The best car insurance in Illinois is not a single answer: it depends on your driver profile, your location within the state, and what you need from a policy. My analysis of rates and coverage across Illinois found that no one company wins for every driver. The right pick shifts based on your age, driving history, your city and ZIP code, and how much coverage you carry.
Best Car Insurance in Illinois for 2026
Updated: September 17, 2026
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Key Takeaways
Auto-Owners earns the highest MoneyGeek score in Illinois at 4.74/5, ranking #1 in customer experience and #2 in affordability among the state's top carriers.
Geico is the most affordable top-ranked carrier in Illinois, ranking #1 in affordability, making it the strongest pick for drivers prioritizing price.
Illinois requires mandatory uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) coverage at 25/50 per 625 ILCS 5/143a. This coverage cannot be waived and protects drivers against the state's 15.2% uninsured driver rate, which is slightly above the national average.
Chicago drivers typically pay 30 to 50 percent above the Illinois state average; Rockford and Peoria also carry urban premiums above the statewide baseline.
Our Experience Reviewing Illinois's Top Car Insurers
Auto-Owners: Best Overall in IllinoisAuto-Owners earns a 4.74/5 MoneyGeek score, the highest among Illinois's top-ranked carriers, driven by a #1 customer experience rank and #2 affordability rank. It offers a strong mix of price and service quality that few Illinois carriers match. Its coverage ranks 6th, so drivers seeking the broadest add-on menu may find more options elsewhere. Auto-Owners is an agent-only carrier, so online quoting and direct-purchase tools are not available.
Geico: Best for Affordability in IllinoisGeico ranks #1 in affordability among Illinois's top-rated carriers with a 4.57/5 MoneyGeek score, offering the lowest average rates for adult drivers with clean records. Its digital tools and online quoting process make it easy to get covered quickly. Geico ranks 6th in customer experience and 7th in coverage options among the top carriers evaluated, so price-focused drivers get the most value while those prioritizing service quality or coverage breadth may prefer a different carrier.
Travelers: Best Balance of Price and CoverageTravelers earns a 4.51/5 MoneyGeek score, ranking #3 in both affordability and customer experience among Illinois's top-five carriers. It provides a competitive full-coverage rate alongside a solid coverage menu that ranks 5th, including rideshare endorsements and new car replacement options. Travelers sits in the middle of the pack on both affordability and customer satisfaction, so drivers who prioritize being best-in-class on either dimension will find stronger specialists among the top five.
- Erie Insurance: Best for Customer Experience
Erie Insurance earns a 4.33/5 MoneyGeek score and ranks #2 in customer experience among Illinois's top-five carriers. J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study awarded Erie 880 points, the highest among carriers on this page and 37 points above the 843 regional average. Erie's claims handling and agent-based service model are consistently recognized. Erie ranks 6th in affordability, meaning its rates run higher than Geico and Auto-Owners, so drivers who are primarily price-sensitive will find better value elsewhere.
AAA: Best for Member DriversAAA earns a 4.23/5 MoneyGeek score and ranks #4 in affordability among Illinois's top-five carriers. Its membership benefits, including roadside assistance bundled into membership, add value beyond the insurance policy itself. AAA ranks 5th in customer experience and ties for 7th in coverage options. Membership is required to purchase auto insurance, which limits accessibility for non-members.
Best Car Insurance Companies in Illinois: Scores and Methodology
| Auto-Owners | 4.74 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Geico | 4.57 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Travelers | 4.51 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Erie Insurance | 4.33 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| AAA | 4.23 | 4 | 5 | 7 |
Why You Can Trust MoneyGeek's Illinois Ratings
MoneyGeek evaluated insurance companies in Illinois, including national carriers and North Central regional insurers. Rankings combine rate analysis, customer feedback, and coverage assessments across three weighted factors. MoneyGeek does not receive compensation tied to which companies rank highest. Rate data comes from Quadrant Information Services, which sources actual insurance filings across every ZIP code.
Affordability (60% of total score): Rate quotes were gathered for multiple driver profiles using a baseline 40-year-old male driver with good credit, a clean driving record, and no prior claims. Quotes covered full coverage at 100/300/100,000 limits with a $1,000 comprehensive and collision deductible, plus Illinois-minimum coverage. Additional quotes covered young drivers and senior drivers. Driver profiles with violations were also tested, including DUI convictions, at-fault accidents, and speeding tickets, to measure how each carrier prices each category. Affordability scores reflect the carrier's performance across all of these driver profiles, with a baseline adult-driver clean-record rate weighted most heavily.
Customer experience (30% of total score): Customer satisfaction data was compiled from J.D. Power studies (including the 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study and the 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study), AM Best financial strength ratings, and multi-platform review aggregation. NAIC complaint indexes also feed the composite score. J.D. Power scores shown in each carrier section are one input to the composite, not the full ranking.
