Car Insurance in Illinois

Illinois drivers spend an average of $1,153 a year on auto insurance according to the NAIC — ▼ −10% versus the national average of $1,282, ranking 24th most expensive of 51. The state requires 25/50/20 liability coverage and follows an at-fault system.

Landscape in Illinois
Photo: Nick Jordan, CC BY 2.0
These are estimates, not quotes. Figures are modeled from public data (NAIC, Census, FEMA, IIHS/HLDI) for comparison only. Your actual premium depends on your insurer, driving history, vehicle and coverage choices. We are not an insurance company or agency. How we estimate

Average car insurance cost in Illinois

NAIC avg. expenditure
$1,153
per insured vehicle / year
Est. full coverage
$1,380
$115/mo · 30s, clean record
Est. state minimum
$500
$42/mo · 25/50/20
Uninsured drivers
15.2%
national 15.4%
Traffic deaths
1.13
per 100M miles · U.S. 1.19
Vehicle thefts
238
per 100k people · U.S. 197

The NAIC average expenditure is what insured drivers actually paid on average, including people who carry only liability. For those who buy each coverage, the average premium was $598 for liability, $440 for collision and $219 for comprehensive ($1,257 combined, versus $1,439 nationally). That average expenditure is 16% higher than the NAIC's previous data year ($994).

IllinoisU.S. averageSource: NAIC

Minimum car insurance requirements in Illinois

Illinois's minimum is written as 25/50/20: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability and $20,000 in property damage liability. Those limits are low compared with the cost of a serious injury claim, so many drivers choose 100/300/100 — we estimate that "standard" level at about $720 a year here, $220 more than the minimum.

Illinois minimum car insurance (25/50/20)
CoverageRequired?MinimumWhat it pays for
Bodily injury liabilityYes$25,000 per person / $50,000 per accidentInjuries you cause to other people
Property damage liabilityYes$20,000Damage you cause to other vehicles and property
Personal injury protection (PIP)No—
Illinois does not require personal injury protection.
Your own medical bills and lost wages, regardless of fault
Uninsured motorist (UM)Yes25/50
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage of at least 25/50 is required.
Your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance
Underinsured motorist (UIM)No—
Underinsured motorist coverage must be included in an amount equal to uninsured motorist limits when those limits exceed the minimum.
The gap when the at-fault driver’s limits are too low
Medical payments (MedPay)No—
Medical payments coverage is optional.
Medical bills for you and your passengers

Compare with another state

Is Illinois a no-fault state?

No — Illinois is an at-fault (tort) state. Illinois is an at-fault (tort) state: the driver responsible for a crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other party's injuries and property damage. Injured people can claim against the at-fault driver's insurer, use their own coverage, or sue.

No-fault vs. at-fault explained

Uninsured drivers in Illinois

The Insurance Research Council estimates 15.2% of Illinois drivers are uninsured — 17th highest in the country, compared with 15.4% nationally. That's roughly one uninsured driver in every 7 on the road. Illinois requires uninsured motorist coverage, which pays your injury costs when the at-fault driver has no insurance.

SR-22 requirements in Illinois

Illinois uses the SR-22 — a certificate your insurer files with the state to prove you carry at least the minimum liability coverage. It is usually ordered after a DUI, driving uninsured, serious violations or a license suspension, and is typically kept for about 3 years. The Secretary of State requires SR-22 insurance for three years after uninsured-crash suspensions and unpaid judgments, among other cases.

By our model, a driver in their 30s with a DUI would pay about $945 a year for minimum coverage in Illinois, versus $500 with a clean record. What is SR-22 insurance?

Estimate your premium in Illinois

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Estimated annual premium
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Per month
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Car insurance by city in Illinois

We cover 12 Illinois cities. Estimates are for full coverage for a driver in their 30s with a clean record; hover a city to find it on the map. The lowest estimate is in Quincy ($1,220) and the highest in Chicago ($1,615).

Estimated cost by driver profile in Illinois

Age and driving record move premiums more than almost anything else. A teen on their own policy pays about 2.8× what a driver in their 30s pays for the same full coverage in Illinois.

Estimated annual premium by driver profile
DriverMinimumStandardFull coverageFull / month
Teen driver (18, own policy) $1,370 $1,985 $3,800 $317
Young adult (22) $795 $1,155 $2,210 $184
Adult in their 30s $500 $720 $1,380 $115
Adult in their 50s $460 $665 $1,270 $106
Senior (72) $560 $810 $1,545 $129
30s, one at-fault accident $720 $1,050 $2,005 $167
30s, DUI on record $920 $1,335 $2,555 $213

By coverage level

Estimated premium by coverage level (driver in their 30s, clean record)
Coverage levelWhat it includesPer yearPer monthTypical range
State minimum liability Only the liability (and PIP/UM where required) limits your state mandates. No coverage for your own car. $500 $42 $410–$590
Standard liability (100/300/100) Higher liability limits plus uninsured motorist coverage. Still no coverage for damage to your own car. $720 $60 $590–$855
Full coverage Standard liability plus collision and comprehensive, typically required on a financed or leased car. $1,380 $115 $1,135–$1,630

Cheapest and most expensive cars to insure in Illinois

Full-coverage estimates for current models, using HLDI insurance-loss data where available. Vehicle choice alone can swing the premium by more than $2,925 a year here.

