Wheel ScoutWhat an Illinois plate lookup shows
A license plate points to one car. We turn the Illinois plate into the car's 17-character VIN, show you the year, make and model, then read its history: salvage, flood and rebuilt brands, title history by state, odometer readings and theft records. You also see the factory specs and the safety recalls for that model year before you pay. What it never shows is the owner: the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps names and addresses in DMV records private, and we don't sell them.
What an Illinois plate looks like
Under 625 ILCS 5/3-412, Illinois plates carry the state name, Illinois, and, with a few exceptions, the phrase Land of Lincoln. Type the plate exactly as it reads, without spaces, and we find the car.
Three things about Illinois plates matter to a buyer:
- Plates belong to the owner, not the car. Under 625 ILCS 5/3-501 the registration ends when the car is sold, and the seller removes the plates and either sends them to the Secretary of State or moves them to another vehicle they own. A car offered with the seller's plates still on it is not a car you can drive home on those plates.
- Temporary Registration Permits (TRP) are good for 90 days. A TRP is a yellow polymer plate with black letters that goes on the rear plate bracket, where the metal plate will go.
- Old plates are being replaced. The Secretary of State's License Plate Replacement Program swaps the oldest plates on the road for new ones, oldest first, at no additional cost to Illinois taxpayers. A faded plate is not a red flag by itself, but a plate that does not match the registration card is.
The state also runs an official Title and Registration Status Inquiry. It tells you whether the state has processed a title, not what the title says; the brands and odometer history are what our $5 report is for.
Illinois title brands: what the lookup can show
Illinois marks a title when a car has been through something a buyer should know about. Our $5 report reads the NMVTIS record that Illinois and the other states report into, so the brands below show up there.
| Salvage | Illinois issues a salvage certificate instead of a title when an insurer pays a total-loss claim on the car, among the other cases listed in 625 ILCS 5/3-117.1. The Secretary of State's fee schedule lists the salvage certificate at $20. |
|---|---|
| Rebuilt | A salvage car that was repaired and retitled; the new title bears the word REBUILT (625 ILCS 5/3-118.1). An applicant who is not a licensed rebuilder must contract with one. The Secretary of State inspects every rebuilt car eight model years old or newer, checking the identification numbers and looking for stolen parts, and the Illinois Vehicle Code sets the inspection fee at $94. |
| Flood | Under 625 ILCS 5/3-117.1 a flood vehicle is one where rising water reached over the door sill into the passenger or trunk compartment. It counts as salvage only if repairing the water damage, including labor, costs more than 50% of the car's fair market value without that damage; then the salvage certificate reads "flood". A flood car under that line still gets a title marked "flood". Either way the word is carried onto every later title. A flood car that was never reported carries no brand, which is why the report and a look under the carpet both matter. |
| Junk | A junking certificate lets the holder keep, move or transfer the car for parts or scrap, and Illinois will not issue a title for that car again. |
| Odometer, theft and total-loss records | Also tracked in NMVTIS from the states, insurers and salvage auctions that report into it. The report shows the readings and dates so you can compare them with the dashboard. |
Run the check before any money changes hands, including a deposit.
What an Illinois title transfer costs
Buying from an individual, the buyer pays the Secretary of State for the title and plates and pays the Department of Revenue a flat vehicle use tax on Form RUT-50. Amounts below are the published state figures for 2026.
| Title fee | $165 for an original Certificate of Title. |
|---|---|
| Registration (plates) | $151 for a standard passenger car, so a title plus new plates is $316. Electric vehicles pay $251 for registration, $416 with the title. Moving your own existing plates to the car instead is a $25 transfer fee. |
| Vehicle use tax, cars under $15,000 | A flat amount by model year on the 2026 chart: 2025 or newer $465, 2024 $365, 2023 $290, 2022 $240, 2021 $190, 2020 $165, 2019 $155, 2018 $140, 2017 $125, 2016 $115, 2015 or older $100. |
| Vehicle use tax, cars $15,000 and up | A flat amount by price: $15,000 to $19,999.99 is $850; $20,000 to $24,999.99 is $1,100; $25,000 to $29,999.99 is $1,350; $30,000 to $49,999.99 is $1,600; $50,000 to $99,999.99 is $2,600. No trade-in deduction is allowed. A gift or even trade with no stated price is taxed on fair market value, which a licensed dealer can state for you. |
| Family transfer | $15 flat when the car comes from a spouse (including a civil union partner), parent, brother, sister or child, including adopted children. Step-relations, in-laws and grandparents or grandchildren do not qualify. Motorcycles and ATVs are $25 flat. |
| Chicago and Cook County add-ons | If your title address is in Chicago, add $80 for a car 3 years or newer, $65 for 4 to 8 years, $50 for 9 to 14 years, nothing at 15 years or older. Cook County adds $225 for 3 years or newer, $175 for 4 to 8 years and $90 for 9 years or older. A Chicago address owes both. |
Form RUT-50 is due within 30 days of the purchase (or within 30 days of bringing the car into Illinois) and travels with the title application to the Secretary of State; the payment itself is made out to the Illinois Department of Revenue. The state publishes a new chart for each calendar year, so check the current RUT-5 chart before you count on a number.