Coverage options (10% of total score): Coverage scoring measures each provider's range of coverage types and Illinois-specific add-on availability. Standard coverages (bodily injury liability, property damage liability, uninsured motorist insurance, medical payments / PIP, comprehensive coverage, collision coverage) are included in the baseline score. Add-on coverages weighted in the score include accident forgiveness, new car replacement, rideshare endorsements, gap insurance, custom parts coverage, mechanical breakdown insurance, and pay-per-mile or telematics-based programs. Coverages restricted or unavailable under Illinois law are excluded from the score for all carriers.
Rates and rankings on this page reflect a 40-year-old male driver with good credit and a clean record. Full coverage rates use 100/300/100,000 liability limits with a $1,000 comprehensive and collision deductible. Minimum coverage rates use Illinois's mandatory 25/50/20 liability limits per 625 ILCS 5/7-601 plus mandatory UMBI at 25/50 per 625 ILCS 5/143a, without comprehensive or collision. The baseline excludes optional UIM, MedPay, and optional higher UM; IL does not mandate PIP.
USAA is excluded from all rankings because it is available only to military members and their families, which limits its accessibility for most readers.
Similar MoneyGeek scores can reflect very different strengths in Illinois:
- Auto-Owners (4.74/5) and Geico (4.57/5) both rank in the top two for affordability, but Auto-Owners leads on customer experience (#1) while Geico trails the group at #6 on that dimension.
- Travelers (4.51/5) and Erie Insurance (4.33/5) both rank in the top three for customer experience, but Travelers holds a #3 affordability rank versus Erie's #6, a meaningful rate gap for budget-conscious drivers.
- Erie Insurance (4.33/5) and AAA (4.23/5) have the two lowest MoneyGeek scores in the top five, but Erie leads on customer experience (#2) while AAA leads on coverage breadth relative to its score tier.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT CAR INSURANCE IN ILLINOIS
Illinois mandates uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) coverage at 25/50 per 625 ILCS 5/143a. This coverage cannot be waived and protects drivers against the state's 15.2% uninsured driver rate, which is slightly above the national average. Under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, Illinois uses modified comparative negligence with a 50 percent bar: a driver less than 50 percent at fault recovers damages reduced by their share, while a driver 50 percent or more at fault is barred from recovery. Chicago drivers typically pay 30 to 50 percent above the Illinois state average; Rockford and Peoria also carry urban premiums above the state average.
Best Illinois Car Insurance Company Ratings
Auto-Owners
Best Overall in Illinois
MoneyGeek Rating
4.7/ 5
4.8/5Affordability
4.9/5Customer Experience
3.8/5Coverage Options
Average Monthly Cost
$112/month (full coverage)Max Age Supported
Available for all adult driver ages in Illinois
GEICO
Best for Affordability in Illinois
MoneyGeek Rating
4.6/ 5
5/5Affordability
3.6/5Customer Experience
3.5/5Coverage Options
Average Monthly Cost
$98/month (full coverage)Max Age Supported
Available for all adult driver ages in Illinois
Travelers
Best Balance of Price and Coverage
MoneyGeek Rating
4.5/ 5
4.6/5Affordability
4.4/5Customer Experience
4/5Coverage Options
Average Monthly Cost
$115/month (full coverage)Max Age Supported
Available for all adult driver ages in Illinois
Erie
Best for Customer Experience
MoneyGeek Rating
4.3/ 5
3.8/5Affordability
4.7/5Customer Experience
4.5/5Coverage Options
Average Monthly Cost
$138/month (full coverage)Max Age Supported
Available for all adult driver ages in Illinois
AAA
Best for Member Drivers
MoneyGeek Rating
4.2/ 5
4.2/5Affordability
3.7/5Customer Experience
3.5/5Coverage Options
Average Monthly Cost
$122/month (full coverage)Max Age Supported
Available for all adult driver ages in Illinois
Rates at Illinois's Best Car Insurance Companies
Illinois car insurance rates vary substantially by location, driver profile, and coverage level. Chicago typically runs 30 to 50 percent above the Illinois state average, while Rockford and Peoria also carry urban premiums above the statewide baseline; rural downstate counties run materially below. The Illinois state average for full coverage is approximately $125 per month, compared to a national average of around $167 per month. Drivers comparing cheap full-coverage or cheap liability car insurance in Illinois will find meaningful differences among the top five carriers.
