How to Transfer a Car Title in Illinois: Forms, Fees, and Taxes

To transfer a car title in Illinois, the buyer submits the seller-signed title, an Application for Vehicle Transaction (Form VSD 190), and a Private Party Vehicle Use Tax return (Form RUT-50) to the Secretary of State, along with a $165 title fee and the applicable use tax. The RUT-50 is due within 30 days of the purchase date, so the paperwork moves on a tight clock even if you plan to mail everything in.¹

What the Seller Signs Over

The seller completes the “Assignment of Title” section on the back of the certificate of title. Under 625 ILCS 5/3-112, that means filling in the buyer’s name and address, the date of sale, the sale price, and signing the assignment. If more than one owner is listed, every co-owner has to sign for the assignment to be valid.

The seller also certifies the odometer reading at delivery. Vehicles model year 2009 or older are exempt from the mileage disclosure because they’ve cleared the federal 10-year threshold; vehicles from model year 2010 forward fall under a 20-year rule, so the earliest of those won’t be exempt until 2030.² Errors on the odometer statement can get the whole application rejected, so get the number right.

One more thing the seller does: take the plates off. In Illinois, license plates stay with the owner rather than the vehicle. The seller can move them to another car they own or return them to the Secretary of State.

What the Buyer Files

Beyond the signed title itself, the buyer needs to submit:

Application for Vehicle Transaction (Form VSD 190). This is the primary form the Secretary of State uses to update ownership records. The make, model, year, and VIN must match the existing title exactly; mismatches cause delays.³
Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Transaction (Form RUT-50). This calculates the tax owed. File it within 30 days of purchase to avoid penalty and interest.¹
A bill of sale. Not legally required in every scenario, but worth preparing. Include the price, date, vehicle description, and signatures of both parties. It protects you if a dispute comes up later.

File the RUT-50 even if you believe no tax is owed. The Secretary of State won’t process the title application without it.

What the Transfer Costs

The Secretary of State’s fees for title-related transactions:⁴

Original title: $165.⁵
Duplicate or corrected title: $50, needed when the original is lost, damaged, or contains errors.
Vehicle use tax: varies with price, age, and relationship (see below).

Payment can be made by check, money order, or credit card. Credit card payments carry a convenience fee.

How the Use Tax Is Calculated

Illinois doesn’t apply a flat sales tax rate to private-party sales. The tax is set through two lookup tables on the RUT-50.⁶

For a vehicle bought for under $15,000, Table A uses the vehicle’s age at the time of the title application. That runs from $465 for a car one year old or newer down to $100 for a car 11 years old or more. For a vehicle sold at $15,000 or above, Table B uses the price paid, starting at $850 for the $15,000–$19,999 bracket and climbing from there.⁶

Family Transfers and Gifts

If the vehicle is coming from a spouse, parent, sibling, or child (including adopted children), the tax is a flat $15 instead of the table amount. Spouses in a civil union qualify too. Step-relations, in-laws, and grandparent-to-grandchild transfers do not.⁶

A gift still requires a RUT-50. The instructions require the return for any vehicle “acquired by gift or transfer” from a private party. When the gift falls outside the listed family relationships, the tax is figured on fair market value rather than a purchase price.

Where and When to Submit

There are two ways to file:

In person at any Secretary of State facility. You get immediate confirmation the documents are accepted, and you can apply for registration and plates in the same visit.
By mail to the Secretary of State’s main office in Springfield. Mail processing generally takes four to eight weeks before the new title arrives.⁷

The 30-day RUT-50 deadline runs from the purchase date regardless of when you finish the title paperwork. The Illinois Department of Revenue is clear that the tax return has to be filed on time even if the title application isn’t complete; otherwise you owe penalty and interest.¹

Getting Plates and Driving the Vehicle Home

Because plates stay with the seller in Illinois, the buyer has to arrange new registration and plates before legally driving the car. Filing in person lets you do both at once. Filing by mail means a separate visit or mailing for plates.

