Cheapest Car Insurance in Illinois (2024)
- Expertise: Auto insurance, home insurance and renters insurance
- Education: University of California-Berkeley (BA in History)
Rob Bhatt is a licensed insurance agent and joined the staff of Lending Tree in 2021. Previously, he spent more than 20 years writing for and editing regional publications in California, Nevada and Washington. Rob enjoys helping readers understand how different coverages work so they can make informed purchasing decisions, and he specializes in producing research-backed content for LendingTree about auto, home and renters insurance. His work has been cited by ABC, Business Insider, MSN and Yahoo.
State Farm has the cheapest minimum-liability car insurance rate in Illinois, at $43 a month ($521 a year). However, Travelers is cheapest for full coverage, charging $110 a month.
Below are a list of companies offering the cheapest car insurance in Illinois to drivers with various needs and circumstances.
Cheapest insurance companies in Illinois
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Illinois: Travelers
Travelers offers the cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Illinois. The companies’ quoted rates average $1,319 a year, or $110 a month, for a typical adult driver.
Full coverage includes collision and comprehensive insurance, which covers your car for damage and theft. Although neither is required by law, both typically are required for a car loan or lease.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $1,319 |
| State Farm | $1,405 |
| Country Financial | $1,635 |
| American Family | $1,705 |
| Progressive | $2,246 |
| Geico | $2,255 |
| Allstate | $2,876 |
| Farmers | $3,428 |
Rates are for a 30-year-old male with a clean driving record and good credit. Your rates may vary.
The average cost of full-coverage car insurance in Illinois is $2,109 a year, or $176 a month.
However, the actual price you pay depends on a variety of factors, including:
- Your driving record and credit history
- Your age and ZIP code
- The type of vehicle you drive
- Any discounts you are eligible to receive
Since each auto insurance company weighs these factors differently, it’s important to compare quotes from multiple companies when you shop.
Illinois’ cheapest minimum-liability auto insurance: State Farm
State Farm has Illinois’ cheapest rate for minimum-liability auto insurance. Its quoted rates average $521 a year, or just over $43 a month.
The next-best rates are available from Country Financial ($549 a year) and Travelers ($617 a year).
In Illinois, the average price for minimum-liability car insurance is $848 a year, or $71 a month.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $521 |
| Country Financial | $549 |
| Travelers | $617 |
| American Family | $625 |
| Progressive | $765 |
| Geico | $973 |
| Allstate | $1,272 |
| Farmers | $1,461 |
Rates are for a 30-year-old male with a clean driving record and good credit. Your rates may vary.
Minimum-liability car insurance in Illinois includes uninsured motorist coverage. This pays to treat injuries you and your passengers suffer in an accident caused by a driver without insurance.
Cheapest rates for young drivers in Illinois: Country Financial
Country Financial has the cheapest car insurance for young drivers. It charges 18-year-olds $1,452 a year for minimum-liability car insurance or $3,691 a year for full coverage.
The average price of car insurance quoted for an 18-year-old is more than three times the rate which a typical 30-year-old pays.
However, young drivers are typically charged less when added to a parent’s car insurance rather than with their own standalone policies.
| Company | Minimum liability (annual) | Full coverage (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Country Financial | $1,452 | $3,691 |
| State Farm | $1,729 | $4,154 |
| Travelers | $1,824 | $3,770 |
| Geico | $2,146 | $5,127 |
| American Family | $2,502 | $6,401 |
| Progressive | $2,569 | $8,231 |
| Allstate | $3,140 | $6,477 |
| Farmers | $7,446 | $13,422 |
Rates are for an 18-year-old male with a clean driving record. Your rates may vary.
Cheapest rates after a speeding ticket in Illinois: State Farm
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance rate for Illinois drivers with a speeding ticket on their record, at $1,491 a year for full coverage.
In Illinois, a speeding ticket increases the average cost of auto insurance by more than 30% to $2,759 a year, or $230 a month.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,491 |
| Travelers | $1,677 |
| American Family | $2,030 |
| Country Financial | $2,161 |
| Geico | $2,622 |
| Progressive | $3,272 |
| Allstate | $3,821 |
| Farmers | $4,994 |
Rates are for a 30-year-old male with good credit and one prior speeding ticket. Your rates may vary.
Cheapest rates after an accident in Illinois: State Farm
State Farm also has the cheapest full-coverage auto insurance for Illinois drivers with a prior at-fault accident, with an average quote of $1,603 a year, or $134 a month.
The average price of car insurance for a driver with one prior at-fault accident is $3,302 a year, or $275 a month. This is almost 57% more than the rate you pay with a clean record.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,603 |
| Travelers | $1,851 |
| Country Financial | $2,385 |
| American Family | $2,675 |
| Geico | $3,604 |
| Progressive | $3,883 |
| Farmers | $5,056 |
| Allstate | $5,357 |
Rates are for a 30-year-old male with good credit and one prior at-fault accident. Your rates may vary.