$112 | $58 | ~10% below | |
$98 | $48 | ~22% below | |
$115 | $62 | ~8% below | |
$138 | $72 | ~10% above | |
$122 | $64 | ~2% below | |
Illinois Average | $125 | $65 | — |
National Average | $167 | $88 | — |
Illinois's state average full coverage rate of approximately $125 per month runs about 25% below the national average of $167 per month, making Illinois a moderately affordable state for car insurance. For minimum coverage, Illinois's $65 per month average is about 26% below the national average of $88 per month. The spread between the cheapest top-five carrier (Geico at $98/month) and the Illinois average ($125/month) represents a savings of roughly $27 per month, or $324 per year, for a comparable full coverage policy. Use the Illinois car insurance calculator to estimate your personalized rate based on your ZIP code, age, and driving record.
Coverage Options at Illinois's Best Car Insurance Companies
Every Illinois policy carries 25/50/20 bodily injury liability and property damage coverage per 625 ILCS 5/7-601, plus mandatory uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage at 25/50 per 625 ILCS 5/143a. UMBI cannot be waived. Underinsured motorist coverage is optional but must be offered by every insurer. Illinois does not mandate PIP coverage; first-party medical is optional medical payments coverage. Illinois's 15.2% uninsured driver rate is slightly above the national average, which makes the UMBI mandate more valuable.
Bodily injury liability | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Property damage liability | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Comprehensive | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Collision | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Uninsured/underinsured motorist | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Medical payments / PIP | ✓ (MedPay) | ✓ (MedPay) | ✓ (MedPay) | ✓ (MedPay) | ✓ (MedPay) |
Roadside assistance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ (bundled with membership) |
Rental reimbursement | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Accident forgiveness | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
New car replacement | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Rideshare coverage | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
Gap insurance | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Custom parts coverage | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Coverage total | 8/13 | 7/13 | 11/13 | 10/13 | 6/13 |
Comprehensive coverage is especially relevant in Illinois given the state's range of covered perils. Chicago's vehicle theft rate is among the highest in the Midwest, making comprehensive valuable for urban drivers. Winter weather and ice storms create windshield and body damage claims across the state each year, while hail damage is common in central and southern Illinois during spring and summer. Tornado exposure in the spring and summer months adds to the comprehensive loss profile for downstate drivers. Comprehensive protects against these losses that collision coverage does not.
Every Illinois policy carries UMBI at the 25/50 minimum per 625 ILCS 5/143a; UMBI cannot be waived or rejected. Underinsured motorist coverage must be offered by every insurer but is optional at the minimum level. UIM becomes mandatory only when the policyholder buys UM above 25/50. Illinois's 15.2% uninsured rate sits slightly above the national average, making the UMBI mandate genuinely valuable. Among the top five, Travelers and Erie include competitive UIM options above state minimum as a clearly presented add-on; Auto-Owners and AAA offer UIM but do not highlight it as prominently in the quoting process.
Erie Insurance offers the most distinctive add-on among the top five: Erie Rate Lock, which prevents your premium from increasing after a claim as long as you don't add drivers, vehicles, or change your address. For Illinois drivers in Chicago or other high-frequency urban markets, this feature provides meaningful rate stability that no other top-five carrier matches.
How to Use These Rankings to Find Your Best Illinois Carrier
Your best Illinois carrier depends on which of these profiles fits your situation.
If price is your top priorityGeico is the most affordable top-ranked carrier in Illinois, averaging approximately $98 per month for full coverage, about 22% below the Illinois state average, and $48 per month for minimum coverage. For a complete cheapest Illinois car insurance breakdown, including rates across more carriers and driver profiles, MoneyGeek's dedicated cheapest page covers the full market.
If you want the best Illinois claims experienceErie Insurance scores 880 in J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study, the highest among the five carriers ranked on this page and 37 points above the 843 regional average. Erie ranks 1st on this dimension among Illinois's top-ranked carriers. Its agent-based model and Erie Rate Lock feature make it the strongest pick for drivers who prioritize claims service and long-term rate stability over the lowest initial premium.
- If you want the best balance of price and coverage
Auto-Owners earns the highest MoneyGeek score in Illinois at 4.74/5, combining a #2 affordability rank with a #1 customer experience rank and an average full coverage rate of approximately $112 per month, about 10% below the state average. Its gap insurance and diminished value add-ons add coverage depth for drivers financing or leasing vehicles in Illinois's urban markets.
If you have a young driver in your householdGeico offers the lowest base rates for young drivers in Illinois among the top five, with good student and driver education discounts that can reduce premiums further. Adding a young driver to a multi-vehicle policy can also qualify for bundling savings. See the best home and auto bundle in Illinois for carriers that offer the strongest multi-policy discounts.
