To register a car in Illinois, you need the signed vehicle title, a completed Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (Form VSD 190), proof of Illinois auto insurance, a valid ID with proof of your Illinois address, and $316 to cover the combined title and registration fees. If you bought from a private seller, add Form RUT-50 and the vehicle use tax owed on the purchase, both due within 30 days. In certain counties, you also need a current emissions test certificate.
Documents to Bring
The title is the centerpiece. It carries the VIN, make, model, and year, and it proves ownership. When you buy from another person, the seller signs the title over to you on the back and you sign as the buyer. Missing signatures, cross-outs, or mismatched names will get the title rejected at the counter, so check it carefully before you leave the seller.
You also need Form VSD 190, the Application for Vehicle Transaction(s). The Secretary of State’s Electronic Registration and Title system lets you complete and print the form before your visit.1Illinois Secretary of State. Transferring Plates Bring a valid Illinois driver’s license or state ID, plus something showing your Illinois address, such as a utility bill or lease.
Proof of Insurance
Illinois requires active auto insurance before it will register any vehicle. The statutory minimums are $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $20,000 for property damage per accident. You must also carry uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.2Illinois Department of Insurance. Auto Insurance Shopping Guide
The Department of Insurance recommends buying higher limits than the minimums, because a serious accident can easily exceed them and leave you exposed to a lawsuit. Bring your insurance card or a digital proof of coverage from your insurer.
Fees You’ll Pay
Passenger vehicle registration is $151 per year, and a new title is $165, for a combined total of $316.3Illinois Secretary of State. Fees Secretary of State facilities accept check, money order, or credit card.
A few situational fees:
- Replacement plates: $6 per plate.
- Replacement registration sticker: $20.
- Plate transfer: you pay the title fee but avoid a fresh plate fee if you’re moving existing plates to a new vehicle.
Electric vehicles pay an annual surcharge on top of the $151 registration fee. As of 2026, that surcharge is $100 per year.
Vehicle Use Tax on Private Purchases
If you bought your car from a private seller rather than a licensed dealer, you owe Illinois vehicle use tax and report it on Form RUT-50. The tax is not a percentage. It’s a flat schedule based on either the vehicle’s age or its purchase price.
For vehicles bought for less than $15,000, the tax follows the model year:
- 1 year old or newer: $465
- 2 years old: $365
- 3 years old: $290
- 4 years old: $240
- 5 years old: $190
- 6 years old: $165
- 7 years old: $155
- 8 years old: $140
- 9 years old: $125
- 10 years old: $115
- 11 years or older: $100
For vehicles bought for $15,000 or more, the tax is set by price, regardless of age:
- $15,000–$19,999: $850
- $20,000–$24,999: $1,100
- $25,000–$29,999: $1,350
- $30,000–$49,999: $1,600
- $50,000–$99,999: $2,600
- $100,000–$999,999: $5,100
- $1,000,000 or more: $10,100
Motorcycles and ATVs bought from a private party owe a flat $25. Some counties add their own private party use tax. Cook County, for example, charges an additional $90 to $225 depending on vehicle age.5Cook County Government. Non-Retailer Use Tax
Form RUT-50 is due within 30 days of acquiring the vehicle in Illinois, or within 30 days of bringing it into the state if you bought it elsewhere.6Illinois Department of Revenue. RUT-50 Instructions for Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Transaction Miss the deadline and you’ll owe penalties and interest.
Dealer purchases work differently. The dealership collects sales tax at the point of sale, at a combined state, county, and municipal rate typically between 6.25% and 10.25%. No separate form from you.
Emissions Test
Gasoline vehicles that are 1996 or newer and at least four model years old generally need an emissions test before registration. Testing is required in the Chicago metro area and the Metro-East St. Louis region, which covers Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair counties.7Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Vehicle Emissions Testing Program Vehicles registered outside those counties are exempt.
Tests happen every two years. Even model-year vehicles are inspected in even calendar years, odd model-year vehicles in odd years, and your inspection month lines up with your plate expiration.7Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Vehicle Emissions Testing Program Diesel vehicles, electric vehicles, and brand-new cars within their first four model years are exempt. Testing usually costs under $30, and you bring the certificate with you when you register.
Where to File
New titles and first-time registrations go through a Secretary of State facility in person, because staff need to examine the original title.8Illinois Secretary of State. Apply for Registration and Title You leave with temporary proof of registration, and your permanent plates, sticker, and title are mailed to you afterward. Some renewal transactions can be done online or by mail, but the first registration cannot.
If you bought from a licensed dealer, the dealership typically issues a temporary registration permit valid for up to 90 days so you can drive legally while your permanent plates are produced.9Cornell Law School. Illinois Admin Code Title 92 1010.420 – Temporary Permit Pending Registration in Illinois
If You Just Moved to Illinois
New residents have 30 days from establishing residency to register the vehicle and get an Illinois title.10Illinois Secretary of State. New Residents How Do I The clock starts when you move, not when you visit the Secretary of State.
The paperwork is the same as any first-time registration, with one addition: you surrender your out-of-state title, and Illinois issues an Illinois title in exchange. If your previous state still shows a lien, the lender typically sends the title directly. A VIN inspection may also be required so the state can confirm the number on the vehicle matches the title. Facility staff can point you to the nearest inspection location.
Illinois requires plates on both the front and rear of passenger vehicles.11City of Chicago. Vehicle Information for New City Residents If your prior state used only a rear plate, mount the second Illinois plate on the front. The registration sticker goes on the rear plate.
Transferring Plates You Already Have
If you’re keeping plates from a car you’re selling or trading, you can move them to the new vehicle instead of buying new ones. You still pay the title fee and any registration class difference, but you skip the plate cost.
Bring your most recent registration card for the plates you’re transferring, along with the completed VSD 190. If the old vehicle was registered to multiple names and the new one will have fewer, the people being removed must sign an Affirmation of Correction (Form VSD 393) releasing their interest in the plates.1Illinois Secretary of State. Transferring Plates
Salvage and Rebuilt Vehicles
A vehicle carrying a salvage title cannot be registered or driven on Illinois roads until it has been rebuilt and passed a Secretary of State safety lane inspection. Only after the salvage title is converted to a rebuilt title does the standard registration process apply, and you’ll need the assigned salvage certificate, a rebuilt-vehicle title application, and Affirmation form RT-11.13 with the licensed rebuilder’s information.12Cornell Law School. Illinois Admin Code Title 92 1020.80 – Inspection of Rebuilt Vehicles
Deadlines and What Happens if You Miss Them
Illinois deadlines are firm:
- New residents: 30 days from establishing residency to register.
- Private-party buyers: 30 days to file Form RUT-50 and pay use tax.
- Renewals: before the expiration date on your registration sticker.
Driving with expired or missing registration is a traffic offense that can bring a citation, a fine, and potentially impoundment. Once a vehicle is towed, storage fees start adding up on top of the ticket. If your insurance has also lapsed, the penalties compound. Paying the registration fee on time is by far the cheapest option.