Illinois auto insurance minimum coverage.
The exact statutory minimums every Illinois driver must carry, plus the additional coverages most Illinois drivers should carry. Implemented from 625 ILCS 5/7-203 (mandatory minimums) and 215 ILCS 5/143a (mandatory UM/UIM). Cross-references our Insurance Claims pillar and Illinois Law pillar.
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Illinois requires every driver to carry minimum auto insurance of $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $20,000 property damage liability, plus $25,000/$50,000 uninsured motorist coverage. Driving without these minimums is a violation of Illinois law under 625 ILCS 5/7-203.
Bodily injury (per person)
$25,000
Bodily injury (per accident)
$50,000
Property damage
$20,000
Uninsured motorist
$25K/$50K
Mandatory Illinois minimums (required by law)
Illinois is one of the most strictly-enforced compulsory insurance states. Every motor vehicle registered in Illinois must carry these four coverages at minimum. Driving without them is a violation of the Illinois Vehicle Code carrying suspension of vehicle registration and driving privileges.
Bodily Injury Liability (per person)
$25,000
Pays for injuries to any one person you injure in a crash you cause. Covers medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages owed to that one person.
625 ILCS 5/7-203
Bodily Injury Liability (per accident)
$50,000
Total maximum payable to all people you injure in a single crash. The $25K per-person limit still applies to each individual; the $50K is the aggregate cap.
625 ILCS 5/7-203
Property Damage Liability
$20,000
Pays for property damage you cause: the other vehicle, a fence, a building, a guardrail, or any other property. Per accident maximum.
625 ILCS 5/7-203
Uninsured Motorist (UM)
$25K / $50K
Pays for your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance or fled the scene (hit-and-run). Required by Illinois law as part of every auto policy.
215 ILCS 5/143a
Why minimum coverage is dangerously inadequate
Illinois minimums were set decades ago and have not kept pace with medical inflation. A single ambulance ride and emergency room visit in Chicago can exceed $15,000. A single MRI is $2,000 to $4,000. A surgical hospitalization can exceed $100,000 before rehabilitation. The state minimums are mathematically incapable of covering serious injury cases.
Scenario 1: Single Vehicle Hit, Serious Injury
You are rear-ended on the Kennedy Expressway. Your injuries require ER, MRI, three months of physical therapy, and outpatient surgery. Total bills: $85,000. Lost wages: $18,000. Pain and suffering claim: $90,000. Total damages: $193,000.Scenario 2: Multi-Vehicle Crash on I-94
A minimum-policy driver causes a 5-car pileup on the Dan Ryan. Four of the five injured occupants need ER and follow-up care. Combined medical bills: $120,000.This is why every Illinois driver should carry significantly more than the minimums, both for liability protection and for UM/UIM protection against the high percentage of Illinois drivers carrying only minimum coverage or no insurance at all.
Underinsured Motorist (UIM): the gap-filler
Illinois law also requires insurance carriers to offer Underinsured Motorist coverage (UIM) equal to your UM/Bodily Injury limits. UIM pays the gap when the at-fault driver has insurance but their policy is too low to cover your damages. Under 215 ILCS 5/143a-2, UIM is offered with your policy and must be rejected in writing to be excluded.
Underinsured Motorist (UIM)
Up to BI limits
Pays the gap when the at-fault driver's coverage is too low. Critical for catastrophic injury cases. Most insurers offer UIM matching your BI limits.
215 ILCS 5/143a-2
Medical Payments (MedPay)
$1K to $25K typical
No-fault coverage for medical bills regardless of who caused the crash. Pays quickly while liability is being sorted out. Optional but inexpensive.
215 ILCS 5/143a-2(3)
Stacking UM/UIM coverage (doubling your protection)
Illinois allows UM/UIM coverage to be stacked across multiple vehicles on the same policy and, in some cases, across multiple policies in the same household. Stacking can dramatically increase available coverage in a single accident.
Intra-policy stacking
If you have a policy covering three vehicles, each with $100,000 UIM, you may be able to stack to $300,000 of UIM coverage available in a single crash. Whether stacking is available depends on your policy language and Illinois case law interpretation.
Inter-policy stacking
Some Illinois cases also permit stacking across separate policies in the same household, such as a husband's and wife's separate policies. This is heavily fact-dependent and policy-language-dependent.
UM/UIM also applies when you are not driving
This is the most under-used coverage feature in Illinois. Your own UM/UIM coverage applies when you are injured as a pedestrian, bicyclist, or passenger in another vehicle, including a rideshare. If a pedestrian is hit by an uninsured driver in the Loop, the pedestrian's own UM coverage from their personal auto policy can apply to the crash. Many Illinois claims go unrecovered because the injured party did not know their own UM/UIM coverage applied.
Optional but recommended coverages
Beyond the mandatory and statutorily-offered coverages, Illinois drivers commonly add:
Collision Coverage
Pays for damage to your own vehicle in a crash, regardless of fault. Subject to deductible. Required by most auto lenders if you have a car loan.
Comprehensive Coverage
Pays for non-collision damage to your vehicle: theft, vandalism, weather, falling objects, animal strikes. Often required by lenders.
Rental Reimbursement
Pays for a rental vehicle while yours is being repaired. Inexpensive add-on; valuable in commuter situations.
Umbrella Policy
Excess liability coverage typically $1 million or more, sitting on top of your auto and homeowners policies. Essential for higher net-worth drivers.
If you've been injured by an Illinois driver carrying only minimum coverage, your own UM/UIM coverage may be the key to full recovery. An attorney can identify all available coverage and stack what's available.
Call (312) 278-3625