- If you have a DUI or violation on your record
Travelers offers the most competitive rates for Illinois drivers with a DUI on their record among the top five, with surcharge structures that are moderate compared to Geico and AAA. Illinois uses SR-22 (not FR-44), filed by the insurer with the Illinois Secretary of State for a three-year continuous-coverage period after a DUI. For a full breakdown of costs and carrier options, see Illinois DUI car insurance.
If you live in Chicago, Rockford, or PeoriaRates in Illinois's three largest cities run materially above the state average, with Chicago typically 30 to 50 percent above. Each city has a dedicated MoneyGeek breakdown: Chicago cheapest car insurance, Rockford cheapest car insurance, and Peoria cheapest car insurance. Among the top five on this page, Geico and Auto-Owners tend to offer the most competitive rates in Illinois's urban ZIP codes.
Best Illinois Car Insurance: FAQ
Illinois requires 25/50/20 liability coverage per 625 ILCS 5/7-601: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $20,000 property damage. Every policy must also carry uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage at 25/50 per 625 ILCS 5/143a. UMBI cannot be waived. Underinsured motorist coverage is optional at the minimum level but must be offered by every insurer. Illinois is a tort state with no PIP mandate; first-party medical coverage is optional MedPay. The $20,000 property damage floor is low for any serious accident involving newer vehicles, especially in the Chicago area.
The Illinois Secretary of State operates ILIVS (Illinois Insurance Verification System, launched July 2021), which electronically verifies insurance status via direct insurer reporting and random verification mailings. Driving uninsured triggers a $500 minimum fine ($1,000 for repeat offenses), license plate suspension, a three-month license and registration suspension, a $100 reinstatement fee, and an SR-22 requirement for three years per 625 ILCS 5/7-601. After a DUI conviction, the insurer files an SR-22 with the Illinois Secretary of State for a three-year continuous-coverage period.
Under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, an injured driver may recover damages only if they are less than 50 percent at fault; a driver 50 percent or more at fault is barred from recovery. This is structurally similar to West Virginia's 50 percent bar but distinct from Virginia, Maryland, DC, North Carolina, and Alabama, which use pure contributory negligence where 1 percent fault bars recovery. The 50 percent bar gives Illinois drivers more recovery flexibility than pure-contributory states. The Illinois Department of Insurance publishes the rule on its consumer pages.
Yes, by law. Under 625 ILCS 5/143a, every Illinois policy must carry UMBI at the 25/50 minimum matching liability bodily injury coverage; UMBI cannot be waived or rejected. Underinsured motorist coverage is optional at the minimum level but must be offered by every insurer; UIM becomes mandatory only when the policyholder buys UM above 25/50. Illinois's 15.2 percent uninsured driver rate is slightly above the national average, which makes the UMBI mandate genuinely valuable.
Illinois uses SR-22 only. SR-22 is filed by the insurer with the Illinois Secretary of State after DUI convictions, uninsured-driver accidents, and repeat violations under 625 ILCS 5/7-601, typically for three years of continuous coverage. Illinois does not use FR-44, unlike Virginia, which requires FR-44 for DUI with doubled coverage requirements. An Illinois driver with a DUI carries SR-22, not FR-44. For more detail, see Illinois SR-22 insurance.
Chicago drivers typically pay 30 to 50 percent above the Illinois state average due to high accident frequency, vehicle theft exposure, and urban density. The greater Chicago area also has a higher rate of uninsured drivers and more litigation per claim than downstate Illinois. Rockford and Peoria also carry urban premiums above the state average. See MoneyGeek's dedicated breakdown on: Chicago's cheapest car insurance and Peoria's cheapest car insurance.
Sources
- J.D. Power. "2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study." Accessed June 2026.
- J.D. Power. "2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study." Accessed June 2026.
- Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI). "Property and Casualty Market Reports." Accessed June 2026.
- 625 ILCS 5/7-601 — Mandatory Insurance Law (25/50/20 minimum liability). Accessed June 2026.
- 625 ILCS 5/143a — Mandatory uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) coverage requirement. Accessed June 2026.
- 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 — Modified comparative negligence with 50 percent bar. Accessed June 2026.
- Illinois Secretary of State Vehicle Services. "Vehicle Insurance Requirements." Accessed June 2026.
- Insurance Information Institute (III). "Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists." Accessed June 2026.
- AM Best. "Ratings Services." Accessed June 2026.
For the complete breakdown of MoneyGeek's scoring weights and rate baseline construction, see our full auto insurance methodology.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick is a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut and MoneyGeek's resident expert in insurance and economics. In nearly a decade covering the insurance market at LendingTree and MoneyGeek, he's analyzed hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.
His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR. He draws on independent cost and consumer experience data, and no insurance company partnerships affect his recommendations.
Mark studied at Boston College and later earned a master's in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University. He worked in financial risk management at State Street before joining MoneyGeek. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.