How to Transfer Car Title in Illinois

By Mohamed SkhiriUpdated November 8, 2026Checked against the Illinois Secretary of State and Department of Revenue

An Illinois title transfer involves two state agencies, and that's what confuses most people. The Secretary of State issues titles and plates. The Illinois Department of Revenue collects the tax on a private sale. You need paperwork from both before the title is in your name, and the plates on the car you're buying aren't yours to keep. Once you know that, the process is straightforward. Whether you call it an Illinois automobile title transfer or just putting the car in your name, the steps below are the same.

Illinois car title transfer: the seller's part

1. Have a valid title ready. The Secretary of State tells sellers to give the buyer a valid title at the time of delivery. If yours is lost, apply for a duplicate before the sale.
2. Sign and date the title when the sale is final, filling in the buyer's details and the odometer reading where required.
3. Remove your license plates. In Illinois, plates can't be transferred with the car. You can move them to another vehicle you own.
4. Mail the Notice of Sale. It's the form attached to the bottom of the title; complete it and send it to the Secretary of State. It's your record that the vehicle is no longer yours.
5. Give the buyer a bill of sale and keep a copy. Our bill of sale template works for Illinois sales.

Illinois vehicle title transfer: the buyer's part

The buyer does most of the work in an Illinois vehicle title transfer. Here's how to transfer a car title in Illinois once the seller has signed:

1. Check the signed title. Your name and address should be filled in, along with the date and odometer reading.
2. File the tax form. A private-party purchase uses Form RUT-50, the Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Transaction, with the Illinois Department of Revenue. Print a copy: the Secretary of State won't process the title without a printed RUT-50.
3. Complete the Illinois title application. That's the Application for Vehicle Transaction(s), form VSD 190.
4. Submit everything to the Secretary of State within 20 days: the signed title, the VSD 190, the printed RUT-50 and the fees. Tax and title fees are paid separately: the tax to the Department of Revenue, the fees to the Secretary of State.
5. Get plates. Either new plates or a transfer of plates from a vehicle you already own.

What to bring to the Secretary of State

For a state of Illinois vehicle title transfer after a private sale, gather these before you go:

• The original title, signed over to you by every owner listed on it
• A completed VSD 190 Application for Vehicle Transaction(s)
• A printed copy of your RUT-50, with the tax paid to the Department of Revenue
• A lien release, if the title shows a lender
• Your driver's license or ID
• Payment for the title and plate fees
• Your bill of sale, which supports the price you report on the RUT-50

If you're transferring plates from a car you already own, bring that vehicle's registration too.

Checking an Illinois title before you buy

A few minutes with the title before you hand over money can save weeks of trouble afterwards:

• Names. The seller should be the owner printed on the front. If two owners are listed, ask whether both need to sign.
• Liens. A lender shown on the title has to release its interest before you can get a clean title.
• The VIN. Compare it with the plate on the dashboard and the sticker on the driver's door.
• Brands. Look for words such as salvage, rebuilt or flood on the title. They affect value and insurance.
• Alterations. Crossed-out names or correction fluid can make a title unusable. Ask the seller to fix problems with the Secretary of State first.

Fees for a state of Illinois title transfer

The Secretary of State lists a title and transfer fee of $190, made up of a $165 title fee and a $25 transfer fee, plus a transfer-only fee of $25 when you move plates to a new vehicle. The use tax on the RUT-50 is separate and depends on the price and the vehicle's age. Fees change, so confirm the current amounts on the Secretary of State's site before you pay.

Plates don't come with the car

This is the rule that catches out-of-state buyers most often. The Secretary of State is explicit: you cannot transfer ownership of license plates when you sell a car or transfer a title. You can only transfer plates to another vehicle you own. So the seller takes the plates off before handing over the keys, and the buyer shouldn't drive away on someone else's plates. Plan how you'll get the car home: arrange plates first, or use a temporary permit if you're eligible.

The 20-day window

For a private sale, the Secretary of State says it's the buyer's responsibility to have the title put in their name within 20 days. Dealers have the same 20 days to send in the paperwork for their customers. Don't leave it to the last week, because the RUT-50 has to be completed and printed before you can apply for the title. Start the car title transfer in Illinois the day the seller signs.

Special cases

Gifts and family transfers

A gift is still an Illinois title transfer: the giver signs the title, and the receiver applies with the VSD 190. The RUT-50 is where the tax on a gift or family transfer is worked out, so fill it in honestly. Choose "gift or family transfer" in the checklist above.

Surviving joint owner

If one owner on the title has died, the Secretary of State has a form specifically for a surviving joint owner transferring the title to another person (VSD 275). For other deaths, ask the Secretary of State which documents apply; the checklist lists the usual ones.

Moving to Illinois

New residents title and register through the same VSD 190 application. Bring your out-of-state title, or ask your lender to work with the Secretary of State if they hold it.

Illinois-specific mistakes to avoid

• Driving on the seller's plates. They belong to the seller and leave with them.
• Forgetting the printed RUT-50. Without it, the Secretary of State can't process the title.
• The seller skipping the Notice of Sale. It's the seller's protection; mail it right away.
• Paying everything in one check. The tax and the title fees go to different agencies.

That's the whole process for transferring a title in Illinois. For other states, use the title transfer checklist.

Illinois vehicle title replacement

If the title is lost, stolen or mutilated, the Secretary of State issues a duplicate for $50. You apply on the same form used for transfers, the Application for Vehicle Transaction(s), VSD 190, and give the VIN, the last plate number and the reason you need the duplicate. Two timing rules catch people out: a duplicate isn't issued within 15 days of the original title being issued, or within 30 days of an earlier duplicate. If a lender is still on record, the replacement goes to the lienholder; to get it in your own hands, bring a lien release letter, a paid-in-full lien contract or a court order.

That's how to apply in Illinois for a lost title, whether you call it a replacement car title in Illinois or an Illinois lost car title. Sellers should file for the lost title in Illinois before listing the car, because the buyer can't take ownership without it.

Illinois title and registration in one application

The VSD 190 is also why people look for both at once: one application covers both the title and the plates, whether it's a transfer, a duplicate or a new registration. The Secretary of State handles the Illinois title registration side, and the Department of Revenue collects the tax on a private sale.

Title search Illinois: checking a title record

A title search is a separate service from a duplicate. The Secretary of State's records inquiry form, the VSD 375, lists a title search at $5 ($10 certified), and it can't be used to order a duplicate title. Requesters who aren't exempt entities, such as law enforcement, insurers or attorneys, get vehicle information only, without the owner's personal details. For an Illinois title look up before a purchase, that vehicle information plus a free VIN decode answers most questions.

Illinois title transfer FAQ