Getting behind the wheel of a car is a big responsibility. You not only need to know the laws of the road and have a vehicle in legal, working order, but you also need to carry active auto insurance. Here’s your guide to the best car insurance in Illinois.

Buying the right auto insurance policy isn’t as easy as it sounds. Laws and regulations vary from state-to-state, there is a wide range of coverage options available, and you’d be surprised at the personal factors that can impact premium prices. You want something affordable, from a company that offers a good value. However, there are plenty of considerations when shopping around: customer service ratings, the ease of filing claims, the types of coverage offered, and, of course, the price.

As important as the price tag may be, you don’t want to base your decision on that exclusively. You want to choose a company that will be there for you if and when you actually need to file a claim. You also want coverage that protects your vehicle, belongings, and even your loved ones every time you get behind the wheel. And finding that perfect insurance company can be a bit confusing.

That’s where we come in.

We want to make the process easier for you when shopping around for the perfect Illinois auto insurance policy. After hours and hours of research, we are proud to bring you the following guide. It will not only tell you everything you need to know about your legal requirements and the types of coverage available to you, but also potential penalties, how much you can expect to pay for coverage, and which insurance companies are the best.

By the end of this guide, you should know everything there is to know about Illinois auto insurance, and be able to make a confident and informed decision about your next policy. So, let’s get started, shall we?

Compare Car Insurance Plans in Illinois

Our Top 5 Picks for the Best Car Insurance in Illinois

Illinois is one of those states with a ton of auto insurance providers to choose from. This is a good thing, as you can definitely find a company who offers exactly what you need, at the price you’re willing to pay. However, having too many options can also muddy the waters a bit.

That’s why we created this guide. We want to make your auto insurance shopping experience as easy and pain-free as possible. We want you to go into the process informed, knowing exactly what you need and are required to have, how much you can expect to pay, and which companies are going to best take care of you.

We spent more than 10 hours putting this guide together, researching the laws and regulations of the state, the features offered by the companies who provide coverage there, and even the penalties if you don’t carry the insurance you need at all times. Using all of this information, we’re able to offer you some recommendations as to the companies worth looking at, the companies you should avoid, and which ones might cater more to your specific situation better than others.

Below, we have listed five of our favorite insurance providers in Illinois. We picked one for each of the following categories based on our research and the ratings established by other industry-leading companies. However, it’s important to note that your own experience may vary. Things like your own driving record, your age, the vehicle you drive, and even the neighborhood in which you live might impact your coverage.

With that said, let’s get started, shall we? Here are our five favorite insurance providers in the Prairie State, based on their strengths and how well they take care of their customers:

• Best Overall Satisfaction: Auto Owners
• Best Customer Service: Country
• Lowest Premiums: Metromile
• Great If You Have a Perfect Record: SECURA
• Best If You Have a Less-Than-Perfect Record: Dairyland

Illinois Auto Insurance Requirements

For many of us, price is one of the biggest–if not the biggest–determining factors when shopping for a product like auto insurance. And with good reason: depending on where you live, this can be an expense of hundreds or thousands of dollars a year, and you don’t want to overpay.

You definitely want to pay attention to the cost. You want to pay attention to the customer service grades, discounts available, and even the industry reliability ratings, too. But before you do any of that and even start shopping around, you need to know what you’re required to have.

Each state has its own unique auto insurance laws. These dictate not only the type of auto insurance you’re required to carry, but also the minimum coverage amounts. Failure to carry the right kind, or level, of coverage will result in you being an unlawful driver… and that can bring with it a heap of trouble.

So, let’s take a look at what Illinois requires from its drivers. You’re always welcome to buy coverage above and beyond these limits, further protecting yourself and your assets. However, the limits below lay out the state-minimum insurance required: the amount of each type of coverage you must have before getting behind the wheel.

Coverage Type	Minimums
Bodily Injury Liability
Death or injury of one person in any one accident	$25,000 minimum
Death or injury of 2+ people in any one accident	$50,000 minimum
Property Damage Liability	$20,000 minimum

As you can see, there are actually two types of insurance coverage that you need to hold in Illinois: bodily injury liability and property damage liability. So, what’s the difference between the two?

