Illinois Car Insurance: Required Coverage, Average Cost and Chicago vs Downstate Quotes
Enter the ZIP code where your car is parked overnight to compare Illinois auto insurance quotes with the same limits and deductibles.
By the AutoQuotesByZip editorial team. Last reviewed: October 14, 2026. Data: NAIC, IRC, IIHS, NICB and official state sources listed below.
Illinois drivers spend less than the national average on auto insurance: $1,264 per insured vehicle in 2024, 25th of 51, according to NAIC. The state requires 25/50/20 liability and, unlike many states, makes uninsured motorist coverage mandatory at 25/50.
The statewide average hides a sharp divide. Illinois had 28,327 vehicle thefts in 2025, the third-highest state total, and the Chicago–Naperville–Elgin metro alone recorded 24,299 — third among U.S. metro areas, according to NICB. In Illinois, the ZIP code where you garage your car can matter more than the state average suggests.
Enter the ZIP code where your car is parked overnight to compare Illinois auto insurance quotes with the same limits and deductibles.
Illinois car insurance at a glance
| Fact | Illinois | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum liability limits | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident bodily injury; $20,000 property damage (25/50/20) | Illinois Department of Insurance |
| Uninsured motorist | Required at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident | Illinois Department of Insurance |
| Fault system | At-fault (tort) state; not one of the 12 no-fault states | Insurance Information Institute |
| Average annual spending on auto insurance (2024) | $1,263.95 — 25th highest of 51 (US: $1,431.63) | NAIC |
| Change in average spending | +9.6% vs 2023; +38.1% vs 2020 (US: +11.7% and +36.6%) | NAIC |
| Average liability / collision / comprehensive premium | $649 / $473 / $261 | NAIC |
| Estimated uninsured drivers (2023) | 15.2% — 17th highest (US: 15.4%) | IRC via III |
| Traffic deaths (2024) | 1,177 — 9.3 per 100,000 people; 1.13 per 100 million miles (US: 11.5 and 1.19) | IIHS |
| Vehicle thefts (2025) | 28,327 — 3rd-most of any state; Chicago–Naperville–Elgin recorded 24,299, 3rd among U.S. metros | NICB |
Compare Illinois quotes for your ZIP code with the same liability, UM and deductible settings.
What Illinois requires
The Illinois Department of Insurance lists the minimum as $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, $20,000 for property damage, and uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage of $25,000/$50,000. The Secretary of State enforces the mandatory insurance law. Because UM is already required, the main optional decisions are higher liability limits, underinsured motorist limits and physical damage coverage.
What Illinois drivers pay
NAIC data put Illinois’s average liability premium at $649 (28th of 51) and collision at $473 (24th). Comprehensive averaged $261. All three are at or below national averages, and total spending has grown 38% since 2020, close to the national rate.
| 2024 NAIC measure | Illinois | United States | Rank (1 = most expensive) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average expenditure (all coverages actually bought) | $1,263.95 | $1,431.63 | 25th of 51 |
| Liability premium | $649.14 | $813.27 | 28th |
| Collision premium | $473.00 | $516.39 | 24th |
| Comprehensive premium | $260.75 | $283.15 | 31st |
| Liability + collision + comprehensive combined | $1,382.89 | $1,612.81 | 29th |
Chicago vs downstate
Insurers rate by garaging ZIP code, and in Illinois the difference between Cook County and downstate is large. Theft is the clearest example: the Chicago metro area, which also reaches into Indiana and Wisconsin, recorded 24,299 thefts in 2025, more than any U.S. metro except Los Angeles and New York. Collision frequency, congestion and repair costs differ along the same lines. If you move between the city and suburbs, re-quote at the new address. Our ZIP comparison guide keeps the comparison fair.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum car insurance in Illinois?
Illinois requires 25/50/20 liability and uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Illinois?
Yes. Illinois requires UM coverage of at least 25/50. The IRC estimates that 15.2% of Illinois drivers were uninsured in 2023.
How much is car insurance in Illinois?
NAIC reports average spending of $1,263.95 per insured vehicle in 2024, below the national average of $1,431.63.
Sources
- Illinois Department of Insurance — Auto insurance shopping guide
- Illinois Secretary of State — Mandatory insurance
- NAIC, 2024 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement
- Insurance Information Institute, Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists (Insurance Research Council estimates for 2023)
- NICB, U.S. vehicle thefts experience historic decline (2025 data)
- IIHS-HLDI, Fatality facts 2024: State by state
- Insurance Information Institute, Background on: No-fault auto insurance
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