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Illinois Motorcycle Insurance

Insurance coverage is mandatory in Illinois for any vehicle in operation that must display license plates, including motorcycles. The Illinois mandatory insurance law is intended as a consumer protection. Motorcycle insurance protects you from financial losses that could result from an accident. Without insurance, you could have to pay the full cost of any repairs to your own vehicle or someone else’s, medical bills, and the costs of going to court if you are sued by another driver.

What Kind of Motorcycle Insurance is Required in Illinois?

 Illinois requires you to get liability insurance from a company authorized to do business in Illinois to comply with the law. The minimum coverages are:

  • $20,000 for injury or death – one person one accident
  • $40,000 for injury or death – two or more people one accident
  • $15,000 property damage

Liability insurance protects you against claims from other people arising from accidents where you are at fault. It doesn’t protect you against losses you suffer from an accident that is someone else’s fault.

Accidents that are someone else’s fault are covered by the other type of insurance required, which is Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury coverage. Illinois insurance companies are required to provide the following minimum coverages:

  • $20,000 per person
  • $40,000 per accident

How Do I Get Motorcycle Insurance in Illinois?

Get several quotes on annual premiums to compare rates. You can use an insurance agent who sells insurance for more than one company or contact companies directly.

Illinois allows insurance companies to deny insurance to owners who have been operating vehicles while uninsured. If you have this problem, you can get insurance through the Illinois Automobile Insurance Plan. This is a last resort, as premiums are usually higher for this type of insurance.

If you are turned down for insurance by the first company you contact, continue getting quotes from other companies. Don’t assume you’ll be denied insurance by every company or that the premiums quoted will be the same by every company. The Illinois Department of Insurance also offers advice on getting quotes on its website.

How Do I Show Proof of Motorcycle Insurance?

Illinois law requires insurance companies to issue you an insurance card when you get liability coverage. The card must include coverage dates, not to exceed one year.

Make sure that your insurance card is always with you when you ride. If stopped by an officer, you must be able to show it to the officer. Refusal to show your evidence of insurance is against the law, and you could get a ticket. Presenting a false insurance card with the intent of making it appear as though you have valid liability insurance is a Class 4 felony.

If, for some reason, you do not have a card, there are other ways to show evidence of insurance, such as:

  • the declarations page from your current policy
  • a temporary binder issued until your formal policy is written
  • a certificate of liability insurance
  • a copy of your expired card and a receipt for payment to your insurer for the current period
  • current registration that shows you submitted proof of liability insurance to the Illinois Secretary of State
  • other evidence that contains the same information your insurance card would contain

How Does Illinois Enforce the Mandatory Insurance Requirement?

In addition to traffic stops, Illinois uses a questionnaire to enforce its insurance requirement. State computers randomly select vehicles. If yours is selected, the state sends you a questionnaire asking you for the name of your insurance company and your policy number. You have to return this questionnaire or the state can suspend your license plates.

What Are the Penalties for Riding Without Insurance?

A minimum $500 fine for the first offense and suspension of your license plates. If you operate your motorcycle while your plates are suspended, you’ll be assessed a minimum fine of $1,000. The fine is also $1,000 if you’ve been previously convicted of not complying with the insurance requirement.

In order to get your plates reinstated, you’ll also have to pay a $100 fee and show an insurance card. If you’ve been previously convicted, the suspension will last 4 months.

Other Things to Know:

In 2012, a law went into effect that allows motorcyclists to go through a red light if they fail to trip the mechanism to turn it green. Riders must wait a reasonable length of time before going through the light.