As the name suggests, property damage liability is meant to protect various types of property. This coverage can be used to repair or replace another vehicle, someone’s home, objects, buildings, and even signs or structures, if they are damaged or destroyed as a result of an auto accident for which you are liable (or responsible). In order to be a legal driver in the state of Illinois, you will need to carry property liability coverage of no less than $20,000.

Then you have bodily injury liability. This type of coverage is intended to pay for medical bills, rehabilitation expenses, etc. if you are responsible for an accident and someone else is injured. Drivers in Illinois will need to carry a policy with at least $25k/$50k coverage. This split coverage is intended to protect one or more injured people; if you’re responsible for an accident and one person is hurt, they will receive up to $25,000 in coverage. If two or more people are injured, your $50,000 (minimum) in coverage will be split between them accordingly.

Additional Coverage

So, you now know what levels of insurance coverage you’re legally required to carry if you are going to be a lawful driver in the state of Illinois. But you’re not limited to these coverage amounts.

In fact, it’s often a good idea to buy more insurance coverage in each of those categories–or even buy optional coverage types–to further protect yourself, your vehicle, and your assets. You’ll pay more each month on your premiums, but it can provide added peace of mind and even save you thousands if you’re in an at-fault accident.

For example: let’s say that you’re at-fault for an accident and the property damages equal $25,000 (it’s easy to do, too–imagine totalling a new Corolla or even just rear-ending a Tesla). If you only have the state-minimum coverage amount of $20,000, you’d be personally on the hook for that extra $5,000.

However, if you’d purchased additional coverage through your insurance carrier, you wouldn’t have to worry about paying for those additional damages out of pocket, or being sued for them if you couldn’t afford to pay.

Penalties

Sure, it’s wise to have auto insurance coverage every time you get behind the wheel of a car. More importantly, though, it’s the law in Illinois. If you don’t carry a policy that is both valid and has adequate coverage, you’re setting yourself up for some serious penalties.

Notice that I said you need adequate coverage. It’s not enough to simply have auto insurance–you also need to ensure that you meet each of the state minimum mandates for coverage types, or you’ll be an underinsured driver (which is illegal). This is just as bad as being uninsured, as far as the law is concerned.

If you are stopped for a traffic violation or involved in an accident (regardless of fault), you’ll be asked to provide proof of your auto insurance coverage. If you don’t have valid coverage at that time, you’ll be issued a citation. When that turns into a conviction, you can expect some stiff fines.

• For the first violation, you’ll be fined no less than $500
• Additional violations, or violations for continuing to drive even after your license plates are suspended for a previous insurance violation, are given a fine of no less than $1,000

In order to reinstate your license plates following a violation, you’ll need to provide current proof of coverage and also pay a $100 reinstatement fee. If you’re a repeat offender, you’ll be required to provide the same proof and pay the same fee, but only after a mandatory four-month suspension period.

As inconvenient as it would be to pay fines and even have your plates suspended while you purchase adequate coverage, it’s the least of your concerns when driving un(der)insured.

A Bigger Risk

The thought of a $500-$1,000+ fine and license plate suspension might be enough to deter you from driving without state-minimum auto insurance coverage. However, that’s not actually the thing that should worry you the most.

You should be most scared of getting in an accident.

No one leaves their driveway in the morning thinking that they will be responsible for a car accident, yet it happens all across the state every day. As great of a record as you may have or as responsible of a driver as you may be, you could still inadvertently cause a car accident… and if you do, you’ll have more to worry about than just a citation.

Yes, you’ll receive a citation following an accident (regardless of fault), if you don’t have the proper insurance coverage. If you’re at-fault, though, you’ll also be responsible for the personal injuries, car repairs, and any other property damage that occurred as a result of the accident. Without auto insurance, you’ll be stuck paying for these expenses out of pocket.

