Best Car Insurance in Illinois of 2024

According to the most recent data from the Illinois Department of Insurance, Allstate is the second-highest writer of private passenger auto liability insurance in Illinois after State Farm, with a market share of about 9 percent.² Allstate has agents in over 150 cities in Illinois, including Chicago, Aurora, and Joliet.

Allstate also earned the highest ranking of the companies we surveyed on the Service sector of J.D. Power’s 2024 Insurance Digital Experience Study with 716 out of 1000 points.³ Learn about what Illinois drivers value most about Allstate below.

Savings for Safe Drivers

Allstate recently revamped its Drivewise program, a telematics-based app that tracks driving data. To participate, you will download the mobile app and sign up—triggering immediate savings of 10 percent for signing up and 6 percent for remaining active in the program. Additional savings of up to 40 percent will result from avoiding behaviors like speeding, sudden braking, and late-night driving. You can check the app for driving insights, trip summaries, plus help if you get into an accident.

Allstate also has a safe driving bonus program that reduces your deductible by $100 the day you sign up and $100 each year you drive accident-free up to a $500 total discount.

Allstate Ride for Hire

Like State Farm and USAA, Allstate offers rideshare coverage in Illinois. If you drive for a rideshare company like Lyft or Uber, it’s important to be familiar with the limitations of your auto policy. Personal insurance policies do not cover commercial driving, and your rideshare company’s insurance coverage covers you only when you have passengers in the car.

This means that if you get into an accident while you wait for a ride request or drive to pick up a customer, neither your rideshare company nor your coverage will cover the costs. Like State Farm and USAA, Allstate offers rideshare insurance. You can add its Ride for Hire coverage to your policy as optional coverage. Allstate’s Ride for Hire provides deductible gap coverage to pay for damage to your vehicle up to $2,500. Ride for Hire coverage covers you while you are signed in to your rideshare app.

Excellent Digital Tools

Allstate’s mobile app offers Illinois drivers a convenient and feature-rich tool to manage their insurance needs on the go. The app provides easy access to digital ID cards, which can be added to Apple or Google Wallet for quick retrieval. Illinois drivers can use the app to pay bills, view policy details, and manage claims, all from their smartphones.

Allstate’s digital experience has been recognized for its quality. The company scored above average in J.D. Power’s Insurance Digital Experience Study for both shopping (5 points above average) and service (15 points above average) categories, indicating a user-friendly and efficient digital platform. Additionally, Allstate offers fully online quotes, making it easy for Illinois residents to explore their insurance options without leaving home.

Other useful features for Illinois drivers include:

• Crash detection, which can quickly connect users with help in case of an accident
• Search for direct (“in-network”) repair shops
• Find the best gas prices nearby
• On-demand roadside assistance

By combining these features with the potential for insurance savings through Drivewise, Allstate’s mobile app offers Illinois drivers a comprehensive tool for managing their auto insurance and enhancing their overall driving experience.

Direct Auto has over 30 years of experience protecting drivers with its range of coverage options. The company aims to provide low car insurance rates for high-risk drivers and strong coverage to all drivers, regardless of their driving history. With its specialization in nonstandard auto insurance, Direct Auto is great for those who need SR-22 certifications or who are high-risk drivers. Unlike the other providers on our list, Direct Auto caters specifically to high-risk drivers who may struggle to find coverage elsewhere.

SR-22s in Illinois

An SR-22 certifies you meet the minimum insurance requirements. In Illinois, an SR-22 may be required for individuals with safety responsibility suspensions, unsatisfied suspensions, license revocations, mandatory insurance supervisions, and people who receive three or more convictions for mandatory insurance violations.

Not all insurance agencies can provide an SR-22, but Direct Auto specializes in high-risk drivers and can submit the SR-22 on your behalf. You can add an SR-22 to your Direct Auto policy by speaking with an agent in person or over the phone.

Once you pay Direct Auto for the SR-22 filing, it will submit a request from its central office. From there, the Secretary of State’s office may take up to 30 days to process it. Remember to renew your SR-22 a minimum of 45 days ahead of expiration.⁴

Discounts

Unfortunately, high-risk drivers will pay more than average for auto insurance. Companies determine your risk by looking at your driving history, including DUIs, reckless driving citations, hit-and-runs, and multiple at-fault accidents. You may also be considered high risk if you have a low credit score. If you’re a high-risk driver, insurance companies may deny you outright. They may also deny you indirectly, for example by quoting an exorbitant premium that is unrealistic for most people to pay.

