Rideshare and delivery insurance for Illinois drivers
Driving for Uber, Lyft or a delivery app changes how your car is insured. Your personal policy, the platform's coverage and Illinois law each cover different parts of the trip. Here is where the gaps are and how to close them.
Why a personal auto policy isn't enough
Personal auto policies are written for personal use. Most of them exclude coverage while you are using your car to carry passengers or deliveries for a fee, or while you are logged in to a platform's app.
The platforms provide insurance during parts of a trip, but not all of it, and their coverage for damage to your own car is limited. That leaves gaps that can be expensive if you have a crash at the wrong moment.
Failing to tell your insurer that you drive for a platform can also put a claim, or your whole policy, at risk.
The riskiest moment is often the quietest one. When your app is on and you are waiting for a request, your personal policy may exclude coverage, and the platform's coverage is lower than during a ride. This is Period 1, and it is the gap a rideshare endorsement is designed to fill.
The TNC insurance periods in Illinois
The Illinois Transportation Network Providers Act (625 ILCS 57) sets insurance requirements for rideshare driving based on what you are doing at the time.
| Period | What you're doing | Required liability coverage | Who typically provides it |
|---|---|---|---|
| App off | Personal driving | Illinois personal minimums (25/50/20 plus UM) | Your personal auto policy |
| Period 1 | App on, waiting for a ride request | At least $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident bodily injury and $25,000 property damage | Your insurance, the platform's, or a combination. Personal policies often exclude this period. |
| Period 2 | Request accepted, driving to the pickup | $1,000,000 liability | Typically the platform (TNC) |
| Period 3 | Passenger in the car until drop-off | $1,000,000 liability | Typically the platform (TNC) |
Liability coverage pays for injuries and damage you cause to others. Coverage for damage to your own car is a separate question, covered below.
Where drivers are most often exposed
Period 1 liability
If your personal policy excludes rideshare use, you may be relying only on whatever the platform provides while you wait for requests.
Damage to your own car
Platform coverage for your own vehicle, if any, generally depends on you carrying collision and comprehensive on your own policy, and may come with a high deductible. In Period 1 there may be no coverage for your car at all without an endorsement.
Loans, leases & rentals
If your car is financed or leased, a gap in physical damage coverage can leave you owing on a damaged car. You may also lose rental and roadside benefits while working.
How a rideshare endorsement helps
A rideshare endorsement is an add-on to your personal auto policy, offered by some insurance companies. Depending on the carrier, it can:
- Extend your personal coverage into Period 1, while the app is on and you are waiting
- Extend your collision and comprehensive to your car during rideshare use, filling physical-damage gaps
- Keep your policy in good standing by disclosing rideshare use up front
Endorsement terms differ by carrier, and not every carrier offers one. We will compare what each option covers in each period, not just the price.
Delivery drivers
Food, grocery and package delivery apps have their own insurance arrangements, which vary by platform and may differ from rideshare rules. Most personal policies also exclude delivery use. Tell us which apps you drive for so we can match coverage to how you work.
Driving in Chicago
The City of Chicago also regulates transportation network providers under Municipal Code chapter 9-115, and sets its own requirements for drivers. Check your platform's and the city's driver requirements. More on Chicago auto insurance.
Getting rideshare coverage with us
Tell us how you drive
Which platforms you use, roughly how many hours a week, and whether you carry passengers, deliveries, or both.
Compare options
We quote carriers that offer rideshare endorsements and show what each covers in every period.
Drive with confidence
Once the carrier binds your policy, we send your ID cards and confirmation. Keep them in the car with your platform's proof of coverage.
This page is general information. Platform insurance and endorsement terms vary and change; your policy and the platform's terms control. Quotes are estimates until a carrier underwrites your application, and coverage is not in force until the carrier binds the policy and we confirm it to you.
Close your rideshare coverage gap
Tell us which apps you drive for, and we'll show you your options.