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Drivers facing the Farmers Illinois rate increase have a short window to act. The change takes effect on July 3, 2026, and it lands hardest on a non-standard book where premiums were already high.
A 16.8% jump is a big move in a single filing. For drivers on this book, it is also a clear signal to shop before the new rate locks in at renewal.
About 34,600 Illinois Drivers Will Pay 16.8% More Starting July 3
Farmers filed a 16.8% rate increase on an Illinois private passenger auto book covering roughly 34,598 policyholders. The filing runs through Bristol West Insurance Company, Farmers’ non-standard auto unit, and applies to policies renewing on or after July 3, 2026.
The increase works out to about $393 more per year for the average affected driver. That figure comes straight from the filing: Bristol West will collect roughly $13.6 million in extra written premium across the book, spread over 34,598 policies. The change was filed with the Illinois Department of Insurance, tracking number BRWS-134970320.
Here is the filing at a glance.
| DETAIL | VALUE |
|---|---|
| Carrier | Farmers (Bristol West Insurance Company) |
| State | Illinois |
| Rate change | +16.8% |
| Drivers affected | About 34,598 |
| Average increase | About $393 per year |
| Added premium | About $13.6 million per year |
| Effective date | July 3, 2026 |
Source: Illinois Department of Insurance SERFF filing BRWS-134970320.
What Bristol West Is and Why It Matters
Bristol West writes in the non-standard segment of auto insurance. That market serves drivers who have trouble getting standard-market rates, often because of a recent at-fault accident, a ticket, a coverage lapse, or a thinner insurance history. The pricing reflects that higher risk, so premiums in this segment run well above what a clean-record driver pays in the standard market.
Farmers owns the Bristol West brand and uses it to write that higher-risk business. So a policy that says Bristol West on the declarations page is still a Farmers product, just priced for the non-standard pool. Knowing which pool you sit in matters, because it changes how much room you have to find a cheaper rate.
The key point is that non-standard pricing is not permanent for most drivers. People land in this segment after a specific event, and they tend to climb back out as that event ages off their record. If your reason for being here has faded, this increase may be hitting you at the exact moment you no longer need to pay non-standard rates.
Why the Farmers Illinois Rate Increase Is This Steep
Non-standard auto books carry higher claim costs than the standard market. They also recover more slowly when claims spike, so the carriers that write them tend to file larger catch-up increases. A 16.8% filing is the kind of move that follows a stretch of claims running ahead of premium.
Repair and replacement costs sit behind a lot of recent auto increases. Parts, labor, and used-car values all climbed across the industry in recent years, which pushed up the cost of settling claims. The Insurance Information Institute tracks how those claim costs feed into premiums over time.
For a non-standard book, those pressures hit harder. The drivers in the pool file more claims on average, so when per-claim costs rise, the total bill climbs faster than it does for a clean-record book. That is the math behind a double-digit filing landing on this particular group.
How Illinois Regulates Auto Rates
Illinois handles rate filings differently from most states. It uses an open-competition system, which means insurers can put new auto rates in place without waiting for the state to approve them first. The Illinois Department of Insurance still collects the filings through the same SERFF system used nationwide, and this increase is on file there as BRWS-134970320.
The practical effect is speed. In a prior-approval state, a large increase can sit in review for months before it reaches drivers. In Illinois, a filed rate can take effect on its stated date, so the July 3 deadline is firm.
That puts the timing burden on you. Once the new rate takes hold at your renewal, every future bill on this policy reprices at the higher level until you change something. Shopping before the renewal date is the cleanest way to keep the increase from sticking.
What This Means for Your Renewal
A 16.8% increase on a non-standard Illinois policy is one of the clearest cases where shopping pays off. If your driving record or credit profile has improved since you first took the policy, you may now qualify for standard-market pricing that this filing does not reflect.
Rate changes apply at renewal, not in the middle of your term. So the first step is simple: check your renewal notice and compare the new premium to your last one. If it jumped around 17%, this filing is the reason.
The standard market in Illinois is wide open and competitive. The big national carriers all write here, and several price aggressively for drivers with a clean recent record. One clean year since your last incident can be enough to move you out of the non-standard segment entirely.
Credit also plays a role in Illinois auto pricing. Many carriers use a credit-based insurance score as one rating factor, so a stronger credit profile can pull your quote down even when your driving record has not changed. If your score has climbed since you first took this policy, that is one more reason a fresh quote may land below the increased Bristol West rate. It costs nothing to check, and the only way to know is to run the numbers with a few carriers.
How to Shop Before July 3
Start by pulling your current declarations page so you know your exact coverage limits. Quoting the same limits across carriers is the only way to compare prices fairly. A quote that looks cheaper because it quietly drops coverage is not a real saving.
Then quote the standard-market majors. State Farm, GEICO, and Progressive all write in Illinois and often beat non-standard pricing for drivers whose records have cleaned up. Get at least three quotes so you can see the real spread.
Give yourself a few days of buffer before July 3. Switching carriers takes a little time to bind a new policy and cancel the old one, and you want the new coverage active before the increase takes effect.
Discounts That Can Offset the Increase
Before you switch, ask your current agent and every carrier you quote about the discounts you may be leaving on the table. A few of these can soften the blow of a 16.8% increase on their own. Agents do not always volunteer them, so it pays to ask by name.
Common auto discounts worth confirming:
- Multi-policy: bundle auto with home or renters insurance for a credit on both.
- Multi-car: insure more than one vehicle on the same policy.
- Telematics or usage-based: let the carrier track your driving through an app, which can reward safe, low-mileage drivers.
- Paid-in-full: pay the six-month premium at once instead of monthly.
- Paperless and autopay: small credits for going digital and automating payments.
- Defensive driving: finish an approved course that some carriers reward with a discount.
No single discount erases a double-digit increase. Stacked together, though, they can claw back a meaningful share of it, especially when you pair them with a move to standard-market pricing.
What to Do If You Cannot Switch in Time
Sometimes the renewal date arrives before you finish shopping. You still have options, and you are not locked in for another full term. An auto policy is not a one-way door.
You can cancel an auto policy mid-term and switch carriers at almost any point. When you cancel early, your old carrier refunds the unused premium. Most policies use a pro-rata refund, which returns the full unused portion, though some use a short-rate method that keeps a small penalty.
So if the increase takes effect before you land a better quote, keep shopping anyway. The cost of waiting a couple of extra weeks is small next to a 16.8% increase that otherwise rides along for the next six or twelve months. Lock in the better rate as soon as you find it, then cancel the old policy.
How to Save on Insurance
A double-digit increase is a signal to shop, not a reason to panic. Here are five moves that fit this filing.
- Shop before your July 3 renewal. Pull quotes from three to five carriers while your current policy still gives you a baseline to beat.
- Check whether you now qualify for standard-market pricing. A single clean year since your last incident can move you out of the non-standard segment.
- Compare against the majors. Quote State Farm, GEICO, and Progressive before you accept the new rate.
- Raise your deductibles if you carry low ones, and ask about every discount you qualify for.
- See how this filing compares to other Illinois rate changes.