Temporary Car Insurance in Illinois: The Cheapest Options and What You Need to Know
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Updated: 2/8/2023
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Purchasing a six-month car insurance policy and canceling it early is the best option for temporarily insuring your vehicle. It costs an average motorist roughly $284 to insure a car for three months in Illinois.
If you're a visitor driving a rented vehicle or you don’t own a car in Illinois, rental car insurance could work best for you.
MoneyGeek also explores various scenarios in which you may need temporary car insurance. For example, you might need non-owner car insurance to regain your driver's license or work for a rideshare company.
Can You Get Temporary Car Insurance in Illinois
The concept of temporary auto insurance differs from state to state. In Illinois, car owners can purchase a full car insurance policy for their cars and then cancel it early to insure their vehicle temporarily. If you don't own a vehicle but frequently drive a borrowed or rented car, you may want to consider non-owner car insurance or rental car insurance as an option.
MoneyGeek looked into all of the possible ways to get temporary car insurance in Illinois, even though there isn't a specific solution.
- Need a full car insurance policy temporarily? Buy and cancel
- Want to add or remove a driver? Alter your policy
- Renting a car? Buy from the rental company or use your own policy
- Don’t own a car? Look into non-owner Insurance
- Working for a rideshare company? Buy rideshare insurance
Buying a Six-Month Illinois Insurance Policy and Canceling It Early
In general, most reputable car insurance companies in Illinois and other states only offer policies with a six-month minimum duration. It's possible to acquire a shorter duration of coverage if you cancel your auto insurance early. Most major car insurance companies will reimburse you for the policy's unused period of coverage.
In Illinois, for example, a six-month policy costs around $567, while a 90-day policy costs $284 on average. You can buy a six-month policy and cancel it within 90 days to get three months of coverage.
If you use this method, MoneyGeek suggests not having any gaps in your insurance coverage. Otherwise, an insurance lapse could cost you hundreds of dollars extra in premiums each year.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance in Illinois
MoneyGeek assessed the cost for a standard six-month policy, a 90-day policy and a 30-day policy in Illinois from several car insurers.
According to MoneyGeek's research, on average, the cheapest car insurance providers for a 90-day policy in Illinois are:
- GEICO: $197 per 90 days
- Mercury: $215 per 90 days
MoneyGeek's quotes exclude policy cancellation charges that may apply while canceling a policy. However, most major insurance companies do not charge cancellation fees and issue full refunds for the policy's unused term.
Annual Cost of Car Insurance in Illinois by Policy Length
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Altering Illinois Car Insurance Temporarily Depending on Your Needs
Modifying your existing Illinois car insurance policy is the best solution if you need to temporarily add or remove coverage. You may have questions about short-term auto insurance when your teenage daughter or son is away at college, when you're storing a vehicle or when someone borrows your car.
When You Should Alter Your Policy Temporarily
If your child is attending school in another part of Illinois, you can temporarily remove them from your car insurance policy or ask for a discount.
If you plan on storing your vehicle, you can drop everything from your policy except for comprehensive coverage. Alternately, you can take advantage of USAA's car storage discounts if you are a military member.
If you allow someone else to drive your car on a regular basis, you should add their name to your policy.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance for Students in Illinois
If you live with your child in Illinois, they must be covered by your auto insurance policy. This can be costly. Adding an 18-year-old to a parent's auto insurance costs roughly $2,806 annually in Illinois.
If your college-aged child attends school more than 100 miles away, you can temporarily alter your auto insurance policy by removing them from your coverage while they’re away, requesting distant student discounts or keeping them on your policy.
According to MoneyGeek, adding a college student to your Illinois car insurance policy for two months during the summer costs only $468 on average, compared to around $2,806 annually. Nationwide offers the highest savings in Illinois for temporarily removing a student from a policy.
