Car insurance rates in Illinois are traditionally calculated based on a driver’s age, auto make and model, driving history and other personal information. However, for high-risk drivers in Illinois, car insurance rates may be higher due to their increased risk to an insurance company.

High-risk drivers include those who have two or more traffic violations, at-fault accidents, DUIs, poor credit scores or no prior car insurance coverage. 

We have created this guide to make your search for car insurance for high-risk drivers hassle-free. It provides details on how auto insurance rates change based on infractions like speeding tickets, at-fault accidents and DUI convictions. It also reveals the cheapest car insurance companies for high-risk drivers based on driving profiles in Illinois. 

Who is a high-risk driver in Illinois?

Drivers of all age groups, those with or without experience, can be categorized as high-risk drivers by car insurance companies in Illinois if they have minor violations like speeding tickets or major violations like DUI convictions or lapses in insurance coverage.

Car insurance rates for high-risk drivers by driving profile in Illinois

The experts at CarInsurance.com have analyzed the rates for high-risk drivers based on driving profile for drivers with – speeding tickets, DUI offenses and at-fault accidents.

Here’s how each of the violations affect car insurance rates in Illinois.

Speeding tickets

In Illinois, car insurance rates increase based on the speeding limits you violate. For example, a driver who drives 1-10 MPH over the speed limit will pay 30% more for auto insurance than before having a speeding ticket.

Illinois drivers with speeding ticket violations for driving 11-29 mph over the limit pay 38% higher rates than drivers without speeding tickets. Whereas Illinois drivers with speed violations of more than 30 mph will pay 45% higher rates than drivers without speeding tickets.

Find out how much car insurance rates increase after a speeding ticket violation in Illinois.

Violation Rates after speeding ticket Rates before speeding ticket $ Difference % Increase
Speeding ticket 1-10 MPH over limit $1,782 $1,368 $414 30%
Speeding ticket 11-29 MPH over limit $1,892 $1,368 $524 38%
Speeding 30+ over limit $1,983 $1,368 $615 45%

Learn more: How much your insurance goes up after a speeding ticket

Cheapest car insurance companies in Illinois for drivers with speeding tickets

In Illinois, Geico offers the cheapest car insurance for drivers with speeding tickets at $1,173 annually. The car insurance rates offered by Geico increase by $435 after a speeding ticket violation.

Company Rates before speeding ticket Rates after speeding ticket $ Difference % Difference
Allstate $2,332 $3,118 $787 34%
American Family $1,196 $1,591 $394 33%
Auto Club Entreprises $1,806 $2,524 $718 40%
Auto-Owners $1,061 $1,218 $157 15%
Automobile Club of MI $2,576 $4,026 $1,450 56%
Erie $1,193 $1,320 $126 11%
Farmers $1,436 $2,004 $568 40%
Geico $738 $1,173 $435 59%
Mercury $1,143 $1,603 $459 40%
Nationwide $984 $1,278 $294 30%
Progressive $1,355 $1,879 $525 39%
State Farm $1,131 $1,236 $105 9%
Travelers $1,139 $1,563 $424 37%
USAA $1,280 $1,613 $333 26%

DUI offense

If you are convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) or DWI (driving while intoxicated) or OUI (operating under the influence) in Illinois, you can expect your car insurance rates to increase by 75% on an average, according to 2023 CarInsurance.com data.

Violation Rates after a DUI Rates without a DUI $ Difference % Diffrence
DUI/DWI first offense $2,388 $1,368 $1,020 75%
DUI/DWI second offense $4,050 $1,368 $2,682 196%

Here’s how much your insurance goes up after a DUI

Cheapest car insurance companies in Illinois for drivers with a DUI

State Farm offers the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with a DUI at $1,236 per year, in Illinois. The rate increases by $105 after getting a DUI offense on your driving history.

The second cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers with DUI is offered by Mercury at $1,535 a year.

See below for the auto insurance premiums offered by companies in Illinois for drivers with a DUI.

