Every figure in this article is traced to the sources listed under Sources.

Yes. Illinois insurers may still raise auto premiums. Gov. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 714 (Public Act 104-0753) on August 4, 2026. The law takes effect July 1, 2027: covered rate filings made on or after that date become subject to review by the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI), and covered renewal increases of more than 10% require at least 30 days’ notice when the renewal notice is sent on or after that date. These provisions are not in force today.

Key Findings

  • Who is affected The rate-review article applies to policies within the statutory definition in Illinois Insurance Code § 143.13(a) to which § 143.11 applies, principally private-passenger auto and named non-owner policies. The definition excludes specified Illinois Automobile Insurance Plan and garage, auto-sales, repair-shop, service-station, and public-parking operation risks. The 10% notice rule has its own cross-referenced scope and applies to covered renewal notices sent on or after July 1, 2027.
  • What changes on July 1, 2027 Covered renewal-premium increases of more than 10% require at least 30 days’ notice, subject to statutory scope and exceptions. IDOI can review covered rate filings and object to rates it finds excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory.
  • What does not change Notice is not a cap on increases, and SB 714 does not categorically ban credit-based insurance scores or ZIP codes. The new system is a post-filing review process, not a promise that every rate change must receive advance approval.
  • What to watch The Act says the notice amendments apply to renewal-premium notices sent on or after July 1, 2027, and the rate-review article applies to filings made on or after that date. IDOI’s future application of the standards to specific filings remains to be seen.

Can Illinois Insurers Raise Your Car Insurance Rates?

Yes. SB 714 does not cap premiums. Its rate-review provisions apply to covered filings made on or after July 1, 2027; the 30-day notice rule applies to covered renewal-premium notices sent on or after that date. The Act creates a post-filing review process rather than universal prior approval for every premium change. The new provisions are not in force today.

July 1, 2027Date the rules take effect
Above 10%Covered renewal increase that triggers notice
30 daysMinimum notice before the renewal or anniversary date

Capitol News Illinois reported that before the signing, Illinois was one of two states, along with Wyoming, without a meaningful process to review auto-insurance rate increases before they took effect.

What Does Illinois SB 714 Change for Drivers?

Once the law takes effect on July 1, 2027, it makes four practical changes.

Notice
30-day warning on big increases
More than 10%: at least 30 days’ notice for covered renewals
The notice must be mailed or electronically delivered to the named insured at least 30 days before the renewal or anniversary date. The amendment applies to renewal-premium notices sent on or after July 1, 2027. Policyholder-initiated coverage changes and exposure changes are excluded from the increases that trigger this notice.
State review
IDOI can review auto rates
Actuarial review; 40-day notice deadline for a complete filing
If IDOI finds a filing excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, it must notify the insurer within 40 days after receiving a complete filing. If no timely notice is issued, the filing is deemed compliant. A final order may end the filing’s effectiveness and require rebates.
Loss data
Illinois loss experience comes first
Credible state-specific data required when available
Section 1805 requires credible Illinois-specific loss experience when available and statistically reliable. Insurers may supplement it with countrywide, regional, or out-of-state loss experience to meet actuarial credibility standards. This is not a blanket ban on all out-of-state data or disaster-related experience.
Driver education
A shorter qualifying course standard
For qualifying insureds over age 55
For an eligible insured over age 55 who completes a qualifying course, the statute requires an appropriate premium reduction, with the amount determined by the insurer. SB 714 changes the classroom safety-instruction standard from 8 hours to 4 hours and recognizes qualifying eLearning courses. The reduction remains in effect for 3 years, subject to statutory eligibility conditions.
What did not change: SB 714 does not categorically ban credit-based insurance scores or ZIP codes. It requires rates not to be excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory; the statute links unfair discrimination to whether price differences reflect expected losses and expenses, subject to practical limitations. It also does not create universal advance approval for every individual premium adjustment. For out-of-state loss data, the rule is to use credible Illinois-specific experience when available and statistically reliable, while allowing actuarially justified supplemental data.

How Does Illinois Compare With New York’s Prior-Approval Rule?

The two states take different approaches. Illinois SB 714 creates a post-filing review process for covered filings made on or after July 1, 2027. In New York, the FY 2027 budget changes and DFS’s proposed implementing regulation are scheduled to take effect November 27, 2026. They require prior approval for covered overall average rate-level increases for nonbusiness/private-passenger auto insurance, including increases of 5% or less that previously could qualify for flex-rating treatment. This is not a separate approval for every individual policy premium adjustment, and DFS says filings submitted before November 27 remain under the current flex-rating provisions. Our guide to New York’s prior-approval rule for auto rate increases has the details.

