How to Fill Out the Illinois One and the Same Form (VSD-393)

In Illinois, the “one and the same” form is Form VSD-393, the Affirmation of Correction, and you use statement 6 on that form to swear that two different names appearing in the Secretary of State’s vehicle records belong to the same person. The completed form goes to the Secretary of State’s Vehicle Services Department in Springfield, or to any Secretary of State facility in person, along with the original title and a $50 corrected-title fee.¹

When to Use the One and the Same Statement

Statement 6 on the VSD-393 is the box to check when your records show two versions of what is really one identity. Common examples are a maiden name on one document and a married name on another, a full legal name on one and a commonly used variation on the other, or a middle initial that appears in some records and not in others. By signing under statement 6, you are affirming under penalty of perjury that both names refer to you (or to whichever party is being identified).²

If your problem is instead a misspelled name — the letters are wrong rather than a genuinely different form of the name — statement 5 is the correct box, not statement 6. Read both before you check one.

How to Fill Out the Form for a Name-Match Correction

Download the VSD-393 as a PDF from the Illinois Secretary of State’s website, or pick up a paper copy at any Secretary of State facility.² The form is one page.

Vehicle Information

At the top, enter the vehicle’s year, make, full seventeen-character Vehicle Identification Number, and current plate number. Copy the VIN exactly as it appears on the title or the door jamb sticker. A single wrong digit will delay processing because the clerk cannot match your form to the existing record.

Check Statement 6 and Sign

Read all seven numbered statements before you check anything, then mark only statement 6. The signature block at the bottom has four lines: seller, co-seller, buyer, and co-buyer. For a one-and-the-same affirmation, the person whose two names are being reconciled signs on the line that matches their role in the transaction. The signature must be handwritten. By signing, you are swearing under penalty of perjury that the statement is true and accepting liability for any issues that arise from the corrected title.²

What to Send With the Form

Include the original incorrect title. The Secretary of State’s office needs the physical title to process the correction and issue a replacement.¹ The corrected title application should indicate the current odometer reading.³ If you also want your registration card updated to reflect the name reconciliation, include a registration application and an extra $3 registration correction fee.

Where to Submit and What It Costs

You have two options.¹

By mail: Send the packet to Office of the Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department, 501 S. 2nd St., Rm. 055, Springfield, IL 62756-6666. Include a check or money order for the $50 corrected-title fee payable to the Secretary of State.⁴
In person: Bring everything to a Secretary of State facility. A clerk can review the form on the spot and flag any missing signatures before you leave, which is the safer route when the original title is involved.

Keep a photocopy of every document you submit. If you mail the packet, use a trackable shipping method. Processing generally takes about three to four weeks from the date the Vehicle Services Department receives the application, and there is no expedited option. You can check status by calling the Vehicle Services Department at 217-785-3000 with your VIN and the submission date.²

Other Title Errors the Same Form Fixes

If you came here for a name-match affirmation but noticed another problem on the title while you were at it, the VSD-393 covers six additional situations. You check only the statement that applies:²

Statement 1: One co-owner releases all interest in the plate, vehicle, or both to the other party.
Statement 2: Seller signed the buyer line, buyer signed the seller line, or both.
Statement 3: The original buyer never took possession and the vehicle actually went to a different person. Both sellers and the incorrect buyer must sign.
Statement 4: Wrong date of sale. You write both the correct date and the erroneous date, and both buyer and seller sign.
Statement 5: A name was misspelled on the title assignment but is correct on the application. The person whose name was misspelled signs.
Statement 7: Someone was incorrectly listed as a lienholder. The person listed in error signs to confirm they hold no interest or lien. Include a letter from that financial institution confirming no interest.

What the VSD-393 Cannot Fix

The form’s disclaimer states plainly: “This affirmation cannot be used for odometer disclosure or corrections.”² Mileage errors go on a separate Affirmation of Correction for odometer readings, which has its own requirements including statements from both parties to the transaction. The VSD-393 also does not cover changes to the vehicle’s title brand (salvage, rebuilt, flood), corrections to the year or make if those require re-examination, or adding a new lienholder. Those situations each have their own forms.

Family transfer tax issues are also outside this form. A flat $15 tax on vehicles transferred between spouses, parents, siblings, or children (including adopted children) is handled through the Illinois Department of Revenue’s Form RUT-50; step-relatives, in-laws, and grandparent-grandchild relationships do not qualify.⁵

Mistakes That Delay Processing

The most frequent reason a VSD-393 comes back is a missing signature. Each of the seven statements specifies which parties must sign, and clerks reject the form if any required signature is absent. If you checked statement 4 but only the buyer signed, it comes back.

Second is submitting the form for an odometer correction. The word “correction” in the title leads people to assume the form covers mileage; it does not. Call the Vehicle Services Department at 217-785-3000 to get the odometer-specific affirmation.

Third is forgetting to include the original title. The Secretary of State cannot issue a corrected title without the old one. If you no longer have it, you may need to apply for a duplicate title first (also $50) and then submit the correction, doubling the fees and the wait. Filing in person avoids the worst-case scenario of losing the original title in the mail.

1
Illinois Secretary of State. Corrected Titles
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Illinois Secretary of State. VSD-393 Affirmation of Correction
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Illinois Automobile Dealers Association. Vehicle License, Title and Registration Requirements
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Illinois Secretary of State. Fees
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Illinois Department of Revenue. RUT-50 Instructions for Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Transaction