Cheapest to insure
ModelSegmentEst. / year
GMC AcadiaMidsize SUV$910
Chevrolet TraverseMidsize SUV$910
Subaru ForesterSmall SUV$1,005
Subaru CrosstrekSmall SUV$1,015
Subaru OutbackWagon$1,030
Honda PilotMidsize SUV$1,030
Honda CR-VSmall SUV$1,035
MINI CooperSubcompact car$1,045
Acura RDXLuxury SUV$1,095
Ford BroncoMidsize SUV$1,095
Most expensive to insure
ModelSegmentEst. / year
BMW M4Luxury sports car$3,835
BMW M3Luxury car$3,800
Lamborghini UrusLuxury SUV$3,675
BMW 7 SeriesLuxury car$3,325
Mercedes-Benz S-ClassLuxury car$2,725
Lucid AirLuxury car$2,535
Mercedes-Benz G-ClassLuxury SUV$2,290
Audi RS 7Luxury car$2,250
Porsche TaycanLuxury sports car$2,120
Mercedes-Benz SL-ClassLuxury sports car$2,090

Cheap car insurance in Illinois: how to lower your rate

  • Raise your deductible. Going from $500 to $1,000 on collision and comprehensive saves about $90 a year on a typical Illinois full-coverage policy.
  • Match coverage to your car's value. On a 10-year-old car, dropping collision and comprehensive could cut the bill from about $1,085 to $720.
  • Drive less, pay less. Low-mileage and usage-based programs can save around $95 a year if you drive under 7,500 miles.
  • Protect your record. A single speeding ticket adds roughly $305 a year in our model; an at-fault accident adds much more.
  • Shop at renewal. Rates for the same driver differ widely between insurers. Compare identical limits and deductibles.
  • Ask about discounts — bundling home and auto, good student, safe-driver, paid-in-full and defensive-driving course discounts. See common discounts.

Complaints and help: Illinois Department of Insurance

The Illinois Department of Insurance licenses insurers and agents, reviews rates and handles consumer complaints about claims, cancellations and billing — free of charge.

Website
idoi.illinois.gov
File a complaint
Consumer complaint page
Consumer helpline
1-866-445-5364

Homeowners insurance in Illinois →

Illinois vs. neighboring states

StateNAIC avg.MinimumsSystemUninsured
Illinois$1,15325/50/20At-fault (tort)15.2%
Indiana$92625/50/25At-fault (tort)14.0%
Iowa$87320/40/15At-fault (tort)11.4%
Kentucky$1,04625/50/25Choice no-fault14.1%
Missouri$1,15525/50/25At-fault (tort)20.7%
Wisconsin$92225/50/10At-fault (tort)15.6%

Frequently asked questions

How much is car insurance in Illinois?

NAIC data puts the average Illinois auto insurance expenditure at $1,153 a year, 10% less than the national average of $1,282 (rank 24 of 51, where 1 is the most expensive). Our estimate for full coverage for a driver in their 30s with a clean record is about $1,380 a year ($115 a month); state-minimum liability is about $500.

What is the minimum car insurance required in Illinois?

Illinois requires at least 25/50/20 liability coverage: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $20,000 for property damage, plus uninsured motorist coverage.

Is Illinois a no-fault state?

No. Illinois is an at-fault (tort) state: the driver responsible for a crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other party's injuries and property damage.

How many drivers in Illinois are uninsured?

The Insurance Research Council estimates that about 15.2% of Illinois drivers are uninsured, ranking 17th in the nation (national estimate: 15.4%).

Does Illinois require SR-22 insurance?

Yes, Illinois uses the SR-22 certificate for drivers who must prove financial responsibility, typically for about 3 years. The Secretary of State requires SR-22 insurance for three years after uninsured-crash suspensions and unpaid judgments, among other cases.

Which Illinois city has the cheapest car insurance?

Among the 12 cities we cover, Quincy has the lowest full-coverage estimate at about $1,220 a year, while Chicago is the highest at about $1,615. Differences come from population density, commute length and local weather risk.

How much does car insurance cost for a teen driver in Illinois?

An 18-year-old on their own full-coverage policy would pay roughly $3,800 a year in Illinois by our estimate, or about $1,370 for minimum coverage. Joining a parent's policy usually costs less.

How do I file a complaint against a car insurance company in Illinois?

Contact the Illinois Department of Insurance (consumer line 1-866-445-5364). It handles consumer complaints about claims, cancellations and rates at no cost.

How we estimate this

We start from the state's average liability, collision and comprehensive premiums published by the NAIC, then apply a location factor (population density and commute time from the Census ACS, weather hazard scores from FEMA's National Risk Index), a vehicle factor (HLDI insurance-loss data where available, otherwise vehicle segment), and a driver-profile multiplier. Results are rounded ranges for comparison, not quotes. Read the full methodology.