Illinois (SB 714)

  • Filing: The review article applies to covered rate filings made on or after July 1, 2027.
  • Review: IDOI has 40 days after receipt of a complete filing to issue an objection; if it does not, the filing is deemed compliant. A timely hearing request can keep a challenged filing in effect until a final order.
  • Notice: At least 30 days for covered renewal increases above 10%, for notices sent on or after July 1, 2027.
  • Effective: July 1, 2027.

New York (DFS)

  • Filing: Prior approval for covered overall average rate-level increases; not a separate approval for every policy adjustment.
  • Status: DFS proposed implementing rules on September 9, 2026; the 60-day comment period runs to November 9. Filings submitted before November 27 remain subject to current flex-rating rules.
  • Effective: November 27, 2026, according to DFS.

How Does the 10% Notice Threshold Work? A Worked Example

The notice rule applies to covered renewal increases of more than 10% when the renewal-premium notice is sent on or after July 1, 2027. The figures below only illustrate the arithmetic; a real policy’s calculation depends on the applicable statutory scope and facts.

Hypothetical arithmetic, not a real premium, quote, prediction, or official calculation method. Suppose a driver’s current annual premium is $1,800. Ten percent of that amount is $180, producing an illustrative 10% higher premium of $1,980. SB 714 sets the “more than 10%” notice trigger but does not provide a complete standalone formula in the amended notice subsection. The exclusions for policyholder-initiated coverage changes and exposure changes also matter in real renewals.
  1. Find 10% of the premium$1,800 × 0.10 = $180.
  2. Add it to the premium$1,800 + $180 = $1,980. That is the threshold.
  3. Compare the renewalA renewal at $1,980 is exactly 10% higher, which is not more than 10%. A renewal at $1,981 is more than 10% higher and would need the 30-day notice.

As a simple arithmetic check, multiply the relevant comparison premium by 1.10. A figure above that amount is mathematically more than 10% higher, but this is not a substitute for the insurer’s legally applicable calculation or a determination of whether an exclusion applies.

What Should Illinois Drivers Do Now?

SB 714 does not create a new action drivers must take today. When the relevant provisions take effect, these checks can help you review a renewal notice and understand whether the new rule may apply.

Check the notice date and policy scope
Applicable from July 1, 2027
The Act says the notice amendments apply to renewal-premium notices sent on or after July 1, 2027. The rate-review article applies to covered filings made on or after that date; policy type and statutory exclusions still matter.
Compare the renewal premium carefully
Check the increase and notice dates
Compare the premium amounts and notice date. For a covered increase above 10%, the notice must be sent at least 30 days before renewal or the anniversary date. Policyholder-initiated coverage changes and exposure changes are excluded from the increases that trigger this notice.
Ask about qualifying driving-course discounts
For qualifying insureds over age 55
For an eligible insured over age 55, the Act requires an appropriate insurer-determined premium reduction after successful completion of a qualifying course. The course standard changes from 8 to 4 classroom hours and qualifying eLearning/crash-prevention courses may count. Ask your insurer which courses qualify and the amount of the reduction.
Contact IDOI about a concern
Illinois Department of Insurance
IDOI administers the rate-review system. For an individual premium or policy question, use the Department’s consumer resources or consult a licensed agent; a question or complaint does not itself guarantee a rate change.

Compare Quotes Before Your Next Illinois Renewal

Quotes with matching coverage show what other insurers charge for the same policy.

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Why Did Illinois Pass This Law?

Supporters pointed to large increases. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said Illinois motorists saw an average 18% auto rate increase in 2024, according to his office. The governor’s release said the law followed his call for stronger protections after State Farm raised homeowners insurance rates an average of 27.2% statewide. That 27.2% figure concerned homeowners insurance, not auto.

Insurance industry officials have said past increases reflected inflation and rising repair costs. Capitol News Illinois also reported that State Farm stated its Illinois auto rates have been falling and that it lowered premiums by an average of 15% in 2025. That is the insurer’s own statement, and we did not confirm it independently. After the signing, three trade groups, the Illinois Insurance Association, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, warned that the laws would lead to higher costs and fewer choices. Pritzker rejected that argument. These are competing positions, and the effect on premiums will not be known until the law is in use.

