Non-Owner Car Insurance in Illinois: What You Need to Know

Illinois drivers may want to invest in non-owner car insurance if they rely on borrowed or rented cars or want to avoid a lapse in coverage.
Written by Pat Roache
Reviewed by Kaitlin May
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Non-owner car insurance
in Illinois costs an average of $492 per year, or $846 if you have a major offense on your driving record. This is a good option for drivers who regularly borrow or rent a car or need to reinstate their license after a traffic violation. 
If you don’t own a vehicle but still want a
car insurance
policy to avoid a lapse in coverage or protect yourself in a rental, non-owner car insurance may be right for you. In this article, we’re going over everything you need to know about non-owner car insurance in Illinois, including how much it costs and how to get it.

What does non-owner car insurance cover? 

Non-owner car insurance is considered
liability insurance
that applies to the driver rather than the vehicle itself. It supplements the primary coverage on a vehicle that doesn’t belong to you but serves as your daily driver. Once that coverage is exhausted, your non-owner car insurance will kick in to pay for any remaining damages or injuries that you caused with the vehicle in an accident.
A non-owner car insurance policy in Illinois needs to meet the minimum requirements outlined in
Illinois car insurance laws
, which include:
You may be able to add other types of coverage like
personal injury protection
and
medical payments coverage
to your plan. However, you won’t be able to purchase
collision
or
comprehensive coverage
since you’re protecting yourself rather than a specific vehicle.
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Average cost of non-owner car insurance in Illinois

The cost of non-owner car insurance in Illinois is considerably cheaper than a standard auto insurance policy. Drivers with a clean driving record pay $492 per year on average, while drivers with major incidents on their record—such as a
DUI
—tend to pay $846 per year.
Non-owner car insurance could also be a more affordable option than purchasing
rental car insurance
over and over again if you regularly rent a car.

The best Illinois auto insurance companies for non-owner car insurance

GEICO
,
State Farm
, and
Nationwide
are the only national providers that offer non-owner car insurance to new customers, regardless of where you live.
Travelers
is also a great option for non-owner car insurance in Illinois, but you may not qualify if you didn’t have a standard auto policy beforehand.
If you’re looking specifically for non-owner
SR-22 insurance
, you may want to consider providers that curate coverage options for high-risk drivers, like Dairyland and
The General
.
Check out the table below to compare average annual premiums from the most affordable companies in Illinois for non-owner car insurance.

Cheapest Illinois non-owner car insurance companies

Company
Average annual premium
Average monthly premium
Average annual SR-22 premium
Average monthly SR-22 premium
Travelers
$347
$29
$485
$40
State Farm
$412
$34
$412
$34
GEICO
$523
$44
$1,225
$102
USAA
$230
$19
$468
$39

Who needs a non-owner car insurance policy?

You may want to purchase a non-owner car insurance policy if you fall into any of the following categories:
  • You regularly rent cars or use car-sharing services.
  • You need an
    Illinois SR-22
    to reinstate your driving privileges after a major violation.
  • You regularly borrow someone else’s car and want to ensure you have enough liability coverage in an accident.
  • You want to avoid a
    lapse in coverage
    (and the resulting hike to insurance rates) while you’re temporarily in between vehicles.
You don’t need non-owner car insurance if you’re renting a car for your annual vacation or borrowing a friend’s car while they’re out of town. However, it could come in handy if your roommate shares their vehicle with you or you regularly use a Zipcar to get to a weekly appointment.
If you regularly use someone else’s vehicle, you should talk to the owner about the
types of car insurance
they currently have. Make sure you understand what their liability limits are!

How to get non-owner car insurance in Illinois

Anyone with a valid Illinois driver’s license can get a non-owner car insurance policy if they don’t own a vehicle. It’s as simple as buying any other insurance—just talk to an agent to request a quote or compare
car insurance quotes online
to figure out which provider is right for you.
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