How to Fill Out the Illinois Release of Liability Form (VSD 703)

In Illinois, the release of liability form for a private vehicle sale is Form VSD 703, the Seller’s Report of Sale. You fill it out, mail it to the Secretary of State in Springfield, and the state’s records then show you are no longer the owner. That filing is what cuts off your exposure to tickets, tolls, and other liabilities tied to the car after you hand over the keys. The form is free, one page, and takes a few minutes.¹

What Goes On the Form

VSD 703 is available as a PDF download from the Illinois Secretary of State’s website or in person at any Driver Services facility. It asks for a short list of information:¹

The date of sale.
The vehicle year and make (for example, “2019 Honda”). The form does not ask for the model.
The 17-character vehicle identification number, found on the driver-side dashboard or door jamb and printed on your title.
Your full legal name and current residential address, with city, state, and ZIP.
The buyer’s full legal name and residential address.
Your signature, printed name, and the date you sign.

The form does not have a field for the license plate number. In Illinois you keep your plates when you sell a vehicle, and you either transfer them to another vehicle you own or return them to the Secretary of State.¹

Where to Send It

The form’s own instructions tell you to complete it “immediately” after the sale and mail it to:

Secretary of State
Vehicle Services Department
Record Inquiry Division
501 S. Second St.
Springfield, IL 62756¹

Mail is the only submission method. There is no online portal for VSD 703, and there is no filing fee. Before you drop the envelope in the mailbox, photocopy the completed form. A certificate of mailing from the post office costs a couple of dollars and gives you a dated record that the form went out. Once the Secretary of State processes the report, its records reflect that you sold the vehicle, which shields you from automated citations, parking tickets, and toll violations tied to the new owner.

Why Same-Day Filing Matters

Every day between the sale and the moment the Secretary of State updates its records is a day you remain the owner of record. If the buyer runs a red-light camera, racks up unpaid tolls, or parks illegally during that window, the citation goes to the registered owner. That is still you. Filing VSD 703 the same day you hand over the vehicle is the cleanest way to close that gap.¹

A worse scenario is a buyer who never applies for a new title. The vehicle sits registered in your name indefinitely. If it is abandoned on someone’s property or ends up in a crash, you can face administrative problems or even a lawsuit. VSD 703 is your documented proof that you sold the vehicle on a specific date to a specific person, even if the buyer never follows through on their paperwork.

What VSD 703 Does Not Do

Filing the Seller’s Report of Sale does not transfer ownership. The form states this plainly: completing VSD 703 “does not meet the legal requirements for transferring ownership.”¹ It is a notification to the state, not a title assignment. If you only file VSD 703 and skip the title paperwork, the buyer has no legal proof of ownership and cannot register the vehicle in their name.

To actually transfer the vehicle, you must complete and sign the “Assignment of Title” section on the back of the Illinois Certificate of Title and hand the signed title to the buyer. The buyer then takes that assigned title to a Secretary of State facility with an Application for Vehicle Transaction (Form VSD 190) and the tax form (RUT-50) to apply for a new title in their name.²

What Else the Seller Should Handle

Protecting yourself after a private vehicle sale takes a few steps alongside VSD 703.

Sign the “Assignment of Title” section on your Certificate of Title. If the title lists co-owners, every co-owner must sign.²
Record the odometer reading on the title at the time of transfer and indicate whether it reflects actual mileage. Illinois law requires it, and the buyer must also sign the title acknowledging the odometer disclosure.³
Confirm the VIN on the vehicle matches the VIN on the title before the buyer drives away.
Write a bill of sale. Illinois does not strictly require one, but a short document listing the year, make, model, VIN, purchase price, date, and both parties’ names and addresses protects everyone. Attaching a bill of sale to the buyer’s RUT-50 can also prevent follow-up notices from the Department of Revenue.⁴
Photocopy or photograph the buyer’s driver’s license so you have a record of who took the vehicle.
Remove your license plates and registration stickers. Illinois registration expires on transfer; transfer the plates to another vehicle you own or return them to the Secretary of State.⁵
Call your insurer to cancel coverage on the sold vehicle. Having the bill of sale in front of you speeds up the call.

Boats and Personal Watercraft

VSD 703 is for motor vehicles. Watercraft are handled by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, not the Secretary of State, and there is no equivalent seller’s report of sale form on the IDNR side. The title assignment on the watercraft title itself is the transfer mechanism. The buyer submits the original Illinois watercraft title (or a completed Watercraft Power of Attorney form if the title is lost) along with a Watercraft Application marked “Transfer/Renewal” and the registration fee to IDNR.⁶ If the original title is lost, IDNR provides a downloadable Power of Attorney form the buyer can use in its place.⁷

1
Illinois Secretary of State. Seller’s Report of Sale
2
Illinois Legal Aid Online. How Do I Sell My Car?
3
Illinois General Assembly. 625 ILCS 5/3-112.1
4
Illinois Department of Revenue. Illinois Tax Requirements for Cars, Trucks, Vans, Motorcycles, ATVs, Trailers, and Mobile Homes
5
Justia Law. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5 – Chapter 3 – Certificates of Title and Registration of Vehicles
6
Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Illinois Registered Watercraft
7
Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Watercraft Frequently Asked Questions