Best rates after a DUI in Illinois: Country Financial
Travelers has the cheapest car insurance rate for Illinois motorists with a DUI (driving under the influence) conviction, at $1,954 a year, or $163 a month.
In Illinois, a DUI raised the average price of auto insurance by close to 60% to $3,364 a year, or $280 a month.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $1,954 |
| Country Financial | $2,514 |
| Progressive | $2,756 |
| American Family | $3,086 |
| State Farm | $3,292 |
| Geico | $3,857 |
| Allstate | $4,634 |
| Farmers | $4,815 |
Rates are for a 30-year-old male with good credit and one prior DUI. Your rates may vary.
Best rates for Illinois drivers with bad credit: Travelers
Travelers has the cheapest car insurance rate for drivers with bad credit, $2,024 a year for full coverage.
Country Financial has the next-best rate, followed by American Family.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $2,024 |
| Country Financial | $2,436 |
| American Family | $2,981 |
| Progressive | $3,529 |
| Allstate | $4,384 |
| Geico | $4,568 |
| Farmers | $5,481 |
| State Farm | $6,064 |
Rates are for a 30-year-old male with a clean driving record and poor credit. Your rates may vary.
Insurance companies believe that factors such as your payment history and credit usage show how likely you are to file a claim. These are different from the factors that lenders use to determine your loan qualifications.
The good news is that a credit check for an insurance quote does not affect your credit score.
Illinois auto insurance rates by city
Among Illinois cities, auto insurance rates range from $1,887 a year in Champaign to $2,862 a year in Cicero.
Chicago ranks second for car insurance prices in Illinois. Windy City motorists pay an average of $2,772 a year for auto coverage, which works out to $231 a month.
| City | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Arlington Heights | $2,177 |
| Aurora | $2,133 |
| Berwyn | $2,686 |
| Bloomington | $1,901 |
| Bolingbrook | $2,301 |
| Champaign | $1,887 |
| Chicago | $2,772 |
| Cicero | $2,862 |
| Decatur | $2,018 |
| Des Plaines | $2,473 |
| Elgin | $2,193 |
| Evanston | $2,408 |
| Joliet | $2,268 |
| Mount Prospect | $2,329 |
| Naperville | $2,118 |
| Oak Lawn | $2,531 |
| Orland Park | $2,273 |
| Palatine | $2,197 |
| Peoria | $2,089 |
| Rockford | $2,101 |
| Schaumburg | $2,265 |
| Skokie | $2,716 |
| Springfield | $2,063 |
| Tinley Park | $2,282 |
| Waukegan | $2,250 |
Rates are for a 30-year-old male with a clean driving record and good credit. Your rates may vary.
Car insurance laws in Illinois
Illinois requires auto insurance to register your vehicle and drive it on public roads. You must show proof of insurance at traffic stops or after an accident, and the state will also check your insurance status electronically.
Penalties for driving without insurance include a fine and suspension of your vehicle’s registration. You usually also have to pay a reinstatement fee and file an SR-22 insurance certificate to reactivate your registration.
Illinois’ minimum car insurance requirements
The minimum amounts of car insurance needed to drive legally in Illinois include:
- Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $20,000
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury: $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident
If you cause a car accident, you can be held personally responsible for the portions of a victim’s medical and/or car repair bills that exceed your policy’s liability limits. This can put your savings or future earnings at risk, so consider liability limits that match your net worth.
Most insurance companies in Illinois offer these optional car insurance coverages for more protection:
- Collision: Pays to repair damage your car sustains in a collision with a vehicle or object, or if it overturns.
- Comprehensive: Covers your car for theft or damage from non-collision causes such as fire, flood, falling objects and vandalism.
- Medical payments (MedPay): Covers injuries you and your passengers suffer in a car accident, regardless of fault.
- Uninsured motorist property damage: Pays to repair damage your vehicle sustains in an accident caused by a driver with no insurance.
SR-22 car insurance in Illinois
If you’re convicted of DUI, driving without insurance or certain other offenses, you usually have to get an SR-22 certificate to start driving again.
Your insurance company files the certificate for you.
The actual cost of SR-22 insurance depends largely on the offense that leads to the filing requirement. You can expect to pay more for insurance after a DUI than you will if your SR-22 is for driving without insurance.
Let the companies you contact for quotes know about your SR-22 requirement when you shop for car insurance. Most companies charge an SR-22 filing fee, but this is often only about $25.
Frequently asked questions
The average cost of car insurance in Illinois is $71 a month for minimum liability and $176 a month for full coverage.
No. Under Illinois’ at-fault car accident laws, you are financially responsible for injuries or damage you cause to others in a car accident.
Car insurance generally follows the car in Illinois.
Your insurance covers a licensed driver who borrows your car with your permission. However, if that driver lives with you, they should be listed on your policy or have their own insurance.
Yes. Illinois requires you to show proof of insurance to a law enforcement officer during a traffic stop or after an accident. The state also uses a computerized system to verify the license status of registered vehicles.