You just bought a car, or you are about to, and you live on the Illinois side of the river. Maybe it came from a neighbor, a dealer in Missouri, or an online auction. Illinois wants a title application, a tax form, and a fee from you, and the form you use depends on who sold you the car. Here is exactly what to file, what it costs, and how long you have.
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The short answer: To transfer a car title in Illinois, the seller signs the title over to you. You send it to the Secretary of State with an Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (VSD 190), the $165 title fee, and your tax form within 20 days. A private sale uses Form RUT-50, a flat $100 to $465 under $15,000. Moving your old plates adds $25.
Updated October 31, 2026. Checked against the Illinois Secretary of State, the Illinois Department of Revenue, and the Illinois Compiled Statutes. Sources are linked at the bottom.
Key takeaways
- Title fee: $165 for a standard Illinois certificate of title, or $190 if you also move plates from a car you own.
- Title deadline: 20 days after you receive the car and the signed title, under 625 ILCS 5/3-112.
- Tax form depends on the seller: an Illinois dealer files ST-556 for you, a private sale uses RUT-50, and an out-of-state dealer means RUT-25.
- Private party tax is flat: $100 to $465 by vehicle age under $15,000, and $850 and up at $15,000 or more. Family transfers are $15.
- Metro East rate: on a RUT-25 purchase, Madison and St. Clair counties use 6.5%, or 6.25% outside the Metro East Transit District.
- Plates stay with the seller: in Illinois, plates belong to the owner, not the car.
How do you transfer a car title in Illinois?
The Secretary of State says you need four things: a title application, the $165 title fee, the right tax form, and the old title signed over to you by the seller. Here is the order that keeps you out of trouble.
- 1. Check the title before you pay: the VIN should match the car, and every seller named on the front should sign. If a lender is listed, get the lien release first.
- 2. Get the title signed over: the seller signs the Assignment of Title section. The SOS says the title must show the signed and printed names of all sellers and buyers and certify the odometer reading.
- 3. Fill out the VSD 190: the Application for Vehicle Transaction(s). You can complete and print it online through the SOS Electronic Registration and Title (ERT) system, or fill it out at a DMV.
- 4. File your tax form: RUT-50 for a private sale, RUT-25 for an out-of-state dealer. You can file RUT-50 on MyTax Illinois, pay electronically, and print the copy the SOS needs.
- 5. Submit within 20 days: bring or mail the signed title, VSD 190, tax form, and fees to the Secretary of State. Pay the tax to the Illinois Department of Revenue and the title fees to the Secretary of State as separate payments.
- 6. Wait for the title: the SOS says a new title takes 2 to 6 weeks, mailed to your first lienholder or, if none, to you.
Not sure whether you need a title, plates, or both? Our guide to car registration vs title transfer explains the difference. Before you buy, read why a car’s title status matters, because a salvage or junk brand changes everything.
How much does it cost to transfer a title in Illinois?
The title fee is set by state law and is the same everywhere in Illinois. Tax is separate and covered in the next sections.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Certificate of title (car, truck, SUV) | $165 |
| Title plus moving plates from a car you own | $190 ($165 title, $25 transfer) |
| Plate transfer only | $25 |
| Standard passenger plates, per year | $151 |
| Duplicate or corrected title | $50 |
| Expedited title service | $30 on top of other fees |
| Salvage certificate | $20 |
Example: you buy a 2015 car from a private seller for $6,000 and title it in 2026. The RUT-50 tax is $100 because the car is 11 years old. Add $190 for the title and your old plates, and you pay Illinois $290. Need new plates instead? It is $100 tax, $165 title, and $151 plates, or $416.
Which Illinois tax form do you file?
Illinois will not issue the title until you pay the tax or prove none is due. The Illinois Department of Revenue picks the form by who sold you the car.
| You bought from | Form | Who files | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| An Illinois dealer | ST-556 | Usually the dealer | 20 days after delivery |
| A private party, including family | RUT-50 | You | 30 days after purchase, or after the car enters Illinois |
| An out-of-state dealer or retailer | RUT-25 | You | 30 days after the car enters Illinois |
File on time even if the title has not reached you yet. IDOR says to file and pay by the due date to avoid penalty and interest, even when you cannot finish the title application. Keep the receipted copy of the return, because the Secretary of State needs it when you do apply.
