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As an Illinois driver, it’s your responsibility to meet the state’s minimum auto insurance requirements. Purchasing car insurance coverage doesn’t just offer you legal protection, though—it also provides financial security and peace of mind in case of an accident.
In this guide, explore Illinois auto insurance requirements, plus optional coverages, penalties for noncompliance, and some game-changing tips for finding affordable policies.
Illinois Minimum Car Insurance Requirements
In Illinois, all drivers must maintain car insurance that meets the following minimum coverage requirements:
- Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage Liability: $20,000 minimum
- Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Coverage: At least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
Bodily injury liability coverage helps pay for medical care and other related expenses if someone else is hurt in an accident you cause. Property damage liability coverage helps pay for repairs or replacements if you cause physical damage to someone else’s property in an accident. Both help protect you financially if you’re responsible for vehicle accidents that affect others, but they do not help pay for your own damages.
It’s important to keep in mind that these figures are just the minimum Illinois car insurance requirements. They may not be enough to cover all the damages you’re responsible for in an accident, so consider purchasing additional coverage.
Figure out how much car insurance you need by weighing your vehicle’s value, your financial situation, your driving history, and the likelihood of an accident.
Optional Coverages Illinois Drivers Should Consider
Beyond minimum bodily injury and property damage liability coverage, you can also buy several types of optional coverage for extra protection, such as:
- Underinsured Motorist: If another driver causes an accident that hurts you or your property but their liability insurance is not enough to cover your damages, your underinsured motorist coverage will kick in. This coverage helps pay the difference.
- Collision coverage: This optional coverage helps pay to repair or replace your vehicle when you’re in a crash.
- Comprehensive coverage: Comprehensive insurance helps pay to repair or replace your vehicle if it’s damaged in events other than a collision, such as theft, hail, fire, or flooding.
You may combine collision and comprehensive coverage in full coverage car insurance to get a better deal.
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Illinois
Illinois law requires minimum car insurance coverage, so there are penalties for driving without insurance.
- If you operate an uninsured vehicle, you’ll face a minimum $500 fine.
- If you drive a vehicle with a registration that's suspended for being uninsured, you must pay a minimum $1,000 fine.
On the first offence of driving without adequate car insurance in Illinois, your vehicle registration will be suspended until you provide proof of insurance and pay an additional $100 reinstatement fee. On the second, your suspension will be suspended for four months, and you will need to pay the $100 fee and offer proof of insurance.
On the third and subsequent offenses, you will need to file proof of financial responsibility with an SR22 certificate for three years. Otherwise, Illinois will suspend your driver’s license.
Keep in mind that Illinois uses Electronic Insurance Verification to make sure that each vehicle meets the automobile insurance minimums. If your vehicle fails two verification attempts, Illinois will send you a registration suspension letter. You will need to prove that your vehicle was covered by an insurance policy that meets the minimum requirements on the date of the initial verification. If you cannot, your registration will be suspended, and you’ll have to pay $100 to reinstate it after providing proof of minimum liability insurance.
How To Find Affordable Car Insurance in Illinois
Now that you have a better idea of how much vehicle insurance you need in Illinois, you can start your search for coverage. Keep these tips in mind:
Take Advantage of Bundling Discounts
Many insurance companies offer significant discounts if you bundle your car insurance with other types of coverage, like home insurance. If you’re also interested in switching or adding additional insurance coverage, check out these discounts.
Compare Insurance Quotes
The average cost of car insurance in Illinois is around $2,000 per year or $168 monthly. However, depending on the insurance provider and level of coverage you choose, your costs may be significantly higher or lower than these figures.
Find the best insurance rates by comparing quotes from multiple providers. You might be surprised how much insurance rates vary from one company to the next, so it’s worth considering several options. Online tools like EverQuote can help you compare quotes quickly.
Choose From Reliable Insurance Companies
You need to know that you can trust and rely on your Illinois insurance provider. That’s why it’s worth sticking with insurers with strong reputations like Progressive or Liberty Mutual.
Some drivers may have trouble finding car insurance. In that case, you may want to explore the Illinois Automobile Insurance Plan—a more accessible, state-monitored insurance program.
Get Customized Car Insurance Quotes Today
The best way to find a car insurance plan that fits your needs and your budget is to compare quotes. Luckily, you don’t have to spend time requesting quotes from all the different insurance providers individually.
Instead, use EverQuote. In just a few minutes, we'll generate customized car insurance quotes based on your driver profile. You’ll be able to see all your options at a glance and choose the one that works for you. Get your free custom car insurance comparison from EverQuote today.
FAQs
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Premiums are sourced from over 30,000 zip codes across 200 insurance companies. We estimate premiums based on public filings for policies seeking 50/100 in liability with $500 deductibles for collision and comprehensive coverage. Estimated rates are based on a 35-year-old single female with a good credit score and no history of accidents or violations driving a 2023 Toyota RAV4 LE. We partner with Quadrant Information Services to source our data and assume no unique benefits or discounts are applied for these rates (unless otherwise stated). Your own rates may be different.