Rachel Bodine graduated from college with a BA in English. She has since worked as a Feature Writer in the insurance industry and gained a deep knowledge of state and countrywide insurance laws and rates. Her research and writing focus on helping readers understand their insurance coverage and how to find savings. Her expert advice on insurance has been featured on sites like PhotoEnforced, All...

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Leslie Kasperowicz holds a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Winnipeg. She spent several years as a Farmers Insurance CSR, gaining a solid understanding of insurance products including home, life, auto, and commercial and working directly with insurance customers to understand their needs. She has since used that knowledge in her more than ten years as a writer, largely in the insurance...

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Reviewed by Leslie Kasperowicz
Former Farmers Insurance CSR

UPDATED: Nov 12, 2020

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Illinois state flagWhether you’ve just moved to “The Prairie State” or you’ve been in Illinois your entire life, at some point you’re likely going to have to purchase auto insurance. It’s illegal in Illinois to drive without insurance, as many drivers have learned after receiving fines and license suspensions. Insuring a car in Illinois won’t cost you that much, and will provide you with significant protection in case you happen to get in an accident. Let’s take a look at Illinois auto insurance and some “need to know” facts.

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Illinois Auto Insurance Requirements

In Illinois, the state liability coverage minimums are:
  • Bodily Injury Liability Coverage – $25,000 per person
  • Bodily Injury Liability Coverage – $50,000 per accident
  • Property Damage Liability Coverage – $20,000 per accident

Take a look at how Illinois’ minimum rates compare with surrounding states.

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Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist minimums:
  • Bodily Injury – $25,000 per person
  • Bodily Injury – $50,000 per accident
Optional coverage options in Illinois:
  • Comprehensive Coverage
  • Collision Coverage
  • Medical Payments Coverage
  • Rental Car Reimbursement
  • Roadside Assistance / Towing Covergae
  • Uninsured Motorist Property Damage

Like many other states, Illinois has mandatory automobile liability insurance laws that every driver on the road must comply with. There are three main types of insurance that are required to be in full compliance with Illinois state laws. The first is to have a minimum of $20,000 in coverage for injury or death of a single person in an accident. Next, you’ll require a minimum of $40,000 in liability coverage for injury or death of multiple victims in an accident – this is the “total” claim amount from all injured parties. Finally, you’ll be required to carry a minimum of $15,000 in property damage liability insurance.

While these amounts may seem like they are significant – they’re not. With today’s very high medical costs, a small amount such as $20,000 can get eaten up very quickly after an accident, leaving you paying the rest of the victim’s medical bills out of pocket. The same goes for the $15,000 in property damage – if you’re in an accident that does significant damage to someone else’s luxury or expensive sports car, you’ll well exceed this amount. It’s critical that any Illinois driver get as much insurance coverage as they can afford. Insurance may seem like something you just never need, but if you do end up needing it you will be very thankful you have it.

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Illinois Auto Insurance Rates

Average auto insurance premiums in Illinois are quite reasonable, ranking 21st overall in the nation according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Insurance customers will pay an average of $67 per month when insuring a car in the state of Illinois.

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This, of course, is simply an average figure and will vary depending on a whole host of factors, such as type of car, driving history, the city you live in, and more.

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Use this number as a ballpark when you’re comparing insurance costs between companies, and set a goal to get your insurance costs down to around $67 per month if you are paying more than this currently.

There are a lot of factors that auto insurance companies take into consideration when determining your rates. Take a look at our overview here.

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While many of these factors are simply based on your own driving record, two things that affect even the safest of drivers are age and gender. As with most states, males typically pay higher auto insurance rates than females.

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Illinois Auto Insurance Rates by Company

Though the state has average auto insurance rates overall, let’s take a look at how rates vary between some of the largest companies.

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But which companies are the largest, holding the most market share percentage in the region?

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Insurance Info For Each Major IL City

Illinois Auto Insurance Agents

Illinois Driving Statistics

Illinois drivers have much to be proud of when it comes to driver safety. After seeing virtually no decline in automobile crashes from 2007 to 2008, there was a drop of over 100,000 crashes in 2009 – one of the largest drops in annual traffic crashes in history at about thirty percent (408,258 in 2008 compared to 292,106 in 2009). Fatalities in automobile accidents also declined from 1043 to 911 in 2009, proving that Illinois drivers are taking road safety very seriously. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn commended Illinois drivers, noting that “In 2009, the state of Illinois became a safer place to travel in an automobile as a result of our successful efforts to improve traffic safety. Illinois finished the year with 911 fatalities – the lowest number of people killed in auto crashes since 1921.”

Overall, the picture is a bit worse for Illinois when it comes to auto theft. The state ranked eighth overall in the nation for incidences of grand theft auto in 2009, with nearly 38,000 vehicles stolen. This gives Illinois a rate of around 340 vehicle thefts per 100,000 citizens, which isn’t great but also isn’t too bleak. The good news is that the overall auto theft rate has been trending downwards in Illinois over the past decade, making the risk of having your vehicle stolen that much less likely. Look for state initiatives such as the “Northern Illinois Auto Theft Task Force” and other local law enforcement initiatives to bring this number down even further.

Consider yourself well-armed in regards to auto insurance and how it works in the state of Illinois. Before you purchase or renew your insurance plan, be sure to do your research as there are dozens of different companies and thousands of plans and combinations on the market today. As long as you put some care into it, you’ll come out with a decent insurance package at a great monthly rate.

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Additional Illinois Auto Insurance Resources