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Farmers Illinois car insurance is about to get more expensive for tens of thousands of drivers. The company filed a 16.8% average rate increase with state regulators. For a typical policy, that adds close to $393 a year.
The increase runs through Bristol West, the non-standard unit Farmers uses for higher-risk drivers. That matters, because the drivers on this book often have the least room in their budget. Most won’t see it coming until the renewal notice lands.
Here’s what Farmers filed, who it hits, and how to keep your own rate down.
What Farmers Illinois Car Insurance Just Filed
The filing covers Bristol West Insurance Company, one of the Farmers group’s Illinois entities. It raises rates an average of 16.8% across the company’s Select 4.0 auto product. The change reaches 34,598 Illinois policyholders.
That 16.8% is an average, so some drivers will see less and some will see more. Across the book, the increase adds about $13.6 million in yearly premium to a base of roughly $81 million. Spread over the affected policies, that’s an average of about $393 more per year.
The dates are the part to watch. New customers feel the new rates starting May 29, 2026. Existing drivers hit the increase when their policy renews on or after July 3, 2026.
| What Farmers Filed | Detail |
|---|---|
| Average rate change | +16.8% |
| Illinois drivers affected | 34,598 |
| Average yearly increase | About $393 |
| New business effective | May 29, 2026 |
| Renewal effective | July 3, 2026 |
Source: Illinois Department of Insurance rate filing BRWS-134970320, filed by Bristol West Insurance Company. Public filing detail via SERFF filing access.
Why Bristol West Drivers Feel This More
Bristol West is Farmers’ non-standard arm. Insurers use non-standard books for drivers who don’t fit a clean profile, like those with a recent ticket, a gap in coverage, or a thinner credit history. Rates on these policies already run higher than standard rates.
A 16.8% jump on an already-high premium stings more in dollar terms. A driver paying $2,300 could see close to $390 added in a single renewal. That’s a real hit for someone who may be paying month to month.
Non-standard drivers also tend to shop less often, which insurers count on. Staying put out of habit is the most expensive choice here. A higher-risk label doesn’t lock you into one company, and that’s the key point.
The label can also change. Two or three clean years can move a driver from a non-standard book to a standard one. When that happens, the savings often dwarf any single rate filing.
How Big a 16.8% Increase Looks in Real Dollars
An average percentage hides what the change feels like at the kitchen table. The dollar impact depends on what you pay today. The higher your current premium, the bigger the raw increase.
A driver paying $1,500 a year would owe about $1,752 after a 16.8% bump, or roughly $252 more. At $2,000, the same percentage adds about $336. At $2,800, which is common on a non-standard policy with a young driver, the increase runs close to $470.
Those figures are simple math on the filed average, not quotes. Your own number could land higher or lower based on your car, your ZIP code, and your record. The point stands either way: a percentage that sounds modest turns into hundreds of dollars fast.
This is why a rate filing is worth your attention even before the notice arrives. A few hours of shopping can offset an entire year’s increase. That return on your time is hard to beat.
What’s Pushing Illinois Auto Rates
Rate increases rarely come from one cause. Repair costs, medical costs, and the price of replacing totaled vehicles have all climbed in recent years. The Insurance Information Institute notes that insurers price each policy on expected claims cost, so when those costs rise, premiums follow.
Non-standard books feel cost pressure first. Drivers on these policies file more claims on average, so a small rise in claim severity hits the math harder. That helps explain why Bristol West is filing an increase while some standard carriers in the state are not.
Illinois also lets insurers use credit-based insurance scores in pricing. A thin or bruised credit file pushes a driver toward the non-standard tier and its higher rates. Rebuilding credit over time is one of the slower but more durable ways to lower a premium.
Uninsured drivers add to the bill too. When an uninsured motorist causes a crash, those costs shift onto insured drivers through higher uninsured-motorist rates. Our breakdown of uninsured driver statistics shows how much that pressure varies from state to state.
None of this means you’re stuck. It means the gap between the cheapest and priciest quote in Illinois is wide right now. Wide gaps reward drivers who compare.
How to Compare After the Increase
Shopping a non-standard policy works a little differently. Standard carriers may quote you a lower rate once your record has cleared. Get both standard and non-standard quotes so you can see the full range.
Look past the headline premium when you compare. Match the same liability limits, the same deductibles, and the same drivers on each quote. A cheaper price with thinner coverage isn’t a real saving.
Ask each insurer about usage-based programs too. Many now offer a telematics option that rewards safe driving with a discount after a few months. For a careful driver stuck on a non-standard rate, that data can be the fastest proof you deserve a lower price.
Illinois Is Splitting Two Ways
This increase runs against the trend in the rest of the state. Several big insurers are cutting Illinois rates in 2026, not raising them. Progressive, for example, filed a 5.0% decrease on a large Illinois book the same year.
That split is the real story. Two drivers in the same ZIP code can see their rates move in opposite directions, depending on the company. We broke down this pattern in our look at 2026 car insurance rate changes.
For a Farmers driver facing 16.8%, the takeaway is simple. Cheaper options likely exist in the same market. The only way to find out is to compare.
A divergence like this also fades over time. Today’s cutter can be next year’s hiker, and the reverse is just as true. Shopping every renewal is what protects you across the cycle, not loyalty to one brand.
When the Increase Hits Your Policy
The timing gives you a window. If your Farmers renewal lands after July 3, 2026, the new rate shows up on that notice. Read it closely and check the new premium against your old one.
You don’t have to wait for the renewal to act. You can get quotes from other insurers any time, even mid-term. If you find a better rate, you can switch when your current term ends and skip the increase.
Drivers with a clean recent record have the most leverage. A few years without a claim or ticket can move you off a non-standard book entirely. That shift alone can undo a 16.8% increase.
Keep your paperwork ready before you shop. Your current declarations page, your driver’s license, and your car’s details speed up every quote. For the full picture on why rates climb and how to push back, see our guide on how to avoid costly 2026 rate hikes.
What the Filing Changes and What It Doesn’t
The filing changes your price, not your coverage. Your liability limits, deductibles, and add-ons stay exactly as you set them. The increase simply raises the premium for that same protection.
Your state requirements don’t change either. Illinois still requires liability limits of 25/50/20 plus uninsured-motorist coverage, per the Illinois Department of Insurance. The Farmers filing sits on top of those rules and doesn’t alter them.
So the choice in front of you is about value, not legality. You can pay 16.8% more for the same coverage, or shop that same coverage for less. The filing makes that comparison worth doing now rather than later.
How to Save on Insurance
A rate increase is the best reminder to shop your policy. These steps work for any Illinois driver facing a hike:
- Compare quotes from at least five insurers before you renew, including standard carriers, not just non-standard ones.
- Ask whether a clean recent record moves you off the Bristol West book and onto a lower standard rate.
- Raise your deductible if you can cover it, which lowers your premium right away.
- Bundle auto with renters or home coverage for a multi-policy discount.
- Check your Farmers review and compare it against other carriers using our car insurance by state guide.
The increase is locked in for Bristol West policies, but your response to it is not. A single afternoon spent comparing quotes can wipe out the entire 16.8% jump for a careful driver. Treat this renewal as your deadline to shop, not just another bill to pay.
Sources Used
- Illinois Department of Insurance, rate filing BRWS-134970320 (Bristol West Insurance Company, Select 4.0 auto): SERFF filing access
- Insurance Information Institute, Background on Pricing: iii.org
- InsuranceRateGuard.com, 2026 rate-filing tracking across U.S. auto insurers
Verified: 2026-06-18