Illinois Auto Insurance: What's The Cost?

Illinois car insurance costs vary depending on factors such as age, location, driving record, and credit score. The average yearly cost of full-coverage car insurance in Illinois is $1,139, while state minimum coverage costs around $461. Monthly, this equates to approximately $95 for full coverage and $38 for minimum coverage. Illinois is considered to have moderate insurance costs compared to other states, with rates falling below the national average.

The cheapest car insurance company in Illinois depends on individual circumstances, with different providers offering the lowest rates for various driver profiles. Overall, Pekin offers the cheapest rates in the state for both minimum liability and full coverage. However, for large insurance companies, Travelers, State Farm, Geico, Progressive, and Allstate provide the lowest rates. For mid-size companies, the cheapest options are Pekin, Country Financial, Erie, Auto-Owners, and AAA.

Illinois auto insurance for teens

Illinois Insurance Law

Illinois law requires you to have insurance before you drive. After purchasing a policy, your insurance company will send you an insurance card that you should keep in your vehicle at all times. Driving without insurance can result in a fine and the suspension of your license plates.

Adding Teens to a Parent's Policy

The easiest and likely cheapest way for teens to get insurance is to be added to their parent's policy. This will, however, increase the parent's rates.

Insurance Coverage Options

There are several types of insurance coverage to choose from, including:

• Bodily Injury Liability: Insurance that pays for another person's bodily injury or death in an auto accident that you caused. Illinois law requires BI limits of at least $25,000 per person per accident and $50,000 total per accident.
• Property Damage Liability: Insurance that pays for damage to another person's car or property and is required by Illinois law with a minimum of $20,000 per accident.
• Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Coverage (UM): Covers you for your bodily injury caused by a hit-and-run driver or an at-fault driver who has no auto liability insurance. Illinois law requires uninsured motorist limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
• Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury Insurance (UIM): Pays the difference between your UIM limits and the liability limits of the at-fault driver if lower than your UIM limits. Illinois law requires this type of coverage if you purchase higher limits of uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UM).
• Collision Coverage: Insurance that pays for damages to your own car if it is involved in a collision, regardless of who is at fault. Collision coverage may carry a deductible.
• Comprehensive Coverage: Insurance that pays for non-collision losses to your car, such as fire, theft, flood, hail, vandalism, glass breakage, and falling objects. Comprehensive coverage may also carry a deductible.

Factors Affecting Insurance Premiums

Several factors can impact insurance premiums, including age, driving record, credit history, location, vehicle type, and safety features. Maintaining a clean driving record, choosing a vehicle with safety features, and keeping good grades can help lower insurance costs.

Illinois auto insurance for seniors

For seniors, Geico provides the cheapest car insurance rate in Illinois, at about $715 per year, or $60 per month, according to a CarInsurance.com rate analysis. The average cost of car insurance in Illinois for a 60-year-old driver is $1,251 per year for a full coverage policy. A 70-year-old driver in Illinois pays 12% more than a 60-year-old driver, and a 75-year-old driver pays 25% more than a 60-year-old driver for a full coverage policy.

Car insurance rates for seniors in Illinois start to increase around age 65, and the rates will continue to climb. The increase is due to several factors, including age-related hearing or vision loss, slower reflexes, side effects from medicines, and other health issues that can make driving more difficult. In addition, seniors are more likely to require medical care, even after a less serious accident, and expensive hospital bills will push up insurance costs.

The cheapest car insurance companies for seniors in Illinois include:

• Geico: $60 per month
• State Farm: $308 per month
• Country Financial: $121 per month for an 18-year-old
• Travelers: $110 per month

Illinois auto insurance for high-risk drivers

Auto insurance in Illinois is relatively cheap, with an average annual rate of $1,120, which is 21.6% less than the national average. However, for high-risk drivers, auto insurance can be expensive. High-risk drivers include those with a DUI, multiple tickets, other serious violations, or bad credit. The average rate for high-risk car insurance in Illinois is $1,457, but it can range from $2,139 to $4,050, depending on the driver's record.

The cheapest car insurance company in Illinois for high-risk drivers is State Farm, with an average annual rate of $1,236 for a driver with a DUI. Other cheap options for high-risk drivers include Geico and Nationwide. High-risk drivers in Illinois can also consider the following companies, which offer affordable rates and good customer service:

• Progressive: Affordable rates for high-risk drivers, with the option to bundle policies for a discount.
• Travelers: One of the largest car insurance companies in the US, offering a wide range of coverage options.
• USAA: Great rates and customer service, but only available to military members, veterans, and their families.
• Geico: Offers a 25% discount when bundling with home or renters insurance, and adjustable deductibles.
• Safe Auto: Specializes in SR-22 insurance for high-risk drivers and offers a multi-car discount of up to 20%.
• Dairyland: Offers SR-22 insurance, bundling discounts, and non-owner insurance for those who borrow cars.
• Farmers: Features the Signal app, which can earn high-risk drivers a discount, and provides local agents for assistance.
• Nationwide: Provides multiple deductible options and the option to bundle with other insurance types.
• American Family: Offers discounted rates for Costco members and plenty of coverage options.

Illinois auto insurance discounts

Good Student Discount

Young drivers who maintain good grades (usually a B average or higher) are often eligible for discounts on their car insurance. This discount is typically offered to students aged 16 to 24 who are full-time students.

Defensive Driving Course Discount

Drivers over the age of 55 who have voluntarily completed an approved defensive driving or accident prevention course may be eligible for a discount on their premium. This discount often requires proof of course completion and may need to be renewed periodically.

Safe Driver Discount

Insurance providers may offer discounts for drivers with a clean driving record. This can include maintaining a certain number of years of safe driving (e.g., 5 years) or going a certain length of time without any traffic violations.

Multi-Policy or Multi-Car Discount

Bundling your car insurance with other types of insurance policies, such as homeowners, renters, or life insurance, can often result in a discount. Additionally, insuring multiple vehicles under the same policy can also lead to savings.

Anti-Theft Device Discount

If your vehicle is equipped with an anti-theft device or mechanism, you may be eligible for a discount on your comprehensive coverage. The amount of savings may vary depending on the type of device installed.

Low Mileage Discount

Drivers who operate their vehicles below a certain number of miles per year (typically 7,500 miles) may be eligible for a low annual mileage discount.

Other Discounts

Other discounts that may be available include those for mature or senior drivers, carpool participants, college students away from home without a vehicle, and those who pay their premiums in full or set up automatic payments.

Illinois auto insurance requirements

Illinois requires drivers to carry liability insurance, including uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage. The minimum requirements are:

• $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $50,000 bodily injury liability per incident
• $20,000 property damage liability per incident
• $25,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $50,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per incident

Liability insurance covers the cost of any damage, injuries or deaths you cause in a car accident, up to your policy’s predefined limits. Uninsured motorist coverage will cover expenses from injuries or damage after an accident with a driver who doesn’t have car insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage will cover the same expenses if you’re hit by a driver with some car insurance, but not enough to cover all costs from the crash.

Illinois is an at-fault state, meaning the driver responsible for the accident bears the financial responsibility for damages caused. This can affect how much you pay for insurance, as insurers consider the potential costs if you're at fault in an accident.

While collision and comprehensive coverage are not mandated by Illinois, financing or leasing companies often require this coverage to protect against damage due to accidents, theft or natural disasters.

Frequently asked questions