Illinois issues Temporary Registration Permits that allow up to 90 days of driving while permanent plates are pending.⁸ The permit is displayed at the rear of the vehicle where a plate would go. It’s useful when you’re mailing in your application and still need to drive.

Vehicles registered in the Chicago metropolitan area or the Metro-East St. Louis region have to pass an emissions test, and the Secretary of State can deny plate registration to a vehicle that doesn’t comply.⁹ Build time for scheduling the test into your plan.

If the Vehicle Still Has a Loan on It

A seller who still owes on the car can’t hand over a clean title until the loan is paid and the lienholder releases its interest. When the lender holds the title, the seller gets a payoff amount, pays the balance, and obtains a lien release confirming satisfaction.

Illinois uses the Electronic Lien and Title system, so many lenders release liens electronically rather than mailing a paper title. Once the lien is cleared, the Secretary of State’s records update and a clean title can be signed over. If you’re the buyer and the seller claims the loan is paid, ask to see the release before any money changes hands. The Secretary of State requires a lien clearance letter, a paid-in-full lien contract, or a court order before issuing a title without the lienholder listed.¹⁰

Transferring After a Death

Inheriting a vehicle adds documentation showing who now has authority to sign for the deceased owner. The path depends on whether the estate goes through probate.

Small Estates

If the deceased person’s total personal estate is worth $100,000 or less, heirs can skip probate and use a Small Estate Affidavit under 755 ILCS 5/25-1.¹¹ The affidavit lists every heir, describes the vehicle by year, make, and VIN, and confirms that estate debts are paid or accounted for. Attach a copy of the death certificate.¹²

Probated Estates

When probate is open, the court issues Letters of Office (sometimes called Letters of Administration or Letters Testamentary) naming who can manage estate assets. That person signs the title on behalf of the deceased. Submit a certified copy of the Letters of Office with the existing title and a death certificate.¹²

Joint Tenancy Titles

If the vehicle was titled jointly with right of survivorship, the surviving owner can have the title corrected into their name alone by submitting a copy of the death certificate. No probate documents or affidavit needed. The surviving owner can also transfer directly to a third party using the death certificate and a signed title assignment.¹²

Vehicles Coming From Another State

A vehicle titled in another state has to be converted to an Illinois title before ownership can be transferred to someone else here.¹³ Submit the out-of-state title with the standard application and tax forms. A separate use tax return, Form RUT-25, is due within 30 days of the date the vehicle is brought into Illinois.¹ If the vehicle will be registered in an emissions-testing area, plan for the inspection before plates can be issued.⁹

If the Title Is Lost or Damaged

A missing or damaged title doesn’t stop the transaction, but it adds a step. The current owner has to apply for a duplicate from the Secretary of State before the transfer can happen. The duplicate title fee is $50.⁴ If you’re the buyer and the seller can’t produce a title, insist on the duplicate before committing to the purchase. Working around a missing title tends to create bigger problems later.

1
Illinois Department of Revenue. Illinois Tax Requirements for Cars, Trucks, Vans, Motorcycles, ATVs
2
Federal Register. Odometer Disclosure Requirements
3
Illinois.gov. Apply for Vehicle Title and Registration
4
Illinois Secretary of State. Fees
5
Illinois Secretary of State. Apply for Registration and Title
6
Illinois Department of Revenue. RUT-50 Instructions for Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Transaction
7
Illinois Secretary of State. Title and Registration
8
Illinois Secretary of State. FAQ
9
Illinois EPA. Vehicle Emissions Testing Program
10
Illinois Secretary of State. Corrected Titles
11
Justia Law. Illinois Compiled Statutes 755 ILCS 5 Article XXV – Small Estate Affidavit
12
Cornell Law School. Illinois Admin Code Title 92, 1010.150 – Transferring Certificates of Title Upon the Owners Death
13
Justia Law. Illinois Compiled Statutes Chapter 625 Vehicles Chapter 3 – Certificates of Title and Registration of Title