Auto Insurance In Illinois: What You Need To Know

Yes, auto insurance is mandatory in Illinois. The state's law requires all vehicle owners to have a minimum amount of auto liability insurance, which covers bodily injury per person and accident and property damage. The minimum liability coverage in Illinois is $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $20,000 for property damage per accident. Driving without insurance in Illinois can result in penalties such as license suspension, fines, and proof of insurance requirements.

Minimum insurance requirements

Illinois law requires all vehicle owners to have a minimum amount of auto liability insurance. This includes liability coverage for bodily injury or death, as well as property damage. The minimum requirements are:

• $25,000 liability coverage for bodily injury or death of one person per accident.
• $50,000 liability coverage for bodily injury or death of multiple people per accident.
• $20,000 liability coverage for damage to the property of another person per accident.

Liability insurance covers only the other car and its driver and passengers when you are found to be at fault for an accident. It does not cover your own costs for personal injuries or property damage.

In addition to the above, Illinois law also requires uninsured motorist coverage. This covers your accident-related losses if you're in a crash with an at-fault driver who is uninsured or in a hit-and-run. The minimum requirements for this are:

• $20,000 bodily injury liability per person.
• $40,000 bodily injury per accident to you and your passengers.

Illinois also requires underinsured motorist coverage. This applies to personal injuries caused by a driver with inadequate insurance. It kicks in after their personal injury coverage limit has been reached. The minimum requirement for this is equal to the amount of uninsured motorist coverage provided in the policy.

Illinois has implemented an Electronic Liability Insurance Verification program to check the insurance status of all drivers in the state. If you are caught driving without insurance in Illinois, you can face penalties including driver's license suspension, license reinstatement fees, and a special type of proof of insurance requirement called an SR-22.

Uninsured motorist coverage

Illinois requires all drivers to have uninsured motorist coverage as part of their insurance policy. This covers your accident-related losses if you're in a crash with an at-fault driver who is uninsured. Uninsured motorist coverage provides coverage for injuries to you and your passengers if you are in an accident caused by an uninsured driver. It is important to note that this type of coverage does not include damage to your vehicle, which is covered less often under Uninsured Motorist Property Damage coverage.

In Illinois, the minimum requirement for uninsured motorist coverage is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. This means that your insurance will cover up to $25,000 of injuries per person and $50,000 total per accident for you and your passengers if you are hit by an uninsured driver. You can also buy higher limits for an additional premium if you want more coverage than the minimum requirement.

Underinsured motorist coverage is different from uninsured motorist coverage. It covers injuries to you and your passengers when the at-fault driver's insurance policy does not fully cover your expenses. In this case, your insurance company will cover the expenses that exceed the limits of the other driver's policy. Like uninsured motorist coverage, underinsured motorist coverage typically does not include property damage.

Underinsured motorist coverage

Illinois requires all vehicle owners to have a minimum amount of auto liability insurance. This includes uninsured motorist coverage, which provides coverage for injuries to you and your passengers in the event of an accident caused by an uninsured driver. The minimum coverage required is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.

Underinsured Motorist Property Damage coverage, which covers the damage to your vehicle, is purchased less often.

Proof of insurance

Illinois requires vehicle owners and operators to carry proof of insurance in their cars. If you're stopped for a traffic violation or involved in an accident, a law enforcement officer may write you a traffic citation if you can't provide proof of insurance.

Since 2020, the Illinois Secretary of State has been running an Electronic Liability Insurance Verification program for vehicles registered in Illinois. Each vehicle's liability policy is verified at least twice a year through a third-party vendor. The vendor is electronically linked with all insurance companies that provide vehicle liability insurance policies in the state. Vehicles with valid registration must comply with the Mandatory Insurance Law (625 ILCS 5/7-601).

If the initial verification attempt does not verify that a vehicle is covered by the required minimum liability insurance, it will be checked again after 30 days. If the second verification attempt fails, the registered owner will have 30 days to submit proof of coverage, or their vehicle's registration will be suspended. Owners must then obtain liability insurance and pay a $100 reinstatement fee to have the suspension lifted.

If you are stopped for a traffic violation or involved in an accident and cannot provide evidence of insurance, a law enforcement officer may issue a traffic citation. If convicted, your license plates will be suspended, and you may face fines of at least $500 for driving uninsured and $1,000 for driving with license plates suspended due to a previous insurance violation.

Penalties for driving without insurance

Illinois law requires all vehicle owners to have a minimum amount of auto liability insurance. Driving without insurance is a petty offence and carries serious consequences.

If you are caught driving without insurance in Illinois, you will face penalties, including:

• A fine of up to $1,000.
• A minimum fine of $500 for driving uninsured.
• A minimum fine of $1,000 for driving a vehicle while the license plates are suspended for a previous insurance violation.
• A driver's license suspension.
• License reinstatement fees of $100.
• A special type of proof of insurance requirement called an SR-22.

First and Second Offenses:

• A fine of $500-$1,000; an additional $1,000 for driving with suspended plates due to an insurance violation.
• A $1,000 fine; an additional $1,000 for driving with suspended plates due to an insurance violation; an additional $2,500 fine if you've been convicted twice and were involved in an accident.
• Driver's license and registration suspended for up to three months.
• A $100 reinstatement fee.

Repeat Offenses:

• A $1,000 fine.
• A mandatory four-month suspension of license plates.
• A $100 reinstatement fee.
• Proof of insurance.
• An SR-22 certificate for three years.

Driving Without Insurance in an Accident:

If you are involved in an accident, you must file a crash report if the accident causes death, bodily injuries, or more than $1,500 of property damage. If you cause bodily harm to another person in an accident while uninsured, and you have been convicted twice or more for driving uninsured, you will be fined $2,500 in addition to the four-month suspension of your license plates and $100 reinstatement fee.

Frequently asked questions