What Happens Next, and What Is Still Unknown?

The law takes effect July 1, 2027. Its enacted text establishes key deadlines: IDOI must notify an insurer of an actuarial objection within 40 days after receiving a complete filing; the insurer has 30 days after receipt to request a hearing; and the Act sets further deadlines for the hearing and decision. IDOI Director Ann Gillespie said the department stands ready to implement the law. The following implementation and market questions remain:

  • How IDOI will apply the standards in future filings. The statute sets the review and hearing deadlines, but the outcome for a particular filing will depend on the evidence and application of the law.
  • Which notices and filings are covered first. The statutory dates are explicit: the notice amendments apply to renewal-premium notices sent on or after July 1, 2027, and the rate-review article applies to filings made on or after that date.
  • Which policies fall outside the new provisions. The statute cross-references policy definitions in §§ 143.13(a) and 143.11, so the rule is not a blanket rule for every commercial, fleet, or auto-related insurance product. Consult the enacted Act for the precise policy definition.
  • The effect on premiums. The sources we reviewed do not estimate it.

What This Article Does Not Cover

This article covers the personal-auto provisions of Illinois SB 714 and the New York rate-filing comparison. It does not cover the separate homeowners-insurance law (HB 4273), provide a quote, or predict any insurer’s rates. SB 714’s scope is defined by the policy categories and cross-references in the enacted Act; it should not be read as applying to every commercial or auto-related policy. For a specific policy, check with your insurer, a licensed agent, or IDOI.

How We Verified This Article

For this revision, we checked the enacted text of Public Act 104-0753 (SB 714) published by the Illinois General Assembly, the Governor’s and Secretary of State’s August 4, 2026 releases, Capitol News Illinois’ August 4 report and May 27 report on the 2024 increase, and New York DFS’s September 9 announcement and July 1, 2026 circular letter. The enacted Illinois text—not press-release shorthand—controls the description of scope, timing, the review procedure, the notice exclusions, and the use of state-specific loss data. The example above is arithmetic for illustration only, not a statutory premium-calculation formula or a prediction of the impact on rates.

Frequently Asked Questions About Illinois Car Insurance Rate Increases

Can my insurer still raise my car insurance rate in Illinois?

Yes. SB 714 does not cap premiums. For covered rate filings made on or after July 1, 2027, IDOI can review rates and object to filings it finds excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory. Covered renewal increases of more than 10% require at least 30 days’ notice when the renewal notice is sent on or after July 1, 2027.

When does the Illinois notice rule start?

The amendment applies to covered renewal-premium notices sent on or after July 1, 2027. The rate-review article applies to covered rate filings made on or after that date. The statute cross-references Sections 143.13(a) and 143.11 of the Illinois Insurance Code, so not every auto-related policy is covered.

Does the law ban using credit score or ZIP code?

No categorical ban on credit-based insurance scores or ZIP codes appears in SB 714. The law bars excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory rates and defines unfair discrimination by reference to whether price differences reflect expected losses and expenses, subject to practical limitations.

Can insurers use out-of-state loss data?

The law does not impose a blanket ban on out-of-state data. Insurers must use credible Illinois-specific loss experience when available and statistically reliable, but may supplement it with countrywide, regional, or out-of-state loss experience to meet actuarial credibility standards. The provision does not apply to rating-relativity development during ratemaking.

Will this lower my premium?

Not necessarily. SB 714 creates rate standards, review procedures, and a renewal-notice requirement, but it does not promise a premium decrease. The effect on individual premiums will depend on future rate filings and how the law is applied.

Bottom Line for Illinois Drivers

Illinois insurers can still raise premiums. SB 714’s new provisions are not in force until July 1, 2027. For covered renewal-premium notices sent on or after that date, increases of more than 10% require at least 30 days’ notice, subject to the statutory policy scope and exclusions. For covered rate filings made on or after July 1, 2027, IDOI may object to rates it finds excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory and a final order may require rebates. The Act does not guarantee lower premiums or categorically ban credit scores, ZIP codes, or every use of out-of-state data.

Until then, read each renewal notice, compare the new premium with the old one in dollars and percent, and compare quotes with the same coverage.


Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not professional insurance, legal or financial advice. Rates, rules and deadlines vary by insurer, state and driver, and can change. Confirm details with a licensed agent, your insurer or your state department of insurance before making a coverage decision.

Sources

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