If you don’t have enough savings to cover repairing or replacing the other driver’s car, covering their medical bills, etc., you could be sued for the damages. Your future wages could be garnished and your assets seized… such as your home, other vehicles, savings accounts, property, and more.

Makes those monthly auto insurance premiums seem a little less painful in comparison, don’t you think?

Proof of Insurance

After you buy, or renew, an auto insurance policy, you’ll be provided with proof of insurance. This document, also called your insurance card (whether or not it’s an actual “card”), will serve as your personal reference guide to your policy as well as give proof of valid coverage whenever you’re required to provide it.

Some insurance companies will mail you an actual plastic insurance card, which you can keep in your wallet alongside your driver’s license and credit cards. Some companies will just send you a sheet of paper with the information, while others will provide you with a PDF online or via email, which you can print from home.

Today’s insurance companies also offer mobile apps, where you can access all of your policy documents (including your proof of insurance). If you’re on-the-go and get into an accident or are asked to provide proof, the mobile app can be a quick way to pull it up.

No matter which medium you’re offered or what you choose to utilize, the fact remains: you’ll need to have accessible proof of auto insurance coverage on your person at all times when you’re behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Your proof of insurance will include certain information. Depending on the company you buy coverage from, this information could include your:

• Name (as the insured) and the names of others covered under the same policy
• Vehicles covered under the policy
• Policy number
• Dates of valid coverage
• Insurance company’s name, address, and phone number

Some companies will also include things like your policy limits or state-mandated minimums on the insurance card.

Random Sampling

Illinois is one of the states that can, and will, randomly request that you provide proof of valid coverage. This is done through a sampling questionnaire, where drivers are chosen entirely at random by a computer and asked to prove their compliance.

If the computer chooses you to participate in the random sampling, you’ll be sent a questionnaire. It is mandatory that you respond, and you’ll need to provide both your insurance company and policy number to prove that you have valid coverage.

If you don’t have coverage, or simply don’t return the questionnaire as required, your license plates will be suspended.

Average Cost of Coverage in Illinois

The cost of auto insurance can have a pretty wide range, depending on the company you choose, the coverage you need, and even your own personal factors. No one wants to overpay for premiums, but there’s also some merit to the old adage, “you get what you pay for.”

At the end of the day, though, cost is a factor to most of us and our budgets dictate that we have to shop smart. That’s why it’s important to know what the average cost of insurance is in Illinois, how much you can afford, and which insurance companies will give you the most value for that price.

Compared to other states, auto insurance rates in Illinois are just below the national average. While the actual premiums you’ll pay will depend on a number of factors–like your age, driving record, vehicle, coverage level, and area in which you live–it’s good to know that, on average, drivers in the Prairie State are paying less than half the country.

Based on info provided by Quote Wizard, we found that the average auto insurance policy in Illinois will run drivers about $804 per year. Considering that the national average is currently $889.01 per year, you’ll save a fair amount of cash each year by living in this state.

It’s important to remember that this average accounts for all policies purchased in the state, so it must be taken with a grain of salt. Drivers who buy full-coverage auto insurance with comprehensive coverage are included. Drivers who only buy state-minimum liability coverage are included. Both sides can skew the average, so we’ve broken it down further for you.

As mentioned, the average cost for auto insurance in the state is $803.64. This includes all policies for all drivers. For drivers who only buy liability coverage, though, the average annual cost is $446.72. For the drivers who opt for collision coverage, this will add an average of $309.71 a year. And if you want comprehensive coverage on top of that, expect an average premium bump of $128.13 annually.

Coverage	Price
LIability	$446.72
Collision	$309.71
Comprehensive	$128.13
Total Cost Per Year	$803.64
Price Per Month	$66.97

Once again, though: these are only averages. Depending on the level of coverage you want to buy and your own personal factors, your premiums could vary in either direction. Plus, you may also qualify for certain discounts through select insurers, which could impact your price tag.

