What Every Driver Needs to Know About Illinois Car Insurance
Every kind of vehicle that has a driver has to be insured before it can be lawfully driven on public roads in Illinois. Whether you are driving a car, a pickup, an SUV, an RV, a station wagon, a cement truck, a dump truck, or a motorcycle on Illinois roads, you have to have liability insurance. And in Illinois, you are required to carry insurance that pays even if the other party responsible for your accident is uninsured.
How Much Insurance Do I Have to Buy to Drive in Illinois?
The State of Illinois requires 20/40/15 coverage for any kind of vehicle operated on a public road. This means that the policy will pay up to $20,000 for personal injury for one individual involved in the accident, up to $40,000 for personal injury to two or more individuals involved in the accident, and up to $15,000 for damage to property. Unlike most other states, Illinois also requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Ordinarily, if another party does damage to your car or person, their policy compensates you. In Illinois, your auto policy will compensate you even if the other driver has not insurance or does not have enough insurance to meet Illinois standards. Of course, this means that Illinois drivers pay more to keep their cars on the road.
What Happens If I Don’t Keep up my Car Insurance in Illinois?
If you are caught driving without valid car insurance in Illinois, you may be fined $500 and have your vehicle registration suspended. Unlike other states, Illinois generally allows you to drive another, insured vehicle while your own car registration is suspended. If you drive your car after its plates have been suspended for non-payment of insurance, however, you may be fined $1000—and that’s a lot more than it costs just to do the right thing to get your car back on the road.
The first time your car registration is suspended in Illinois, all you have to do is to get an insurance policy and pay a $100 reactivation fee. But if you let your insurance lapse a second time and are caught driving, then your car has to stay off the road for four months and you cannot sell it or give it away—but you have to continue making payments even if you cannot drive your car to work.
How Can I Save Money on Illinois Auto Insurance
The single best way to make sure you don’t pay a lot for Illinois auto insurance is never, ever to drive your car when your insurance policy has lapsed. Even better, make sure you have your insurance premiums billed to your credit or debit card on a periodic basis so you know your policy will never be canceled for failure to pay premiums. Keeping your auto insurance in force always keep your premiums down.
Of course, it also helps not get tickets and not to be involved in accidents. Generally speaking, you will pay higher premiums for two years after you get a ticket and for three years after you are involved in an accident—even if it is not your fault.
Illinois drivers can also take advantage of auto insurance discounts offered for:
- Use the same company to insure both your car and your house or apartment.
- Drive your car as little as possible. The fewer miles you have to drive to work, the lower your premiums.
- Insure multiple vehicles on the same policy.
- If you are insuring teens or college students, you pay less if they get good grades.
- Some companies offer discounts for drivers who have taken defensive driving courses either with a licensed defensive driving course provider or with one of the company’s agents.
And one of the best ways to get the very best & cheapest rates is to compare premiums on this site. Use the tools on this site for no-pressure, no-hassle quotes that can help you find the very lowest premium for the Illinois auto insurance you need.
