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Here you will find out everything you need to know to buy car insurance in Illinois. We explain Illinois car insurance laws and provide average Texas auto insurance rates for your neighborhood. You’ll also learn how much car insurance you need for your particular situation. That means you’ll know what to expect when shopping for auto insurance in Illinois – and you won’t overpay for it. You'll also see rates for the following:
Illinois is two states when it comes to car insurance (and almost everything else): Chicago motorists pay double the rates that drivers downstate do. You can see how all Illinois cities compare in the map below -- and be sure to look at the range of state car insurance rates we saw as we compiled samples from six major carriers. The difference is hundreds of dollars a year and often more than $1,000. You can get a customized rate by entering your ZIP code and gender and selecting the age group and coverage level that best matches your situation.
Illinois Car Insurance Requirements
Average Car Insurance Rates in Illinois
Car Insurance Companies in Illinois
The average car insurance rate in Illinois is $1,004 a year. Your age, your driving record, the model of car you have, the severity and frequency of claims in your neighborhood and other variables are used by insurance companies to figure out the cost of your policy. That’s why the price for the same coverage can vary significantly among insurance companies — and why you should compare rates. For example, in Chicago ZIP code 60636, the highest rate among six carriers is ($2,479) is $1,500 more than the lowest ($976). If you want to compare car insurance quotes, use our tool.
Enter a ZIP code to see the average premium for the location. You will also see the highest and lowest rates from the six major carriers surveyed. You can get a more customized rate by choosing from among six age groups and three coverage levels. This way you can tell if your quotes are too high and if you should keep shopping for a lower rate.
Illinois car insurance laws mandate that drivers carry minimum liability coverage limits of 25/50/20 on their vehicle. Buying the state required limits to drive is definitely the cheapest way to go. But if you opt for the cheapest car insurance in Illinois, you are only covered for damage you do to other drivers’ cars and for others’ injuries. That means your insurer won’t pay for damage to your car or for your injuries if you cause an accident. Still, buying just the minimum coverage required is a good idea if you have an old car or don’t drive much.
It does cost more to buy more protection, but as you’ll see in the chart below, additional coverage is typically affordable. Increasing your insurance from the state minimum to full coverage with a $500 deductible costs, on average, $621 more, or about $50 a month. For higher liability limits, the extra cost is just $20a year.
| Coverage limits | Average annual rate |
| Liability Only – state minimum | $383 |
| Liability Only - 50/100/50 BI/PD | $403 |
| Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD $500 Comp/Collision deductible | $1,004 |
*The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in Texas from up to six major insurance companies. Rates are for a male driver, age 40, with a clean record and good credit for a 2016 Honda Accord. Data was provided for CarInsurance.com by Quadrant Information Services.
The cheapest car insurance may not provide sufficient protection, so how much insurance should you buy? Bare-bones coverage may be a good choice if you have few assets or have an old car and don’t drive much. But if you have a home and investments, consider buying more insurance. If you don’t, you’re at risk for having your money and house taken to cover the cost of an accident. If you financed your car you will be required to get additional comprehensive and collision coverage.
Use our How Much Car Insurance Do You Need? tool to get a recommendation.
We recommend you buy more insurance than is required to legally drive a car in your state, especially if you have savings and assets. The more money you have, the more likely you are to be sued following a car accident should your insurance be insufficient to cover all the expenses. If your net worth is:
If you're leasing or financing your car, you must get coverage of 100/300/100 or higher.
Collision coverage pays for damage to your car after an accident that you cause. Comprehensive insurance pays to replace stolen cars and for damages from vandalism, flooding, hail, fire and animal strikes. If your car is:
If you buy comp and collision, check our guide to choosing a deductible amount.
These are required in Illinois and should match the liability limits you choose. Uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage pays for damages if you’re hit by a driver with no insurance or a driver with coverage that’s insufficient to pay for your repairs and medical expenses.
Medical payments coverage can help pay for the medical or funeral expenses of covered drivers and passengers after an accident, regardless of fault, up to $25,000. In most states, including Illinois, it's an optional addition to your car insurance policy. MedPay does the following:
If you and your passengers:
If you don’t own your car outright and have an accident, gap insurance pays the difference between the cash value of your car and the current outstanding balance on your loan or lease.
