois state that you should always use the left lane for passing and turning left only, with five exceptions:

• When passing another vehicle going in the same direction
• When an obstruction is present that makes it necessary to drive to the left of the center fo the roadway
• If a roadway is divided into 3 marked lanes for traffic
• If a roadway only has one-way lane
• If there is a single-track paved road on one side

Easy enough right? Move Over Laws are just as easy to get.

Just remember the phrase, “If it’s flashing, move over!”. If you see any vehicle with flashing lights (such as a fire truck, ambulance, law enforcement, etc.), you will be required to pull over.

What About the Speed Limits?

Every road in the nation has speed limits. It ensures that drivers aren’t driving at dangerous speeds and are careful, especially on trickier roadways.

The following are the typical speed limits you’ll see in Illinois:

• Rural Interstates: 70 mph
• Limited Access Roads: 65 mph
• All Other Roads: 55 mph

Why is it so important to drive at a speed limit? Well, watch the video below to see just how devastating an accident at high speeds could be.

What About Ridesharing?

We all have heard of ridesharing services these days. They’re companies such as Uber or Lyft that take clients from location to location. They’re a valuable source of transportation in a pinch and can be lifesaving if you’ve been out on the town with some friends.

But what if you were to want to earn some extra cash and work for one of these companies?

Well, you will need to ensure that you have a car insurance policy that has at least the minimum liability coverage for the state you are in. In addition, you may be required to carry special ridesharing coverage on your policy.

Here are the providers in Illinois who carry this coverage type:

• Allstate
• Erie
• Farmers
• Geico
• Mercury
• MetLife
• Metromile
• Safeco
• USAA

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How About Automation on the Road?

According to the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety):

“Automation is the use of a machine or technology to perform a task or function that was previously carried out by a human. In driving, automation involves using radar, camera and other sensors to gather information about a vehicle’s surroundings, which is then used by computer programs to perform parts or all of the driving task on a sustained basis.”

Illinois currently doesn’t have any specific laws for automation, but they are in the testing phase for various types of automation on the road. The only requirement for this testing is that a licensed operator is to be in the vehicle being tested and that they will need to have liability coverage.

What About Safety Laws?

Illinois wants to make sure that all drivers are safe on their roads. This is why some of the laws below have been put into place.

What Are the DUI Laws?

Illinois has some of the most strict DUI laws in the United States. Don’t believe us? Take a look at the table below to see what we mean.

Drinking and driving is not only extremely dangerous but can lead you to some serious penalties. Avoid drinking and driving! It’s really not worth all of the above penalties, or worse, the loss of your life or someone else’s.

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What Are the Marijuana-Impaired Driving Laws?

Marijuana has become widely legal in many states across the nation, opening up the debate as to whether or not there should be specific driving safety laws about it.

In Illinois, there are currently marijuana-impaired driving laws that restrict blood toxicity levels to be no more than 5 nanograms of THC per se. Otherwise, you could be facing similar penalties to that of a DUI.

What Are the Distracted Driving Laws?

In addition to strict DUI laws, Illinois also has pretty tough laws when it comes to hand-held device use.

There is currently an all driver on any handheld device, which includes no blue-tooth conversations for those under the age of 19.

So don’t answer that text while you’re driving in Illinois, it’s just simply not worth it. It only takes a second of your focus away from the road for an accident to occur.

Don’t believe us? Well, would you believe the MythBusters?

How is Driving in Illinois?

Now down to the last chunk of this guide. Here, we’ll go over some of the details of why some of the laws from the previous section have been put into place.

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Is there Much Vehicle Theft in Illinois?

What’s one of the last things you want to happen to your car, aside from a car accident? That’s right, for it to be stolen.

Did you know that over 63 percent of vehicles stolen in 2016 was in Chicago alone?

That’s no joke! But what are some of the top vehicles stolen in Illinois? Below you can see what type of vehicle is a high risk of being stolen in Illinois.

How Many Road Fatalities Are There in Illinois?

We went over earlier some of the safety laws in Illinois, and now we’ll go over one of the reasons why those laws were put into place. Fatalities.

What Are the Fatal Crashes by Weather Condition and Light Condition?

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What About All Fatalities by County?

What Are the Road Type Fatalities?

What are the Person Type Fatalities?

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What Are the Crash Type Fatalities?

What’s the Five-Year Trend for the Top 10 Counties?

What Are the Speeding Fatalities by County?

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What Are the Alcohol-Impaired Fatalities by County?

What About Teen Drinking and Driving?

What’s the EMS Response Time?

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What is Transportation Like?

Down to the last section, are you ready?

Let’s do this!

What’s the Average Car Ownership?

The average number of vehicles owned in Illinois is two vehicles per household.

What’s the Average Commute Time?

The average driver has a commute time to work in Illinois is 27.7 minutes. The average commute time for most American citizens is 25.5 minutes, so Illinois citizens actually have a LONGER commute than most other states do.

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What About Commuter Transportation?

On average, about 73 percent of the Illinois population prefers to drive alone while commuting than any other method. Followed by this is public transit at 9.6 percent and carpooling at 7.78 percent.

Is There Much Traffic Congestion in Illinois?

Traffic congestion in most of Illinois is not that bad, however, there is one city that lands as one of the most congested cities in the world. Can you guess which city that is?

That’s right, Chicago. While only approximately 7 percent of Illinois citizens actually live in Chicago, it has been listed as the third most congested city in the United States.

Each year, Chicago drivers are spending approximately 138 hours sitting in traffic and paying about $1,920 for that. Per driver.

Check out the tables below for more info on how congested Chicago really is.

You’ve made it all the way to the end of our comprehensive guide for Illinois. Congratulations. We wish you the best on your car insurance hunt and hope that this guide was able to provide you with the information you’ll need to make the best decision for yourself and find an affordable rate.

Don’t forget to use our FREE online tool to start comparing rates today, all you need is your zip code.