Illinois private party vehicle tax chart for 2026
The RUT-50 tax is a flat amount, not a percentage. Under $15,000, it depends on the vehicle’s age: the year you apply for title minus the model year. For a title applied for in 2026:
| Vehicle age | Model year (titled in 2026) | Tax due |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year or less | 2025 and newer | $465 |
| 2 years | 2024 | $365 |
| 3 years | 2023 | $290 |
| 4 years | 2022 | $240 |
| 5 years | 2021 | $190 |
| 6 years | 2020 | $165 |
| 7 years | 2019 | $155 |
| 8 years | 2018 | $140 |
| 9 years | 2017 | $125 |
| 10 years | 2016 | $115 |
| 11 years or more | 2015 and older | $100 |
At $15,000 or more, Table B sets the tax by price instead:
| Purchase price or fair market value | Tax due |
|---|---|
| $15,000 to $19,999.99 | $850 |
| $20,000 to $24,999.99 | $1,100 |
| $25,000 to $29,999.99 | $1,350 |
| $30,000 to $49,999.99 | $1,600 |
| $50,000 to $99,999.99 | $2,600 |
| $100,000 to $999,999.99 | $5,100 |
- Family pays $15: a purchase from or transfer by a spouse or civil union partner, parent, sibling, or child, adopted included. Step-relatives, in-laws, and grandparents do not qualify.
- No trade-in credit: RUT-50 does not allow one.
- Gifts use fair market value: when no price is stated, the tax is based on what the car is worth.
- Motorcycles and ATVs: $25.
- Local add-ons: the RUT-6 guide lists local private party taxes only for the City of Chicago and Cook County, so Metro East buyers pay the state amount.
What tax do you pay when you buy from an out-of-state dealer?
Buy from a dealer or retailer outside Illinois and you file RUT-25 within 30 days of bringing the car home. This one is a percentage of the price, and the rate depends on the address you list:
| Where you live | RUT-25 rate |
|---|---|
| Madison or St. Clair County, inside the Metro East Transit District | 6.5% |
| Madison or St. Clair County, outside the Metro East Transit District | 6.25% |
| Most of the rest of Illinois | 6.25% |
| Cook County | 7.5% from August 1, 2026 |
| DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, or Will County | 7.25% from August 1, 2026 |
- Credit for tax paid elsewhere: IDOR credits tax you paid to another state only if it was properly due and is separately stated on your proof of payment.
- Trade-ins: any trade-in credit must appear on the dealer’s bill of sale.
- Rebates: they do not lower the taxable price.
Example: you live in St. Clair County inside the transit district and buy a $6,000 car from a Missouri dealer. RUT-25 tax is $390. Add the $165 title and a $25 plate transfer, and the total is $580, before any credit for tax paid in Missouri.
Buying in Missouri and titling in Illinois
Plenty of Metro East buyers shop across the river. If you live in Illinois, you title the car in Illinois and follow Illinois rules, wherever you bought it. Your title application and tax form go to Illinois, not to the Missouri Department of Revenue.
- Private seller in Missouri: file RUT-50, due 30 days after the car comes into Illinois.
- Dealer or retailer in Missouri: file RUT-25 at your Illinois address rate, and attach the bill of sale.
- Not sure which the seller is: ask before you pay. The answer decides whether you owe a flat amount or a percentage.
If you are on the Missouri side instead, our Missouri title transfer guide and how to title an out-of-state car in Missouri cover those rules. Bidding at a salvage yard? Copart and IAA St. Louis rules for the public explain which side of the river lets you bid without a broker, and our Missouri salvage title guide covers branded titles from Missouri sellers.
Do license plates stay with the car in Illinois?