Below you'll see average annual rates for Illinois, ranked cheapest to most expensive, for three coverage levels:
| Company | State minimum average annual rate |
| State Farm | $221 |
| Geico | $288 |
| Progressive | $356 |
| Amco | $360 |
| Allstate | $474 |
| Farmers | $596 |
| Company | 50/100/50 average annual rate |
| State Farm | $258 |
| Geico | $304 |
| Amco | $385 |
| Progressive | $388 |
| Allstate | $486 |
| Farmers | $598 |
| Company | 100/300/100 average annual rate |
| Geico | $590 |
| Amco | $678 |
| State Farm | $1,011 |
| Farmers | $1,170 |
| Progressive | $1,193 |
| Allstate | $1,375 |
Filing an accident claim means you are likely to pay more for your car insurance coverage. However, how much more you pay depends on several factors, and your car insurance company plays is one of those significant factors. Each company assesses risk differently, so that's why the increase after an accident will vary among insurers. Here is how major carriers compare after at-fault accidents for the average Illinois driver with a full coverage policy:
| Company | At-fault property damage accident |
|---|---|
| Geico | $744 |
| State Farm | $941 |
| Progressive | $1,280 |
| Farmers | $2,045 |
| Allstate | $2,835 |
| Company | Two at-fault property damage accidents |
| State Farm | $1,629 |
| Farmers | $2,548 |
| Geico | $2,617 |
| Progressive | $3,220 |
| Allstate | $5,077 |
| Company | At-fault bodily injury accident |
| Geico | $744 |
| State Farm | $941 |
| Progressive | $1,280 |
| Farmers | $2,045 |
| Allstate | $2,835 |
If you get a speeding ticket, chances are you'll see an increase in what you pay for car insurance, upon your policy renewal. Typically, you'll pay more for three years. But even with a traffic ticket, comparison shopping can save you money. For instance, you'll see that the difference between the highest rate and the lowest in the table below is $1,381, on average, according to CarInsurance.com's rate analysis. That's how much you can save by comparing car insurance companies.
| Company | Rate after speeding ticket |
|---|---|
| Geico | $905 |
| State Farm | $941 |
| Progressive | $1,666 |
| Farmers | $1,829 |
| Allstate | $2,286 |
Car insurance for drivers with bad credit costs significantly more than it does for those with good credit. Illinois is among the worst states for drivers with bad credit, as CarInsurance.com's data analysis shows it has the seventh highest percentage increase for bad credit drivers. Compared to good credit drivers, those in Illinois with bad credit pay 87 percent more, on average. The good news is that you can still shave some money off your coverage costs if you compare car insurance companies. You'll see below that the difference among major insurers is nearly $1,490 for a full coverage policy for a driver with bad credit. That's how much you can potentially save by comparing car insurance quotes.
| Company | Rate with bad credit |
|---|---|
| Geico | $1,761 |
| State Farm | $1,821 |
| Progressive | $2,205 |
| Farmers | $2,587 |
| Allstate | $3,250 |
How much does it cost to add a teen to your policy in Illinois?
No matter where you live, adding a new driver to your family policy will hike your rate significantly. In Illinois, you can expect your rate to go up by an average of 209 percent when adding a driver age 16 to your coverage, according to CarInsurance.com rate data. You'll see in the table below how much it costs, on average, to add a teen driver in Illinois, and how major insurers compare on price. Geico had the lowest auto insurance cost for adding a driver age 16 to a full coverage family policy, among insurers surveyed.
| Company | Average rate | Rate after adding male age 16 | $ increase with male teen | Rate after adding female age 16 | $ increase for adding female teen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geico | $632 | $2,214 | $1,582 | $2,214 | $1,582 |
| Progressive | $1,203 | $3,279 | $2,076 | $2,846 | $1,643 |
| Sate Farm | $862 | $3,559 | $2,697 | $2,778 | $1,916 |
| Farmers | $1,451 | $3,808 | $2,357 | $3,750 | $2,299 |
| Allstate | $2,006 | $5,889 | $3,883 | $4,591 | $2,585 |
Enter an age from 18 to 25 to see who has the best rates for young drivers in Illinois, by company. Our analysis shows that Country and Farmers offer rates that are, on average, the most affordable for young drivers buying a full coverage policy.
