Finding Cheap Car Insurance in Illinois
Shopping around to find cheap car insurance in Illinois shouldn’t be a hassle. We evaluated companies in Illinois to find the lowest rates.
Cheap Illinois car insurance for good drivers
Mercury and Geico are the cheapest Illinois car insurance companies for good drivers, among the companies we analyzed.
Cheap Car insurance in Illinois for drivers with a speeding ticket
A speeding ticket increases car insurance rates by 29% in Illinois. The exact rate increase will depend on the insurance company. Even though you’ll face higher insurance rates, you can still compare quotes for the best car insurance.
SECURA Insurance and Geico have the best average rates for drivers with a speeding ticket in Illinois, so make sure to get quotes from those companies if you’re shopping for Illinois auto insurance and have a speeding ticket on your record.
Cheap Illinois car insurance for drivers who caused an accident with injury
Causing a car crash that injures someone will make it difficult to find cheap car insurance. Our analysis found an average increase of 48% in Illinois compared to drivers with a good driving record.
If you cause an accident with an injury, SECURA Insurance and Auto-Owners may have the most competitive costs among the insurance companies in our analysis.
Cheap Illinois car insurance for drivers with a DUI
Car insurance premiums in Illinois go up an average of 83% if you have a DUI conviction on your record. You can still compare car insurance quotes to pinpoint better rates.
The cheapest Illinois car insurance companies for drivers with a DUI are Mercury and Progressive, among the insurers we analyzed.
Cheap Illinois car insurance for drivers with poor credit
Illinois auto insurance companies usually charge drivers higher rates if they have poor credit. People with bad credit pay an average of 63% more for auto insurance in Illinois.
Mercury and Progressive may be good choices if you’re looking for cheap Illinois auto insurance and you have poor credit.
Cheap Illinois car insurance for adding a teen driver
Adding a teen to your auto insurance increases rates by an average of 83% in Illinois, compared to rates for a married couple without a teen driver.
Consider getting quotes from Automobile Club of Missouri and State Auto if you’re looking for cheap car insurance for teens in Illinois.
Cheap Illinois car insurance for young drivers ages 18 to 25
Getting your own car insurance is a pricey entry into adulthood. Our analysis found that Travelers and Erie offer the cheapest Illinois car insurance for young drivers.
Cheap Illinois Car Insurance for Senior Drivers Ages 60-80
Mercury and Travelers offer the best car insurance for seniors who are looking for cheap rates in Illinois. Senior drivers should also find out if there’s a discount for taking a defensive driver class.
Required Car Insurance Discounts in Illinois
Illinois car insurance companies must offer at least these two types of car insurance discounts.
Anti-theft device discount
Insurance companies must offer discounts for drivers with anti-theft devices. The discount should be at least 5% with possible higher savings if you have multiple theft-prevention systems in your vehicle.
Older adult discount
Illinois insurers must provide a discount to drivers who are age 55 and older who complete an approved accident prevention course. That training should include at least eight hours of classroom instruction. You can present the certification of completion to get a discount for three years.
Related article: Best Cheap Car Insurance In Chicago
Least Expensive Vehicles for Insurance in Illinois
With the right vehicle you can potentially save money on car insurance. In Illinois, the Honda CR-V LX, Jeep Wrangler JL Sport and Subaru Crosstrek are among the cheapest vehicles for insurance, based on average rates for 50 top-selling 2021 models. The 20 least expensive are below.
The most expensive cars for insurance in Illinois among popular models are the Tesla Model 3 Standard Plus ($2,409 a year) and the Tesla Model S Performance/Plaid ($3,458 a year).
| Vehicle | Average annual premium in Illinois |
|---|---|
|
Honda CR-V LX
|
$1,523
|
|
Jeep Wrangler JL Sport
|
$1,529
|
|
Subaru Crosstrek
|
$1,540
|
|
Subaru Forester 2.5i
|
$1,546
|
|
Ford Escape S
|
$1,567
|
|
Ford F-150 XL
|
$1,577
|
|
Chevrolet Equinox L
|
$1,592
|
|
Hyundai Tucson SE
|
$1,594
|
|
Dodge Grand Caravan SE
|
$1,601
|
|
Jeep Compass Latitude
|
$1,611
|
|
Toyota Tacoma SR
|
$1,618
|
|
Chevrolet Trax LS
|
$1,620
|
|
Volkswagen Tiguan SE
|
$1,625
|
|
Kia Sportage EX
|
$1,626
|
|
Ford Edge SE
|
$1,634
|
|
Ford Ranger Lariat
|
$1,649
|
|
Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring
|
$1,649
|
|
Honda Pilot SE
|
$1,650
|
|
Subaru Outback 2.4I Limited XT
|
$1,652
|
|
Toyota RAV4 LE
|
$1,658
|
Required Minimum Car Insurance in Illinois
Liability insurance is the basis for auto insurance in Illinois. It pays for injuries and damage you cause to others. Conversely, if another driver is legally responsible for an accident, you can make a claim against their liability car insurance.