Discounts are often offered for being a safe driver, student, military member, or for purchasing multiple-driver policies. If you bundle multiple insurance products together–such as your auto insurance and homeowner’s or life insurance–you can also snag a lower price.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Illinois

We all want to know where to find the best deal, whether we’re talking about auto insurance or tennis shoes. You may have even scrolled through this article until you found this specific section, just to learn where you can buy the cheapest car insurance in the state.

And we will get to that. However, it’s important to note a few things.

First is that, as with many things in life, “cheap” does not equal “quality.” Just because you find that a company offers a rock-bottom price for your auto insurance policy doesn’t mean that they are the right option for you. You want to choose a company that meets your needs, fits your budget, and will be there for you if you ever need to actually file a claim. The only thing worse than overpaying for insurance would be choosing a company that didn’t stand behind their customers.

The second thing to note is that the insurer who is cheapest for you may not be the same one that’s cheapest for your mom, your brother, or even your best friend. Some companies might prefer drivers with squeaky-clean records and decades of driving experience. Others might specialize in offering policies to those with a few blemishes, but who are looking for reliable coverage now.

It’s important to find out which company is cheapest for you, then decide who actually gives you the best value.

To start figuring out which companies offer the most affordable coverage in Illinois, we created Tom. Tom is our sample driver, who will allow us to see if there are insurers who are consistently priced lower than the others, giving you an idea of where to start your search.

Tom is a 30-year-old single man, who lives in Peoria (we’ll talk about the significance of this later). He graduated from college with his bachelor’s degree, owns his own condo, and drives a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.

Here’s a look at what Tom can expect to pay from some of the leading insurers in the state, when searching for minimum liability coverage:

Insurance Company	Monthly Premium
Metromile	$40
Utica National Insurance Group	$47
SECURA	$49
Country	$61
Dairyland	$65
Cincinnati Insurance	$66
Rockford Mutual	$69
Safe Auto	$73
American Family	$80
Auto Club Group	$92
The General	$97
State Auto	$135
Liberty Mutual	$144
Nationwide	$172
State Farm	$185

Insurance premiums are impacted by the driver’s location, though–sometimes significantly. Peoria is a city with an average premium rate just below the state’s overall average. Let’s see how much more Tom could expect to pay each month if he lived in a higher-cost area, like Chicago, instead.

Insurance Company	Monthly Premium
Metromile	$39
Utica National Insurance Group	$59
SECURA	$57
Country	$74
Dairyland	$150
Cincinnati Insurance	$99
Rockford Mutual	$111
American Family	$113
Auto Club Group	$128
State Auto	$190
Liberty Mutual	$210

As you can see, almost all of the insurance providers’ quotes went up significantly. The exception was Metromile which, shockingly, went down $1. However, Tom is stuck paying quite a bit more for his state-minimum coverage just for living in a more metropolitan area.

Regardless of where he lives, Metromile seems to be a budget-friendly option. Following that company, Tom (or you) may want to look into Utica, SECURA, and Country, as they are consistently affordable insurers.

Cost of Auto Insurance in Illinois

So, we have shown you how much “Tom” can expect to pay for his state-mandated auto insurance coverage, whether he lives in a city like Peoria or a more expensive area, like Chicago. But how does this relate to how much you can expect to pay for your auto insurance?

As we mentioned before, we can’t tell you precisely how much your premiums will run. In order to do that, we would need to know any number of personal factors about you–ranging from your age, address, and marital status to your vehicle type, how many miles you drive, and even your credit score.

The different things that can impact your premiums include your:

• Age
• Gender
• Marital status
• Driving record
• Education
• Vehicle(s) covered
• Whether your vehicle is financed, leased, or paid in full
• ZIP code
• Whether you own or rent your home
• Miles driven each year and the purpose of those miles (work commute, pleasure, etc.)
• How much coverage you want

Plus, every auto insurance provider weighs each of these factors uniquely, resulting in the difference in premiums that you’ll see when requesting quotes.

As you already know, though, the average annual premium amongst Illinois drivers is just under $804 a year, with $447 being the average liability-only cost. So, that gives you a baseline of what to expect.

