Illinois Form VSD 851 is the Vehicle License Plates Revocation Request you file with the Secretary of State to cancel plates you no longer have or no longer want tied to your name. It’s a single page. You enter the vehicle and owner information, check one reason for the revocation, attach any proof that reason requires, and have every registered or titled owner sign. There is no filing fee.
When To Use VSD 851
The form covers ten specific situations, and you check the one that applies. The common ones are a vehicle sold, traded, donated, towed, junked, or repossessed with the plates still attached; plates that are lost, missing, destroyed, or stolen; a registered owner who has died or moved out of state and registered the vehicle elsewhere; a divorce involving a single owner; and a court order directing the revocation.
The typical case is a private sale where the plates left with the vehicle. Until the plates are revoked, the seller’s name stays tied to them in the Secretary of State’s system, which can create problems if the buyer picks up toll violations or parking tickets on the old plate.
How To Fill It Out
The form has three sections.
Vehicle information goes at the top: license plate number, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), make, and year. If you don’t remember the plate number, your most recent registration renewal card or insurance documents typically list it.
Owner information comes next: full legal name of the first and, if applicable, second registered owner, current address, phone number, and driver’s license number. Use the name and address exactly as they appear on your current registration. If two people are listed on the registration, both names go on the form.
Then check the single box for your reason. Only one reason applies per form. Every registered or titled owner must sign and date the bottom. If the vehicle is leased, the lessor must also sign. A missing required signature is the most common reason the form gets rejected.
Documents To Attach
Four of the reasons require supporting proof:
- Registered owner deceased: a copy of the death certificate.
- Divorce (single owner only): a copy of the divorce decree.
- Plates stolen: a copy of the police report.
- Court order: a copy of the order.
The other reasons (sold or traded with plates, lost plates, moved out of state, towed or junked, donated, repossessed) don’t need anything beyond the completed and signed form. The signed attestation at the bottom, made under penalty of law, is what the Secretary of State relies on.
Replacement Plates or Stickers After Theft
If your plates or registration sticker were stolen, VSD 851 doubles as a replacement request. A separate checkbox at the bottom lets you indicate whether you need a full replacement (plates and sticker) or just a replacement sticker. Under 625 ILCS 5/3-820, the replacement is issued at no fee when the theft is documented with a police report. Attach the report, check the box, and the replacement is processed alongside the revocation.
Where To Submit and What It Costs
You can take the completed form to any Secretary of State facility that handles vehicle services. The facility finder on the Secretary of State’s website searches by ZIP code or city. To mail it, send it to the Vehicle Services Department at the Secretary of State’s Springfield office, with “Vehicle Services Department” written on the envelope. For questions about where to send your specific form, call (800) 252-8980.
There is no fee for the revocation. Replacement plates after a theft are also free when the police report is attached. Photocopy everything before you mail it.
After the Revocation
Once the Secretary of State processes the form, the plate number is deactivated in the state system, and you are no longer linked to it for toll, parking, or law enforcement purposes going forward. Processing times vary, so filing promptly after a sale or theft limits any exposure tied to the plates.
VSD 851 handles only the seller’s side. If the buyer needs to title and register the vehicle in their name, that is a separate process on Form VSD 190, the Application for Vehicle Transaction(s), handled through the Secretary of State’s Electronic Registration and Title (ERT) system.