Illinois title and registration, step by step

Which forms, which fees and which deadlines. For a car bought in the state and for one you bring from another.

In Illinois the title is issued by Illinois Secretary of State — Vehicle Services Department (ILSOS). The title is paper and the Secretary of State mails it to the first lienholder or, with no loan, to the owner (625 ILCS 5/3-116). Expect several weeks; expedited service costs $30 more.

Where it happens. At a Secretary of State Driver Services facility, by mail to Springfield (Vehicle Services Department, Howlett Building, Springfield IL 62756) or through a licensed remitter (many currency exchanges). County offices do not handle this. Confirm the deadline and the event that starts it for your transaction: a purchase, receipt of the signed title or a move into the state can have different rules.

Case 1: you bought a car in Illinois (private seller)

What the seller hands you

• The title with the transfer section completed: your name and address, sale price, date, odometer reading and the seller's signature (both owners if two names are joined by "and").
• If there was a loan: a lien release from the bank, or the lien already removed from the title.
• A bill of sale with VIN, price and signatures. You need it for the sales tax.

What you bring to the office

• The state forms (below), completed.
• The signed title and the bill of sale.
• Applicable insurance or financial-responsibility documents: Liability 25/50/20: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, $20,000 property damage, plus 25/50 uninsured motorist. Illinois is not a no-fault state.
• Valid photo ID.
• Payment: title, registration, plate and sales tax if not paid yet.

Case 2: you bring a car from another state

• Everything above, plus: Illinois requires no physical VIN inspection to title a used out-of-state car: you surrender that state's title with the application. Only rebuilt salvage vehicles 8 model years old or newer, and out-of-state vehicles that are or may have been salvage (625 ILCS 5/3-308), plus homemade trailers, are inspected.
• The original out-of-state title (or the bank's letter if it holds it for the loan).
• Tax: Dealer purchase: 6.25% state tax plus local rates by location; the dealer collects and reports it (ST-556). Private-party purchase: not a percentage but a flat table (RUT-50). If the price is under $15,000 you pay by vehicle age: $465 (1 year or less) down to $100 (11 years or more). If the price is $15,000 or more you pay by price: $850 (up to $19,999.99), $1,100, $1,350, $1,600 ($30,000–$49,999.99), $2,600, $5,100 or $10,100. Chicago and Cook County add a local tax (RUT-6). Paid when titling, within 30 days. No trade-in credit on RUT-50. On a dealer purchase there is one: the trade-in value comes off the taxable price, and for sales made on or after January 1, 2022 the $10,000 trade-in credit limit that applied in 2020 and 2021 no longer applies (ST-556 instructions). The dealer files Form ST-556 no later than 20 calendar days after delivery. Between close relatives (spouse, parents, siblings, children) the fee is $15.

Forms

• VSD 190 — Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (title and registration)
• RUT-50 — Private Party Vehicle Use Tax return (filed with the title application)
• RUT-25 — Vehicle Use Tax return for a car bought from an out-of-state dealer
• VSD 703 — Seller's Report of Sale (optional)

Fees — confirm current amounts (ILSOS)

Amounts come from the linked state sources and can change. This guide distinguishes source checkpoints from narrow claim reviews; confirm the total for your transaction before you go. A dash means an amount has not been confirmed here.

Sales tax

Dealer purchase: 6.25% state tax plus local rates by location; the dealer collects and reports it (ST-556). Private-party purchase: not a percentage but a flat table (RUT-50). If the price is under $15,000 you pay by vehicle age: $465 (1 year or less) down to $100 (11 years or more). If the price is $15,000 or more you pay by price: $850 (up to $19,999.99), $1,100, $1,350, $1,600 ($30,000–$49,999.99), $2,600, $5,100 or $10,100. Chicago and Cook County add a local tax (RUT-6). Paid when titling, within 30 days. No trade-in credit on RUT-50. On a dealer purchase there is one: the trade-in value comes off the taxable price, and for sales made on or after January 1, 2022 the $10,000 trade-in credit limit that applied in 2020 and 2021 no longer applies (ST-556 instructions). The dealer files Form ST-556 no later than 20 calendar days after delivery. Between close relatives (spouse, parents, siblings, children) the fee is $15.

If you sell: protect yourself

Listed seller-notice or transfer document: VSD 703 (Seller's Report of Sale, optional). Check its conditions and the state process below. The plate belongs to the seller: they remove it and move it to their next car for the $25 transfer of registration, or turn it in. The buyer has 20 days to apply for title in their name and 45 days if the car comes from another state. Before driving after a private sale, confirm with the Secretary of State which temporary registration or transit documents apply to your transaction; have insurance ready and file promptly. If you bought from an out-of-state dealer and the seller's paperwork keeps you from meeting the 45 days, you can get an Illinois temporary registration plate with proof of purchase, your Illinois license or ID card and payment of the title and registration fees (625 ILCS 5/3-402 C). Keep copies of the title, filed notices and handover date to answer later registration, toll or ownership questions.

Mistakes that cost

• Missing the deadline. Check the deadline and consequence for your transaction; filing periods and penalties do not all start from the same event.
• Title with cross-outs or correction fluid. Ask the issuing agency which correction or replacement document it accepts before using it.
• Buying with an "open" title (signed by a previous owner, not the person selling to you). Confirm the ownership chain and the documents the agency requires before paying.
• Showing up without in-state insurance. Confirm the insurance or financial-responsibility documents required for your situation.