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.

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.

– 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 “at-fault” state 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. After all, the more the merrier, right? It never hurts to have extra coverage, you may even thank your past self down the road for getting it.

– 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.

– 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.

– Core Coverage

– Additional Liability

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 their 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 in great danger of going bankrupt.

On the other hand, a loss ratio that is too low means that the company isn’t paying out enough for their customers. 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.

– 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 some of the most valuable coverage types you might want to consider adding onto 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

– Demographic Rates

It’s a well-known myth that men typically pay more for their car insurance than women do. While this isn’t always the case, it actually is in the state of Illinois.

Not only does your gender play a role in what kind of car insurance rate you can get, but so can your age! The younger you are, the more of a high-risk driver you are considered, especially teen boys.

So prove them wrong Illinois boys! Drive safe out there and prove them wrong.

– Rates by Zip Code and City

Want to find out who in Illinois are paying the most for their car insurance? Who’s paying the least? Check out the table below to find out.

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.

Let’s get going.

– 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 fired 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 of a 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?

– 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, so check out the results below.

– 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.

The complaint index, seen below, shows which Illinois 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 complaint index can give you an idea of how a company handles its customer satisfaction and complaints.

– 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?

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

– Commute Rates by Companies

– 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?

Just looking at the table above, you can see that a low coverage plan with Allstate is $5,020.65, while a high coverage plan with USAA is only $2,953.26. That means you’d be paying $2,067.39 MORE for a plan that may not cover you as well.

Shopping around and comparing rates between companies is a sure-fire way to ensure you’ll get the lowest rates you can find.

– Credit History Rates by Companies

– Driving Record Rates by Companies

– 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.

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.

– 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.

– How State Laws for Insurance are 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.”

– 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.

– 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.

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.

– 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 discounts. There may be several discounts you qualify for and don’t even know it.

– 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:

• Knowingly obtains, attempts to obtain, or causes to be obtained

• By deception, control over the property of an insurance company, or self-insured entity

• By the making of a false claim

• By causing a false claim to be made on any policy of insurance issued by an insurance company

• 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.

– Statute of Limitations

The statute of limitations is the time frame in which you have to submit 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.

– 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.

– 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.

– Teen Driver Laws

– License Renewal Procedures

– 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 for 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)

– 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.

– Rules of the Road

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

Buckle up, and let’s get going.

– 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.

– 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.

– 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 firetruck, ambulance, law enforcement, etc.), you will be required to pull over.

– 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.

– 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 a 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

– 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.

– Safety Laws

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

– 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.

– 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.

– 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?

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.

– 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?

– Road Fatalities in Illinois

We went over earlier about 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.

– Fatal Crashes by Weather Condition and Light Condition

– All Fatalities by County

– Road Type Fatalities

– Person Type Fatalities

– Crash Type Fatalities

– Five-Year Trend for the Top 10 Counties

– Speeding Fatalities by County

– Alcohol-Impaired Fatalities by County

– Teen Drinking and Driving

– EMS Response Time

– Transportation

Down to the last section, are you ready?

Let’s do this!

– Car Ownership

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

– Commute Time

The average 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.

– 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.

– 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.

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