The Illinois VSD-703 Seller’s Report of Sale is a one-page form you send to the Secretary of State right after selling a vehicle so the state stops listing you as the owner. Fill in the vehicle details, the buyer’s information, and your signature, then mail it to the Vehicle Services Department in Springfield. There is no filing fee.1Illinois Secretary of State. Seller’s Report of Sale
Where to Get the Form
Download the VSD-703 as a PDF from the Illinois Secretary of State’s website at ilsos.gov, or pick up a printed copy at any Driver Services facility. It’s a single page. Most sellers print it, fill it out, and drop it in the mail the same day they hand over the vehicle.
What to Fill In
The form has three blocks of information. Every entry should match what appears on the vehicle’s certificate of title, because mismatches slow processing on both your side and the buyer’s.
Vehicle Information
Enter the year, make, and full 17-character Vehicle Identification Number. The VIN is stamped on a plate at the base of the windshield on the driver’s side and printed on the title. Copy it character by character. A single transposed letter can cause the office to reject the form or update the wrong record.
Buyer and Sale Information
Write the exact date the vehicle changed hands, the buyer’s full legal name, and their current residential address with city, state, and ZIP. These details get matched against the buyer’s later application for a new title, so avoid nicknames and abbreviations.
Seller’s Certification
The bottom of the form is a certification signed under penalty of perjury. Print your name, sign, and date. Read the certification language before signing; it appears verbatim on the PDF.
Where to Send It
Mail the completed form to the address printed on it:
Secretary of State
Vehicle Services Department
Record Inquiry Division
501 S. Second St.
Springfield, IL 62756
There is no fee.1Illinois Secretary of State. Seller’s Report of Sale The Secretary of State’s website also references an Electronic Seller’s Report of Sale for faster digital submission. If you mail a paper copy, keep a photocopy. That dated copy is your proof of when you reported the sale if a dispute comes up later.
Why Filing Quickly Protects You
Until the Secretary of State processes your report, the state’s database still shows you as the registered owner. Automated toll cameras, red-light cameras, and parking enforcement bill the registered owner. If the buyer causes an accident or collects tickets before applying for a new title, the paper trail leads back to you.
The VSD-703 creates an independent record, separate from the title transfer, that locks in the sale date and the buyer’s identity. The buyer has 20 days by law to apply for a new title, and some don’t move that fast.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/3-112 – Transfer Your report tells the state you are no longer responsible as of a specific date, regardless of what the buyer does. The Illinois Tollway runs its own affidavit-of-nonliability process for disputing tolls, and having a filed VSD-703 on record makes that dispute much simpler to resolve.
The VSD-703 Does Not Transfer the Title
Filing the report is not the same as transferring ownership. Under 625 ILCS 5/3-112, when you sell a vehicle you must sign the assignment section on the back of the title at the time of delivery and hand the certificate to the buyer or mail it to the Secretary of State.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/3-112 – Transfer The title assignment transfers legal ownership to the buyer. The VSD-703 notifies the state that you gave it up. Do both. Sellers who sign over the title but skip the VSD-703 stay exposed until the buyer gets around to applying for a new certificate.
p>The odometer reading, when one is required, goes on the title itself, not on the VSD-703. Sellers sometimes confuse the two.
Handle These the Same Day
Take Your Plates Off
In Illinois, plates belong to the registered owner, not the vehicle. Remove them before the buyer drives away. You can transfer them to another vehicle you own, surrender them at a Secretary of State facility, or hold onto them for later. Plates left on the car trace violations back to you.
Write a Bill of Sale
Illinois has no state-mandated bill-of-sale form for private vehicle sales, but the Illinois Department of Revenue recommends attaching one to the buyer’s RUT-50 use-tax return.3Illinois Department of Revenue. Illinois Tax Requirements for Cars, Trucks, Vans, Motorcycles, ATVs A simple document listing the VIN, sale price, date, and both parties’ names and signatures protects both sides. Keep your copy with the VSD-703 photocopy.
Deal With Insurance Last
Call your auto insurer after the title is signed over, the VSD-703 is filed, and the plates are removed. Canceling coverage while the vehicle is still registered in your name can trigger a lapse, and driving without insurance or holding a registered vehicle without coverage in Illinois can lead to fines or a suspended registration. If you’re replacing the sold vehicle, your insurer can usually move the policy over the same day.