Car owners in Illinois must buy liability coverage with at least:
- $25,000 for bodily injury to one person.
- $50,000 for bodily injury to multiple people in one accident.
- $20,000 for damage to property in one accident.
For drivers with savings and other assets to protect if they’re sued, state minimums aren’t enough. You want a high level of liability insurance in case you cause an expensive crash. See our chart below for better coverage.
Illinois also requires uninsured motorist coverage. UM coverage is specifically for car accident injuries, not car damage. It pays your medical bills if you’re hit by a driver with no liability insurance, or injured in a hit-and-run.
Also required is underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. This is for accidents caused by a driver who does not have enough liability insurance for your medical bills. Your UIM will pay the difference between the other driver’s liability limit and your UIM limit. So if you have $100,000 in UIM, and the other driver has only $25,000 in coverage, your potential UIM claim is $75,000, not $100,000.
The minimum UM limits you must buy are:
- $25,000 for bodily injury to one person.
- $50,000 for bodily injury to multiple people in one accident.
What Else Should I Have in Illinois?
The required coverage in Illinois doesn’t provide any coverage for damage to your own car in many situations. Without collision and comprehensive coverage, you could get stuck holding a big car repair bill–or buying a new car–if your vehicle is stolen or damaged by floods, hail, fire, a falling tree branch, vandalism, a crash with a deer or a riot.
Collision and comprehensive coverage are usually required if you have a car loan or lease.
Summary: Required Illinois Auto Insurance
| Coverage type | Required minimum in Illinois |
|---|---|
|
Liability insurance
|
• $25,000 per person for bodily injury liability
• $50,000 per accident for bodily injury liability
• $20,000 for property damage
|
|
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
|
• $25,000 per person
• $50,000 per accident
|
|
Collision coverage
|
Not required
|
|
Comprehensive coverage
|
Not required
|
Can I Show My Insurance ID Card from My Phone in Illinois?
Illinois law lets you use your phone to show an auto insurance ID card. Many auto insurers have mobile apps that give you easy electronic access to not only your ID card but also to your policy documents. You never know when you’ll feel the urge to finally read your policy.
Factors Allowed in Illinois Car Insurance Rates
Auto insurance companies typically look at your driving record, past claims, vehicle model and more when setting your rate. In Illinois, companies can also use these factors.
| Factor | Allowed in Illinois? |
|---|---|
|
Age
|
Yes
|
|
Credit
|
Yes
|
|
Education & occupation
|
Yes
|
|
Gender
|
Yes
|
|
Marital status
|
Yes
|
|
ZIP code
|
Yes
|
Source: American Property Casualty Insurance Association. Other factors will be used to calculate your rates, including driving record and the amount of coverage you want.
How Many Uninsured Drivers are in Illinois?
About 12% of Illinois drivers have no insurance, according to the Insurance Research Council. If they crash into you, you try to sue them to get payment. Or you can use your uninsured motorist coverage for injuries and your collision coverage for car damage.
Penalties for Driving Without Auto Insurance in Illinois
If you’re caught driving without insurance, you can be fined “in excess” of $500 and up to $1,000 for the first offense.
When Can a Vehicle Be Totaled in Illinois?
If your vehicle is badly damaged, your insurance company can decide if it should be declared “totaled.” It can also be totaled when repair costs would be more than 70% of the vehicle’s fair market value
There are two ways to receive insurance compensation for a totaled car:
- If the crash was someone else’s fault, you can make a claim against their liability insurance for the value of your vehicle.
- Or you can make a claim on your own collision or comprehensive insurance. You can do this if someone else crashed into your car, or if it’s totaled by a problem covered by collision or comprehensive, such as a flood.
Help Solving Insurance Problems in Illinois
The Illinois department of insurance is in charge of monitoring insurance companies and taking consumer complaints. The department has complaint forms online.
Methodology
To find the cheapest auto insurance companies in Illinois, we used rates from Quadrant Information Services, a provider of insurance data and analytics. Except where noted, rates are based on a 40-year-old female driver with a clean record insuring a new Toyota RAV4 with $100,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person, $300,000 per accident and $100,000 in property damage liability (known as 100/300/100), uninsured motorist coverage and any other coverage required in the state. Rates also include collision and comprehensive insurance with a $500 deductible.
State averages for Illinois are based on rates from Allstate, American Family, Auto Club Group, Automobile Club of Missouri, Auto-Owners, Country, Erie, Farmers, First Chicago Insurance, Geico, General Casualty, Grange Mutual, Hanover, Hastings Mutual, Mercury, Nationwide, Pekin Insurance, Progressive, Rockford Mutual, Safe Auto, SECURA Insurance, State Auto, State Farm, Travelers and USAA.
