Illinois Auto Insurance

Illinois auto insurance laws require a couple of coverages that other states don't. Make sure you understand the policies you're paying for.

This guide:

  • Explains Illinois car insurance regulations and requirements

  • Describes how Illinois auto insurance rates are decided

  • Shows you how you can save money by comparing multiple quotes

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Illinois auto insurance laws

Illinois is a tort state, which means that drivers bear financial responsibility for any damage and injury they cause in an accident. Illinois auto insurance laws require liability insurance to help fulfill this responsibility.

Illinois auto insurance laws require minimum liability limits of 20/40/15. (That's $20,000 per person for injuries you cause to the other party, up to $40,000 for all, and $15,000 for damage you cause to the other party's property.)

Illinois auto insurance laws also require that you purchase uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage of at least 20/40 ($20,000 for injuries per person, up to $40,000 total). This policy helps pay your expenses in case you should be struck by a driver with inadequate liability coverage.

You may choose to purchase a higher level of uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage. If you do,then underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage is required as well. This coverage pays the difference between the other driver's liability limits and your underinsured motorist limits (when your limits are higher).

Carrying more than the state minimum coverage amounts for each of these policies is strongly recommended.

Illinois auto insurance companies will also offer optional coverages such as medical payments, accidental death benefit, collision, and comprehensive.

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If you are an Illinois resident, you might be able to save on your policy premium by visiting Electric Insurance. Their policies are available only to better drivers, whose credit and driving records could be described as being at least good.

After you visit ComparisonMarket, get a quote from Electric to see if you qualify.

How Illinois car insurance rates are set

For better or for worse, the price of Illinois auto insurance is decided by the behavior of the state's drivers as a whole. Illinois auto insurance companies take the cost of providing insurance for Illinois drivers (this includes what they pay out for injury and damage, legal and administrative fees, and the cost of prosecuting insurance fraud) and divide it up among the drivers.

But the cost isn't spread around evenly. Instead, Illinois car insurance providers calculate how much a certain "category" of driver costs them, and decide premiums based on that. The "category" you're in is decided by your driving record, your age, where you live, and the kind of car you drive, among other things.

Of course, not all insurance companies use the same categories and calculations, so the same set of characteristics (yours!) will be seen very differently by different insurance companies. And they'll quote you different rates.

What this means for you, as an Illinois driver, is that you need to shop around. It's the fastest easiest way to save on an Illinois auto insurance policy.

Fortunately,shopping around is easy to do online.

Where to get Illinois auto insurance quotes

The following web sites will help you find Illinois car insurance quotes: (these links will open in a new window)

  • ComparisonMarket is the easiest and most accurate quotes comparison service - the place to visit first when you're looking for savings on top-rated coverage.

Click here for your quote.

Others:

• Esurance - a national provider of coverage to all drivers. Big savings if you Quote/Buy/Print online!

  • 21st Century a great Illinois insurer for good drivers.

  • Netquote provides quotes from local agents who can tailor a policy to your particular needs and requirements, thus possibly saving you even more money.

  • Electric Insurance a discount insurance provider for good drivers

  • Geico - The green gecko says you will probably save some dough at Geico. Maybe.

  • Get quotes in your area, using your ZIP code to find local agents. Enter your ZIP below to get a quote from a local provider:

To help speed up the process, you may wish to have some of the information needed for an online quote ready before you begin.

More IL car insurance help

If you want more help designing your IL auto insurance policy, read our guide to setting safe and reasonable car insurance coverage levels. It contains a lot of money saving advice too.

To find out more about IL auto insurance laws and regulations, visit the state's official website of the Illinois Department of Insurance.

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