Annual Cost of Adding an 18-Year-Old to Car Insurance in Illinois
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No discount or temporary exclusion applies if your child attends school in Illinois less than 100 miles away from your home. However, shopping around can save you money on premiums. MoneyGeek compared the most affordable insurance companies for teens to help you save on insurance costs.
What to Do About Car Insurance if You’re Storing Your Car in Illinois
When temporarily storing your car in Illinois, you can drop everything from your car insurance policy except for comprehensive coverage, or you can ask for a vehicle storage discount. This can save you money.
You only need comprehensive coverage, not liability coverage, while your car is being stored. Comprehensive and collision insurance with a $1,000 deductible costs around $470 per year in Illinois. Comprehensive and collision insurance with minimum liability insurance costs roughly $1,058 yearly.
For military members on active duty, USAA may be the best choice. It provides a discount for car storage. But, even without the discount, USAA’s average yearly cost of $871 is still among the cheapest in Illinois.
What to Do If You Let Someone Else Drive Your Car
Your car insurance policy must cover all household members who drive your vehicle. However, if you allow someone outside your household to drive your car, they do not need to be added to your policy.
Buying Rental Car Insurance in Illinois
If you're temporarily renting a car in Illinois, you don’t need to purchase auto insurance. Rental car insurance, which includes liability insurance, can be purchased at the time of rental. You can also add other coverages such as collision damage waivers, additional liability insurance and personal accident insurance.
Depending on the insurer, rental car insurance with these coverages can cost anywhere from $51 to $60 each day on average. You may customize coverages to save money depending on your needs.
Finding Cheap Rental Car Insurance in Illinois
MoneyGeek used data from Chicago to evaluate rental car insurance rates in Illinois. The state's average rental car insurance costs from $51 to $60 per day based on the company. Enterprise, Avis and Hertz charge around $51, $56 and $60, respectively. These rates include supplemental liability, collision damage waiver and personal accident protection.
You may already be insured for liability, accident and medical payments coverage if you have your own auto insurance policy. Several credit card providers provide collision damage waiver coverage for rental vehicles booked with their cards as well. These benefits can save you money.
Cost per Day of Rental Car Insurance in Illinois
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Buying Non-Owner Car Insurance in Illinois
In Illinois, non-owner car insurance is a great option for those who don't own a vehicle but need proof of insurance to file an SR-22 to the state in order to restore their driver’s license. It costs $492 per year on average to get non-owner car insurance in the state.
How to Get Temporary Rideshare Car Insurance for Rideshare in Illinois
Ridesharing drivers in Illinois are protected by the company's rideshare car insurance if they take a fare or transport a passenger. However, if they are waiting for a fare, they have a temporary coverage gap.
Not all rideshare insurance policies are available in all states. MoneyGeek compared insurers that provide rideshare insurance in Illinois to assist drivers seeking the best rideshare insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions About Temporary Car Insurance in Illinois
We've answered some of the most frequently asked questions about temporary car insurance in Illinois.
Yes, but you have to get creative to do so. Car owners may create temporary auto insurance by purchasing a standard six-month auto insurance policy and canceling it early. Non-owner car insurance provides temporary coverage for those who do not own a car but drive another person’s vehicle in Illinois, while rental car insurance is enough for those who drive rental vehicles.
The majority of car insurance companies provide a full refund for the unused period of a six-month policy. However, if the insurance is terminated before the stated period, certain insurers may charge a cancellation fee.
Methodology
In collaboration with Quadrant Information Services, MoneyGeek gathered auto insurance and non-owner car insurance quotes across Illinois. As mentioned on MoneyGeek's methodology page, the rates were for a 40-year-old driver with full coverage insurance, and the student rates were calculated using the average cost of adding an 18-year-old driver to a parent's policy.
MoneyGeek calculated the prorated cost of one-month and three-month insurance policies, assuming a full refund from the insurance company. MoneyGeek also manually collected rental car insurance costs in Illinois by utilizing the websites for Avis, Enterprise and Hertz.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick is a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's Head of Insurance. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. He has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.