Company Rates before DUI offense Rates after 1st DUI offense Rates after 2nd DUI offense
Allstate $2,332 $3,741 $5,156
American Family $1,196 $1,591 $2,556
Auto Club Entreprises $1,806 $3,372 $6,091
Auto-Owners $1,061 $2,042 $4,397
Automobile Club of MI $2,576 $7,591 $19,915
Erie $1,193 $1,933 $2,547
Farmers $1,436 $2,086 $3,062
Geico $738 $1,565 $2,085
Mercury $1,143 $1,535 $2,210
Nationwide $984 $1,918 $2,872
Progressive $1,355 $1,561 $2,640
State Farm $1,131 $1,236 $1,236
Travelers $1,139 $1,803 $2,617
USAA $1,280 $2,660 $3,269

At-fault accident

After an at-fault collision, your car insurance premiums could spike in Illinois – unless you’ve added endorsements like accident forgiveness to your coverage.

According to a 2023 rate analysis by CarInsurance.com, on average, after an at-fault accident, car insurance rates increase by 53%.

However, there are states where car insurance companies provide coverage to the policyholder regardless of who was responsible for the collision or cover the medical expenses of the other driver. They are referred to as no-fault states and tort states.

Learn more: How much does car insurance go up after an accident?

Cheapest car insurance companies in Illinois for drivers with at-fault accidents

If you are looking for the cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident, Geico is your best bet. It offers insurance at $1,210 per year.

Company Rates before an at-fault accident Rates after an at-fault accident
Allstate $2,332 $4,402
American Family $1,196 $1,259
Auto Club Entreprises $1,806 $2,768
Auto-Owners $1,061 $1,359
Automobile Club of MI $2,576 $3,977
Erie $1,193 $1,626
Farmers $1,436 $2,211
Geico $738 $1,210
Mercury $1,143 $2,288
Nationwide $984 $1,495
Progressive $1,355 $2,079
State Farm $1,131 $1,342
Travelers $1,139 $1,639
USAA $1,280 $1,903

Reckless driving

Reckless driving is a grave offense with serious consequences. Unlike other traffic violations, it is usually classified as a misdemeanor. It carries severe penalties such as hefty fines or even imprisonment, depending on the state laws, according to Findlaw, an online legal information resource.

Compare the car insurance rates for drivers with and without a reckless driving violation in Illinois.

Violation Rates after a reckless driving Rates before a reckless driving $ Difference % Increase
Reckless driving $2,397 $1,368 $1,029 75%

Cheapest car insurance companies in Illinois for reckless driving violation

Company Rates before a reckless driving violation Rates after a reckless driving violation
Allstate $2,332 $3,741
American Family $1,196 $2,035
Auto Club Entreprises $1,806 $3,372
Auto-Owners $1,061 $2,042
Automobile Club of MI $2,576 $7,591
Erie $1,193 $1,320
Farmers $1,436 $2,378
Geico $738 $1,565
Mercury $1,143 $2,009
Nationwide $984 $1,918
Progressive $1,355 $1,954
State Farm $1,131 $1,236
Travelers $1,139 $1,803
USAA $1,280 $1,796

Cheapest car insurance options for high-risk drivers in Illinois

Use the calculator below to see the cheapest companies for high-risk drivers in Illinois by violation.

Average cost of car insurance in Illinois for high-risk driver

Select your state and risk factor below to see the insurance company and its
average annual full coverage rates.

Average Annual Car Insurance Rate for At-fault bodily injury accident in Illinois, IL is $2,092
Show Graph View
Company Name Insurance Rates
Geico $1,210
American Family $1,259
State Farm $1,342
Auto-Owners $1,359
Nationwide $1,495
Erie $1,626
Travelers $1,714
USAA $1,903
Progressive $2,079
Farmers $2,211
Mercury $2,288
Auto Club Entreprises $2,768
Automobile Club-of-MI $3,977
Allstate $4,402

How to lower your car insurance rate if you are a high-risk driver

There are ways to lower car insurance rates even if you are a high-risk driver.

Resources & Methodology

Sources

Findlaw. “Reckless driving laws by state.” Accessed January 2023.

Methodology

Data is sourced from the Auto Problems Report 2022. Rates are based on the driving profile of a 40-year-old male driver who drives a Honda Accord LX and opts for a full-coverage policy with coverage limits of 100/300/100 and a $500 comprehensive and collision deductible across around 1500 ZIP codes with 50,00,736 records from 27 companies.
Note: In most states, USAA is the cheapest company for drivers with traffic violations, but it is only available to military members, veterans, and their immediate families.

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Contributing Writer

Prachi is an insurance writer with a master’s degree in business administration. Through her writing, she hopes to help readers make smart and informed decisions about their finances. She loves to travel and write poetry.