Illinois Car Insurance
Car insurance is mandatory for all vehicles registered in the State of Illinois. Any driver convicted of driving with no car insurance can face heavy fines, drivers license suspension, vehicle registration suspension, personal liability and more.
Illinois Car Insurance Requirements
Car insurance laws in Illinois are set by the Illinois Department of Insurance and currently (2010) state all drivers must have liability coverage in place before registering or operating a vehicle. The minimum levels of liability insurance required in Illinois are:
- $20,000 – liability insurance per person in a car accident
- $40,000 – total liability insurance for all persons in car accident
- $15,000 – property damage coverage
The State of Illinois also requires all drivers to keep proof of a valid auto insurance policy in the vehicle to show law enforcement upon request. Unlike other States Illinois also has an automated enforcement system which randomly selects drivers asking them to send in proof of insurance to the State. Failure to respond to this request by the Illinois Department of Insurance can result in suspension of your motor vehicle registration tags.
What are the fines for Driving with No Car Insurance in Illinois?
$500 is the MINIMUM fine if you are convicted of driving with no auto insurance in the State of Illinois but this fine is minimal to the amount of personal liability you expose yourself to when operating a vehicle with no auto insurance.
Illinois Auto Insurance Companies
Car insurance companies are easy to find in Illinois with almost 200 licensed car insurers. In fact, Illinois is the State with the highest number of licensed auto insurance companies followed by Indiana and Georgia. Almost any car insurance company you name offers coverage in Illinois so the key to finding the best auto insurance rates will depend entirely on your knowledge of car insurance and the extent of your car insurance comparison search.
Keep in mind that Illinois operates under tort law where you can be sued for even minor accidents. There is no form of protection from minor car accidents as in states with no-fault auto insurance laws. While Illinois minimum auto insurance requirements seem reasonable enough they are actually far less than any responsible driver should have. While liability insurance does offer some form of protection any car accident where injuries occur can easily surpass your limits of coverage and expose you to personal liability for damages above your policy limits. Most Illinois drivers opt for comprehensive, collision and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on top of state minimum liability requirements as well as expanded levels of coverage exceeding $100,000.
Illinois Car Insurance Rates
With comparison to other States Illinois is a top 10 state for auto insurance premiums where drivers usually pay around 20% higher than the national average. For a 40 year old male using common variables the average Illinois car insurance premium is $1,680 compared to a national average of $1,430. All this means is you live in a state where car insurance rates tend to be higher so its important to compare car insurance quotes from multiple providers and make sure all car insurance discounts are applied. Before starting an auto insurance comparison search you may want to brush up on your car insurance knowledge as even saving $20 or $$50 a month can quickly add up and sometimes it takes asking a car insurance company specific questions to get the best rates around.
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