Here’s what we can do to help you narrow your expected costs down further, though. We have created a few sample driver profiles (just like Tom from above, except even more detailed), and gotten insurance quotes for each of them. We used both insurance quote aggregators and specific insurers’ quote engines to find these numbers, offering you an even clearer idea of how much you’ll likely spend on coverage.

Of course, you probably won’t perfectly relate to any of these four sample drivers. However, you are probably closer to one of them than the others, and can at least determine which companies are worth looking at first, just based on these numbers. You can also see how specific factors might impact prices, so you can be prepared to see the same impacts on your own quotes.

Our Subjects

All four of our sample drivers live in Highland Park, IL, within the 60040 area code. Why did we pick this city? It’s average annual auto insurance cost is only $2 above the state median, making it a good middle ground.

Our first sample driver is Little Timmy, 22. He’s just your typical college kid, living in an apartment and paying off his 2012 Chevrolet Impala. He has average credit, and has also managed to get two speeding tickets in the last couple of years. Timmy also drives about 15,000 miles a year between school, work, and heading home to do his laundry on the weekends.

Our second sample drivers are John and Jane Smith, a 42-year-old married couple. Both have their bachelor’s degrees, they own their home, have good credit, and they each drive about 16,000 miles a year. They have a paid-off 2011 Chevrolet Equinox and are still paying on their 2014 Toyota Sienna. Both have excellent driving records, except for a small fender bender that Jane was responsible for two years ago.

Next up, we have Straight-Laced Sally. As the name implies, she’s a pretty ideal driver –at 35-years-old, she has a perfect driving record, excellent credit, and a college degree. She drives her 2010 Toyota Camry approximately 10,000 miles a year and owns her condo.

Last but not least, we have Grandpa Joe, 65. He has a clean driving record, good credit, a college degree from many years ago, and owns his home. He also drives his 1998 Honda Civic about 8,000 miles a year.

To reiterate: you probably won’t be a perfect match to any of these sample drivers. However, there is probably one of them that you lean toward, who you can relate to more than the others. This might be in terms of your driving record, age, or even your vehicle and the number of miles you drive in a given year. You can use this connection to gauge how premiums change from provider to provider for the same driver, to see which companies you should research first.

With that said: here’s a look at the quotes we received for each of our four Highland Park drivers. All quotes are for basic, state-minimum coverage, and are provided by The Zebra.

	Little Timmy	John & Jane Smith	Straight-Laced Sally	Grandpa Joe
Dairyland	$112/month	$95	$75	$64
Metromile	not given	not given	$67	$28
Safe Auto	$140	$96	$71	$69
Liberty Mutual	not given	$192	$136	$49
Elephant	not given	not given	$81	not given
Country	$178	$122	$57	$45
SECURA	$185	$85	$45	$42
The General	not given	$219	$111	$108
Pekin Insurance	not given	not given	$82	$48
Rockford Mutual	$255	$130	$63	$51
Cincinnati Insurance	$293	$161	$72	$55
Hastings Mutual	not given	$98	$67	$61
Utica National Insurance Group	not given	not given	$51	$66
Auto Club Group	$300	$228	$100	$90
American Family	$323	$271	$84	$77
State Auto	$640	$240	$140	$138

As you can tell, costs can vary significantly. The change is not only dependent on drivers’ individual factors, but also varies from one issuer to another. You can expect to find similar results when searching around for your own policy.

We do see some patterns, though, that might help you when price-hunting. For instance, Utica and Metromile weren’t available for all of our drivers, but for those who did receive rates, they were some of the cheapest providers around. Dairyland was also one of the most competitive for each of our drivers, while State Auto was the priciest for everyone.

We also see the impact that an accident or traffic citation can have on insurance premiums. Poor Timmy is going to be paying an arm and a leg for coverage; hopefully, he can work on that lead foot. After driving record, age seems to be the next-most-important factor in pricing. While the other factors–such as your education and credit score–definitely play a role in your premiums, they seem to be much less impactful.