No. The Secretary of State says Illinois plates belong to the owner, not the vehicle. The seller keeps them. You can move plates only from another car you own, by checking Transfer or Title and Transfer on the VSD 190 and including your most recent registration ID card for that plate number.
If your old car was registered to two people and the new one will be in one name, the other owner must release their interest in the plates on an Affirmation of Correction (VSD 393).
How long do you have to transfer a title in Illinois?
Two clocks run at once, and the shorter one wins:
- Title: 20 days. Under 625 ILCS 5/3-112(b), you apply for a new title promptly and within 20 days after the car and the assigned title are delivered to you.
- Tax: 20 or 30 days. ST-556 is due 20 days after delivery. RUT-50 and RUT-25 are due 30 days after the purchase or after the car enters Illinois.
- Registration date: the SOS says if you register within six months of the sale, your registration starts from the sale date, so waiting does not save you money.
Buying at auction, where the title arrives later than the car? Read buying a car at auction and transferring the title, and file your tax return by its due date either way.
Buying at auction from the Illinois side
Most Illinois auction yards need a broker or a dealer license. Our guide to car auctions in Illinois lists the ones the public can actually use, and the St. Louis car auctions hub covers every option across the river. Thinking about buying to resell? Check how many cars you can sell in Illinois without a license first.
Why Metro East buyers use Remarket Space
Remarket Space is an online car auction open to the public, with a St. Louis-area option. You do not need a dealer license or a membership. Every listing has an inspection by a Verified Remarket Space Inspector, a free Carfax, real photos, and an HD virtual test drive, and it shows your out-the-door total before you bid. Delivery is quoted on each listing. Our How It Works page says titles typically arrive in 8 to 12 weeks, so ask support which Illinois tax form fits your purchase before you bid, and file it on time.
See cars up for auction now, browse St. Louis-area listings, read how bidding works, and check the buyer premium and fees so your total is clear before the title paperwork starts.
Frequently asked questions
The Illinois certificate of title fee is $165. Moving plates from a car you already own adds $25, for $190. Tax is separate: a private sale under $15,000 costs $100 to $465 on Form RUT-50, depending on the vehicle’s age.
You need the Application for Vehicle Transaction(s), Form VSD 190, plus the old title signed over to you and a tax form. Private sales use RUT-50, out-of-state dealer purchases use RUT-25, and Illinois dealers file ST-556 for you.
Illinois law gives the buyer 20 days after the car and the signed title are delivered to apply for a new title. The RUT-50 and RUT-25 tax forms are due within 30 days, and an Illinois dealer’s ST-556 is due within 20 days of delivery.
Under $15,000, the RUT-50 tax runs from $465 for a car one year old or newer down to $100 for a car 11 or more years old. At $15,000 and up it starts at $850. Transfers between spouses, parents, siblings, and children are $15.
Yes. Illinois residents title in Illinois and pay Illinois tax wherever they buy. Use RUT-50 for a Missouri private seller or RUT-25 for a Missouri dealer. Madison and St. Clair County RUT-25 rates are 6.5%, or 6.25% outside the Metro East Transit District.
Not the seller’s plates. Illinois plates belong to the owner, so the seller keeps them. You can move plates from another car you own for a $25 transfer fee, or buy new standard passenger plates, which the Secretary of State lists at $151 a year.
Sources
- Illinois Secretary of State: Fees
- Illinois Secretary of State: Transferring plates
- Illinois Secretary of State: Title and registration FAQ
- Illinois Compiled Statutes: 625 ILCS 5/3-112, Transfer
- Illinois Compiled Statutes: 625 ILCS 5/3-821, Title and registration fees
- Illinois Department of Revenue: Tax requirements for cars
- Illinois Department of Revenue: RUT-50 instructions
- Illinois Department of Revenue: RUT-25 instructions
- Illinois Department of Revenue: RUT-6, local private party taxes
General information, not legal or tax advice. Fees and rates can change, so confirm with the Illinois Secretary of State and the Illinois Department of Revenue before you title a car.