You can also search by company by entering one of these in the search field:
| Age | Company | Average rate | Average monthly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Country | $1,892 | $158 |
| 18 | Geico | $2,395 | $200 |
| 18 | State Farm | $3,496 | $291 |
| 18 | Allstate | $4,333 | $361 |
| 18 | American Family | $4,372 | $364 |
| 18 | Progressive | $6,804 | $567 |
| 18 | Farmers | $9,588 | $799 |
| 19 | Country | $1,710 | $143 |
| 19 | Geico | $2,320 | $193 |
| 19 | American Family | $2,904 | $242 |
| 19 | State Farm | $3,022 | $252 |
| 19 | Progressive | $3,812 | $318 |
| 19 | Allstate | $3,989 | $332 |
| 19 | Farmers | $4,492 | $374 |
| 20 | Country | $1,568 | $131 |
| 20 | Geico | $2,236 | $186 |
| 20 | State Farm | $2,638 | $220 |
| 20 | American Family | $2,904 | $242 |
| 20 | Progressive | $3,294 | $275 |
| 20 | Allstate | $3,822 | $319 |
| 20 | Farmers | $4,119 | $343 |
| 21 | Country | $1,450 | $121 |
| 21 | Geico | $1,702 | $142 |
| 21 | American Family | $2,047 | $171 |
| 21 | Progressive | $2,214 | $185 |
| 21 | State Farm | $2,254 | $188 |
| 21 | Farmers | $2,317 | $193 |
| 21 | Allstate | $3,043 | $254 |
| 22 | Country | $1,349 | $112 |
| 22 | Geico | $1,523 | $127 |
| 22 | Progressive | $1,972 | $164 |
| 22 | State Farm | $2,034 | $170 |
| 22 | American Family | $2,047 | $171 |
| 22 | Farmers | $2,131 | $178 |
| 22 | Allstate | $2,893 | $241 |
| 23 | Country | $1,263 | $105 |
| 23 | Geico | $1,429 | $119 |
| 23 | Progressive | $1,797 | $150 |
| 23 | State Farm | $1,815 | $151 |
| 23 | Farmers | $2,011 | $168 |
| 23 | American Family | $2,047 | $171 |
| 23 | Allstate | $2,691 | $224 |
| 24 | Farmers | $1,907 | $159 |
| 24 | Allstate | $2,632 | $219 |
| 24 | Progressive | $1,661 | $138 |
| 24 | American Family | $2,047 | $171 |
| 24 | State Farm | $1,673 | $139 |
| 24 | Geico | $1,321 | $110 |
| 24 | Country | $1,190 | $99 |
| 25 | Farmers | $1,847 | $154 |
| 25 | Allstate | $2,126 | $177 |
| 25 | Progressive | $1,465 | $122 |
| 25 | American Family | $1,486 | $124 |
| 25 | State Farm | $1,440 | $120 |
| 25 | Geico | $1,280 | $107 |
| 25 | Country | $1,188 | $99 |
Geico, again, takes the checkered flag for offering low-cost auto insurance, this time for the senior set. Below you can see average rates by company, from least to most expensive, for drivers age 65 and over, buying a full coverage policy. Enter age 65, 75 or 85 in the search field to see what you can expect to pay.
| Age | Company | Average rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | Country | $797 | $66 |
| 65 | Geico | $869 | $72 |
| 65 | Progressive | $943 | $79 |
| 65 | State Farm | $1,097 | $91 |
| 65 | American Family | $1,195 | $100 |
| 65 | Farmers | $1,385 | $115 |
| 65 | Allstate | $1,983 | $165 |
| 75 | Geico | $904 | $75 |
| 75 | Country | $942 | $79 |
| 75 | State Farm | $1,291 | $108 |
| 75 | Progressive | $1,303 | $109 |
| 75 | American Family | $1,361 | $113 |
| 75 | Farmers | $1,794 | $150 |
| 75 | Allstate | $2,250 | $188 |
| 85 | Geico | $1,029 | $86 |
| 85 | Country | $1,159 | $97 |
| 85 | American Family | $1,550 | $129 |
| 85 | State Farm | $1,565 | $130 |
| 85 | Progressive | $1,568 | $131 |
| 85 | Farmers | $2,540 | $212 |
| 85 | Allstate | $3,130 | $261 |
Scores are based on Insure.com’s “Best Insurance Companies” customer review survey of 3,700 customers. Policyholders ranked insurers on claims handling, customer service, value, mobile apps/website usefulness and were asked if they would renew their coverage and if they would recommend the company. All scores are out of 100.