Illinois’s Unique Car Insurance Rules

Each state plays by its own rules, and this is definitely the case when it comes to auto insurance. This means that each state has its own laws, regulations, and even quirky ways of going about managing drivers and their insurance policies.

Here are a few things you’ll find when buying auto insurance in Illinois that you won’t find everywhere else.

Illinois Automobile Insurance Plan (ILAIP)

Being a high-risk driver can cause many issues, whether it’s due to a failure to pay past auto insurance premiums, too many accidents/citations, or convictions of offenses like DUI/DWI. One of the lasting impacts is that you’ll have trouble finding an insurance provider who actually wants to offer you a policy. You may even have your current coverage canceled by your existing provider, leaving you high and dry and unable to legally drive.

If you are a high-risk driver who cannot seem to find a company willing to sell you auto insurance, you’ll need to turn to the Illinois Automobile Insurance Plan, or ILAIP. The ILAIP was designed to connect these otherwise-denied drivers with insurance companies who will offer them policies for a set number of years.

The ILAIP opens the door for struggling drivers to actually find state-mandated coverage, but it doesn’t mean that said coverage will come cheap (or even be affordable!). These auto insurance policies will usually cost quite a bit more than the average, in fact. However, if it’s between an expensive policy made possible through ILAIP or simply being denied coverage by all providers, this could be your only choice.

ILAIP isn’t an insurance provider; instead, they cycle through and assign high-risk drivers to the different providers in the state. These providers are required to offer policies to the assigned drivers, charging up to the Plan’s established maximum cost. These ILAIP policies can last one year or multiple years, and your insurer isn’t required to renew your policy once their assigned term has ended.

Once your ILAIP term ends, you can begin your search on the voluntary market. However, if you still have trouble finding a provider who will offer you a policy, you can apply for ILAIP coverage again.

SR-22 Certificate

Certain driving missteps–like DUI/DWIs, too many driving citations, reckless driving, or not carrying adequart auto insurance coverage–can result in some serious penalties. One of those penalties is being required to carry an SR-22 certificate.

These are not utilized in every state, but Illinois does issue the requirement when warranted. If you’re told that you need to carry one of these certificates, you can expect it to be a bit more difficult (and much more expensive) the next time you shop around for an auto insurance policy.

Those with an SR-22 requirement will need to purchase an SR-22 auto insurance policy. These policies can range in length from one to five years, and are designed for high-risk drivers who would otherwise not be allowed behind the wheel.

Once you’ve purchased an appropriate policy, the Office of the Secretary of State will file to get your SR-22 certificate issued. Without the filing of the SR-22 certificate (following your purchase of a compatible policy), your license will simply be suspended in the state.

Credit Can Be a Factor

You know how important your credit score and history can be. It impacts everything from your interest rates to approval on things like a home mortgage or even credit card applications. Did you know that it can also affect your auto insurance premiums, though?

That’s right: depending on your credit history and even your FICO score, you could see your auto insurance costs go up or down. Not all states allow credit score to be factored into the cost of premiums, but Illinois does.

You may be asked for your approximate score when requesting an insurance quote. Insurance companies may also run a soft pull on your credit report to get an idea of where your score stands as well as see any negative reports you may have.

It’s important to note that an insurance company cannot deny you auto insurance coverage based on your credit score alone. They also can’t cancel an existing policy that you already have just because of negative credit issues. However, they can charge you more or less based on these factors.

Your ZIP Code Matters

As you saw in our Tom example above, location matters. Living in a more rural area can often result in a lower auto insurance premium (probably because less traffic and crime results in less opportunity for accidents or other damage), whereas living in a metropolitan area is usually more expensive. You may even find that moving a couple blocks away–and winding up in a different ZIP code–can substantially change your premiums in either direction.

Your personal factors will still matter quite a bit when it comes to how much you’ll pay. But as much as your driving record and age and vehicle and miles driven matter, your ZIP code also matters. And some ZIP codes can mean premiums that are almost double what they would be in other areas of the state.

Top Car Insurance Companies in Illinois

So, which auto insurance companies are other Illinoisans choosing? Are there certain providers that are more popular than others, and why?

