The Illinois Secretary of State (ISOS) requires all motorists to carry at least state-mandated minimums for personal injury and property damage liability protection to legally drive on public roads.
Basic Auto Insurance
According to the ISOS, the minimum allowable limits for auto insurance coverage in Illinois are:
- $25,000 for injury or death of one person in an accident.
- $50,000 for all injuries or deaths in an accident.
- $20,000 for property damage of another person.
The state-required minimums only protect motorists against the costs of legal liability, up to policy limits, for injuries or property damage caused to others during an at-fault accident. Personal injury and property damage liability coverage does not insure the vehicle, owner or driver against injuries or damages incurred during an at-fault accident.
Although it is not a mandated coverage, Illinois requires auto insurers to automatically include coverage for uninsured/underinsured motorists protection with all initial insurance plans. It covers the costs of injuries or property damage caused by hit-and-run drivers and those who have either no insurance coverage or an insufficient level to cover all costs from an auto accident. Policyholders have the option of rejecting the coverage or even increasing it.
Required Insurance Documents
You must carry proof of insurance with you at all times while driving. Your auto insurer will provide you with copies of your insurance coverage that lists the minimum liability protections, the make, model and VIN number of the insured vehicle, and any named insured drivers, if any.
Some car owners can designate specific drivers for whom coverage is in force. That helps to keep auto insurance rates lower when a household might have a teen driver or an adult with a recent DUI conviction, which could cause an increase in auto insurance rates.
Your Insurance Card
You insurer-issued proof of insurance card should be small enough to fit inside your wallet or purse. It provides all of the basic information about the liability insurance and other coverages in place on the vehicle. It lists the make, model and VIN number of the vehicle and its registration address as well as the name of the policyholder.
Keeping the insurance card inside the insured vehicle in a location where you can retrieve it easily and in a manner that enables a police officer to see your hands at all times helps. So does having it ready along with your driver’s license and both hands visible at all times so that the officer will not consider you to be a possible threat.
Insurance Fraud
Insurance fraud is a felony in Illinois and incurs potentially high fines and a possible prison sentence. Lying about the causes of an auto accident or the extent of personal injuries or property damages is subject to criminal prosecution.
How to Report Fraud to the State
The Illinois Department of Insurance accepts and investigates reports of potential insurance fraud. The state has a separate investigation unit for worker’s compensation fraud and another one for all other insurance fraud complaints, including auto insurance fraud.