The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket in Illinois

Speeding in the Prairie State could cost you much more than just the price of your ticket.
Kayda Norman
By Kayda Norman 
Updated
Edited by Lisa Green

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An Illinois speeding ticket is expensive, but not just because of the initial fee. Drivers convicted of speeding will likely face an increase in their insurance rates. In fact, taking into account the hike in insurance premiums, an Illinois speeding ticket could cost drivers 6.85 times the cost of the actual ticket.

An Illinois speeding conviction could mean at least $164 in fines and fees. And the increase in your car insurance premium often costs more than the ticket itself.

How much is an Illinois speeding ticket?

The true cost of a speeding ticket in Illinois can be as much as $1,124, a NerdWallet analysis found. That includes the $164 ticket plus three years of higher insurance rates, although your higher premiums may not last that long.

A 40-year-old Illinois driver with a recent speeding conviction can expect to pay 27.5% more for full coverage car insurance, on average, according to NerdWallet’s 2020 rate analysis. That’s an extra $320 a year for a driver in Illinois caught driving 16 mph over the speed limit. We defined full coverage to include liability coverage, uninsured motorist protection, comprehensive and collision insurance.

Insurance surcharges last from one to three years, on average. This means one speeding ticket could run $960 more in insurance costs.

For younger drivers, the insurance hike is generally even steeper. On average, 25-year-olds with full coverage will pay an additional $364 per year after one speeding ticket, or $1,092 for three years.

Here are the average premiums we found in Illinois:

Average car insurance costs after a speeding ticket in Illinois

Type of policy

Clean driving record

One speeding ticket

Annual difference

40-year-old-drivers

Full coverage

$1,163

$1,483

$320

Minimum coverage

$437

$555

$118

25-year-old-drivers

Full coverage

$1,364

$1,728

$364

Minimum coverage

$508

$641

$133

What should you do if you receive an Illinois speeding ticket?

Drivers with clean records normally have three options after receiving a minor Illinois speeding ticket:

  • Plead guilty, pay the fine and receive a conviction. In Illinois, speeding violations remain on your driving record for four to five years.

  • Plead guilty and pay to attend traffic safety school to avoid a conviction. This option isn’t available to drivers younger than 18.

  • Plead not guilty and request a court date. You can fight the conviction or negotiate the fine in court. Not showing up to your court hearing may result in a fine and conviction.

Traffic safety school costs and eligibility differ depending on your location. Some drivers may be able to take an online course, which generally costs less than an in-person class.

Keep in mind, it is often more financially responsible to take the course and avoid a conviction. For example, drivers in Cook County pay $46 on top of their ticket to enroll in traffic safety school. By paying that extra cost and attending the course, you may avoid higher car insurance rates.

Cheapest car insurance companies after an Illinois speeding ticket

Although you’ll generally see an increase in your premium after a speeding ticket, it doesn’t mean you are automatically forced to pay the same rate as the averages listed above.

The best way to find a better price is to compare car insurance quotes. Why? Every insurer calculates rates differently. While one insurance company may hike prices by 30% after a speeding ticket, another may only charge 5% more.

To help you determine the best company for you, NerdWallet looked at rates among the largest insurance companies for 40-year-old and 25-year-old drivers ticketed for going 16 mph over the speed limit in Illinois.

Illinois car insurance rates after a speeding ticket by company: 40-year-old drivers

Company

Average annual premium after a speeding ticket

Increase compared to driver with clean record

Pekin

$805

$164

$819

$182

$910

$43

$925

$184

$1,260

$168

$1,455

$322

$1,477

$232

$1,557

$436

$1,797

$348

$2,141

$567

$2,184

$713

$2,458

$599

Illinois car insurance rates after a speeding ticket by company: 25-year-old drivers

Company

Average annual premium after a speeding ticket

Increase compared to driver with clean record

Pekin

$912

$186

$985

$216

$1,062

$202

$1,092

$52

$1,507

$202

$1,691

$268

$1,698

$388

$1,793

$404

$1,904

$356

$2,354

$581

$2,739

$672

$2,851

$902

Pekin and Safeco are the cheapest insurers on average for both 40-year-old and 25-year-old drivers with full coverage and one speeding ticket. For 40-year-olds, Erie is the third cheapest option, whereas Geico is the next best choice for 25-year-olds.

Still, drivers should pay attention to other factors besides price when choosing a company. After all, low rates won’t matter if your insurer refuses to pay your claim. Taking the time to compare car insurance companies is the best way to find both the cheapest rates and the best insurer for you.

Methodology

For our “good driver” profile, NerdWallet averaged rates from the largest insurers in the state for 40-year-old men and women in all ZIP codes with 12,000 annual miles driven. The policy includes:

  • $100,000 bodily injury liability per person.

  • $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident.

  • $50,000 property damage liability per accident.

  • $100,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person.

  • $300,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident.

  • Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible.

  • Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible.

If required, minimum additional coverages were added. Our “young driver” had all the same characteristics, but average rates were for 25-year-old men and women. We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:

  • For drivers with minimum coverage, we adjusted the numbers above to reflect minimum required coverage by law in the state.

  • For drivers with a ticket, we added a single speeding violation for driving 16 mph over the speed limit.

We used a 2016 Toyota Camry LE for all drivers. In all cases, a paperless discount, e-signature discount and electronic funds transfer discount were automatically applied. These are rates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.

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