We did the research to find out who the most popular providers are in the state, and just how much of the market share they hold. Here’s a look at the top five companies in the state:

Being popular doesn’t always equate to being good, though. We also wanted to find out how these companies measured up in terms of quality, rather than just relying on just quantity.

Let’s look at how each of these insurance providers stacks up in terms of customer service and financial stability. When it comes time to file a claim against your policy, those are the things that will matter most… not their popularity.

Customer Satisfaction

No one wants to overpay for auto insurance (or any purchase, for that matter). More important than the cost, though, is whether you buy a product that will be there when you actually need to use it. Auto insurance is no different–you want to ensure that you choose a company that will have your back if and when you ever need to utilize your coverage.

Popularity says something about a company and its customers, but it’s not the whole picture. You can hold the biggest market share and still be a company that doesn’t really take care of your customers. This is why customer service ratings are so very important; if other customers find that an insurer takes care of them when the time comes to file a claim, there’s a good chance they will take care of you in the same situation.

This is why we took the time to compare service and financial security ratings. We looked at the five most popular insurers, giving you a good idea of how they compare and how their existing customers think of them. This way, you can have a comprehensive idea of which ones are worth a second look… regardless of the price.

To adequately gauge this, we used the scores and evaluations from two leading industry authorities: JD Power and A.M. Best. Both are respected throughout the industry and offer us a comprehensive view of the reliability, strength, and performance of each of these auto insurance providers. With their ratings, you can get a great overall idea of which company will best take care of your needs.

State Farm

Talk about dominating the market here. In Illinois, State Farm accounts for a whopping 29.5% of the auto insurance market. They aren’t the highest-ranked company according to JD Power, but they do have ratings worth applauding:

• A.M. Best: “A++” (Superior) financial strength rating and “aa+” long-term issuer credit rating
• JD Power: #6 in the region with a 4-star overall satisfaction rating

Country

This auto insurance provider covers 7.6% of the drivers in the Prairie State, bringing in second-place. It’s interesting to see just how far of a difference there is between the first- and second-place companies, though Country actually has better customer satisfaction ratings than the insurer above:

• A.M. Best: “A+” (Superior) financial strength rating and “aa-” long-term issuer credit rating
• JD Power: #3 with a 5-star overall satisfaction rating

Allstate

Next up is Allstate, with the third-largest share of Illinois drivers at 6.7%. They have average satisfaction ratings, too:

• A.M. Best: “A+” (Superior) financial strength rating but “aa-” long-term issuer credit rating
• JD Power: #10 in the region with a 3-star overall satisfaction rating

American Family

This insurance provider doesn’t have a nationally-recognized name, but they have decent quality ratings. They also hold 4.6% of the Illinois market.

• A.M. Best: “A” (Excellent) financial strength rating with an “a+” long-term issuer credit rating
• JD Power: #11 in the region with a 3-star rating in overall satisfaction

Farmers

Bringing up fifth place is Farmers, carrying 4.1% of the Illinois market. While there are still many companies who hold smaller market shares in Illinois, there aren’t too many who scored lower on JD Power’s customer satisfaction survey:

• A.M. Best: “A” (Excellent) financial strength rating and an “a” long-term issuer credit rating
• JD Power: #19 in the region with a 2-star overall satisfaction rating

It might also be interesting to note that while Auto Owners Insurance didn’t make it onto our market share list, they were given the highest award by JD Power for customer satisfaction. They beat out every other company on the list–even insurers like USAA, who always top the list on quality–to score 5 stars.

Need More?

Whether this is your first auto insurance policy or your fifteenth, the process can be confusing. We hope that this guide has helped you determine how much you should be paying, what you need, and which factors will impact your coverage.

However, if you still have questions or concerns, or have specific issues that weren’t addressed here, you can always get help directly. You can contact the state’s insurance division directly or check out their website, which includes various resources and fact sheets to help resolve any residual issues you may have.

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Topics: Auto Insurance • Insurance

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