| Rank | Company | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CSAA Insurance Group | 93.43 |
| 2 | USAA | 92.08 |
| 3 | Allstate | 90.18 |
| 4 | Liberty Mutual | 88.21 |
| 5 | American Family | 88.14 |
| 6 | Erie | 87.41 |
| 7 | The Auto Club Group (ACG) - AAA | 87.21 |
| 8 | Auto Club of Southern California (Auto Club Enterprise Insurance Group) | 86.86 |
| 9 | Progressive | 85.66 |
| 10 | Esurance | 85.22 |
| 11 | Geico | 84.11 |
| 12 | Nationwide | 83.80 |
| 13 | Safeco | 83.67 |
| 14 | Farmers | 83.25 |
| 15 | MetLife | 83.11 |
| 16 | State Farm | 82.34 |
| 17 | Travelers | 82.22 |
| 18 | Hartford | 81.19 |
| 19 | The General | 79.03 |
Comparative negligence: Illinois has adopted a modified comparative negligence stance for the recovery of auto accident damages. This means that you may recover damages only if you are less than 50 percent at fault for the damages or injuries. And the amount you recover may be reduced in proportion to the degree that you are at fault. So, if you're found to be 20 percent at fault, you can claim against the other party, but the third-party insurer may only pay 80 percent of your damages.
Reasons for cancellation: During the first 60 days of a new policy your Illinois car insurance company may cancel for almost any reason. After 60 days, there are still many reasons that the state allows your insurer to cancel or non-renew your policy. Read the full list on the Illinois Department of Insurance's website.
Points system: Illinois has a unique way in which it applies points to your driving record. While the state does have a point schedule, the Driver Services Department goes by the number of moving violations you have been convicted of. Once you reach a certain point, the Department can assign you points to determine how long your license suspension will be.
Uninsured motorist penalties for Illinois: You may have to pay $500 to $1,000 in fines and your license and registration may be suspended.
Driving without a license: In Illinois driving without a license is a "petty offense"; you will have your license suspended and must pay a fine of up to $500. If your license expired over a year ago, the penalty rises to a Class B Misdemeanor -- up to a $1500 fine and up to six months of jail time.
DUI stays on your record: DUI penalties in Illinois are harsh. A DUI stays on your record for your lifetime, with first-time offenders have their license suspended for a minimum of two years. Read our guide on DUI insurance if you've had a DUI.
Out-of-state/out-of-country drivers: Illinois law allows drivers to use an out-of-state license for 90 days before requiring an Illinois license.
No age restriction to own a car: Minors are legally allowed to buy and title a car in Illinois. Dealers and insurance companies may require a parent to buy or insure a car, however.
Electronic proof of insurance: Illinois allows drivers to show proof of insurance during a traffic stop on a smartphone. It is one of 31 states that does so.
| Rank | Company | Premiums written | Market share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Farm | 2,365,801 | 31.87% |
| 2 | Allstate | 854,959 | 11.52% |
| 3 | Country | 494,300 | 6.66% |
| 4 | Geico | 468,402 | 6.31% |
| 5 | Progressive | 428,172 | 5.77% |
| 6 | Farmers | 326,150 | 4.39% |
| 7 | American Family | 324,588 | 4.37% |
| 8 | Liberty Mutual | 216,617 | 2.92% |
| 9 | USAA | 175,859 | 2.37% |
| 10 | Travelers | 119,798 | 1.61% |
Source: A.M. Best; State/Line (P/C Lines) - P/C, US; Data as of:November 28, 2018