Because your risk determination impacts your premium, you should work with an auto insurance company that provides discounts. There are many ways to save with Direct Auto:

Flexible Payment Options

With Direct Auto, you can customize your payment plan to fit how and when you wish to pay for your policy. Here are the different ways you can choose to pay for your insurance:

• Online: Enter your credit, debit, or checking account information, and you can pay your bills without logging in.
• By phone: Call 1-877-GO-DIRECT to pay your bills over the phone.
• MyAccount insurance portal: Set up your MyAccount portal to make monthly payments or set up AutoPay.
• Mobile app: Make payments anytime with a credit card or electronic check through the Direct Auto mobile app.

USAA provides some of the most affordable insurance policies for its customer base, which includes active-duty military members, veterans, and their families. Customers have saved an average of $725 annually with USAA, thanks to its expansive list of discounts. Our research finds that USAA offers the lowest rate for teen drivers in Illinois at $4,128 on average.

Competitive Rates

Along with State Farm, USAA offers some of the cheapest rates in Illinois. For instance, according to the company, the average annual cost for a USAA policy issued in Illinois was $1,896 as of 2023, and your rates may be even lower depending on your driving history and other factors. Nationally, USAA customers saved an average of $725 per year by switching companies. As the largest insurer of military members, USAA policyholders can achieve low rates with discounts:

Strong Customer Satisfaction Ratings

USAA has maintained above-average customer satisfaction ratings from third-party organizations such as J.D. Power and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). USAA’s superior ratings indicate its trustworthiness, reliability, and history of quickly responding to complaints. It holds the highest regional J.D. Power customer satisfaction score, well ahead of next-highest rated State Farm and Allstate.

Usage-Based Insurance

As of March 2023, Illinois residents are eligible for USAA’s usage-based insurance (UBI) through its company Noblr. If you have low annual mileage and drive safely, you could save on your premium with Noblr’s telematic-based mobile app. Rated 3.8 out of 5 stars on both Google Play and the App Store, the Noblr app measures the following behaviors to calculate your potential savings:

• Number of miles driven
• Acceleration
• Braking
• Time of day
• Distracted driving

Since Allstate discontinued Drivewise in Illinois, USAA is the only company on our list to offer pay-per-mile insurance in the state. However, if you don’t qualify for USAA, State Farm has a low mileage discount you can take advantage of, and its telematics discount (Drive Safe & Save) will reward you for low mileage.

State Farm consistently had some of the cheapest auto insurance rates we found in our research. It also provides a range of insurance products to meet the diverse needs of its customers. State Farm is known for its bundling discount, which enables customers to combine their auto insurance with other insurance products, such as home and life insurance, to access savings. Along with USAA and Allstate, State Farm offers robust coverage for classic and vintage cars. And like Allstate, State Farm has local agents in hundreds of cities across Illinois.

Low Rates from State Farm

State Farm offered the lowest rates across multiple categories we researched in Illinois. Its full coverage auto insurance costs an average of $1,384—over $300 less than the statewide average of $1,727. It also offered the cheapest rates for drivers after a DUI, at-fault accident, or speeding ticket in Illinois.

Great Bundling Options

As one of the largest auto insurance providers in the industry, State Farm offers multiple kinds of insurance policies beyond auto. If you own a home or other property, you could save up to 25 percent by buying more than one policy from State Farm. Here is a list of the insurance policies you can choose from:

Multiple Ways to Save for Safe Drivers

State Farm offers extra savings for drivers who participate in one of its safe driving programs, Drive Safe & Save and Steer Clear. Drive Safe & Save is available to any State Farm customer in Illinois, while Steer Clear is exclusively for young drivers.

Vintage and Classic Car Coverage

State Farm distinguishes itself by providing coverage for vintage and classic cars, which not all auto insurers offer. A classic car is 10 to 24 years old, and an antique car is 25 or older. Your State Farm agent will work with you to determine an agreed value for your classic or antique car. State Farm uses this agreed value and your deductible to calculate your monthly premium.

Classic car coverage is different from regular car insurance in a few ways. Firstly, repairing classic cars requires skilled labor and specific, often hard-to-find or special-order, parts. Additionally, it is more difficult to determine the value of classic cars, as their values appreciate over time.