Illinois forms and deadlines
| Buyer's deadline | Under 625 ILCS 5/3-112 the buyer must apply for a new title within 20 days after receiving the car and the assigned title. That is shorter than the 30-day window for the RUT-50 tax, so plan for the 20. |
|---|---|
| The title itself | At delivery the seller signs the assignment and warranty of title on the certificate and hands it over. If a lender is printed on the title, ask for proof the loan is paid off. |
| Bill of sale | The Department of Revenue says attaching a copy of the bill of sale or other proof of purchase to the RUT-50 may prevent later notices. The price paid is what the tax table works from. |
| Form RUT-50 | The vehicle use tax return for a car bought from an individual. File it on paper with the title application or electronically through MyTax Illinois, then print a copy for the Secretary of State. A car bought from an out-of-state dealer, a lender or a leasing company uses Form RUT-25 instead, and an Illinois dealer files the tax for you. |
| Checking the state's record | Use the Secretary of State's Title and Registration Status Inquiry to confirm the title has been processed in your name. |
The Secretary of State's checklist for a car bought from a person starts with one step: get the title from the seller. Do that before you pay, then put it in your name inside the 20 days.
Inspections in Illinois
The Secretary of State's title checklist for a car bought from a person includes no safety inspection. Illinois does have an emissions test, overseen by the Illinois EPA and run by its contractor as the Illinois Air Team, and it applies in the Chicago and Metro-East St. Louis areas.
- Which cars: most 1996 and newer gasoline passenger vehicles, starting once the car is four years old. Even model years test in even years, odd model years in odd years, in the month the plates expire.
- Cost and notice: the test costs nothing at any of the options and needs no appointment. A test notice is mailed up to four months before the plates expire.
- What happens if you skip it: the Illinois EPA works with the Secretary of State to deny license plate registration to a car that is out of compliance. A car that fails may need emissions repairs and must pass its retest before its registration expires.
- New options: the program has added a high-capacity Chicago location, mobile testing units and self-service kiosks. The program's Vehicle Eligibility Check tool tells you whether a car is due for a test.
Buying in a test area, ask the seller whether the car has passed its current test, and look the car up yourself with the Vehicle Eligibility Check.
Before you meet an Illinois seller
- Run the plate or the VIN here first, before the deposit. Then match the year, make, model and trim to the car in front of you.
- Match the VIN on the dashboard, the driver door sticker and the title. A VIN plate that looks tampered with is a walk-away.
- Match the name on the title to the seller's ID. A title in someone else's name means you're buying from a middleman.
- Read the title for brands. An Illinois title says REBUILT for a car that was salvage and flood for a flood car. If the title says rebuilt, ask for the inspection paperwork and the receipts.
- Check for a lender. If a lienholder is printed on the title, you need their release before the Secretary of State will transfer it.
- Add up the real cost. $165 title plus $151 plates plus the RUT-50 amount for that car's age or price, plus Chicago or Cook County if that is where you live.
- In a test area, ask for the emissions result. A car that fails cannot be registered until it passes.
Where these Illinois facts come from
Read on the state's own pages on October 31, 2026. Fees and rules change; the county tax office has the final word on the day you file.
- Illinois Secretary of State: applying for title and registration
- Illinois Secretary of State: fees
- Illinois Secretary of State: Temporary Registration Permits
- Illinois Department of Revenue: RUT-50 instructions
- Illinois Department of Revenue: RUT-5 vehicle use tax chart for 2026
- Illinois Department of Revenue: RUT-6, Chicago and Cook County amounts
- Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/3-117.1, salvage and flood vehicles
- Illinois EPA: vehicle emissions testing program
- Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/3-112: transfer and the 20-day rule
- Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/3-305 and 3-308: rebuilt vehicle inspection
- Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/3-501: registration ends on transfer
- Illinois Secretary of State: License Plate Replacement Program
Look up a plate from another state
The reports
Works for Illinois plates and every other state. You see the car before you pay.
Basic history report
By VIN or license plate · official NMVTIS record · shows right away
- Salvage, junk, flood and rebuilt title brands
- Title history by state, with dates
- Odometer readings and rollback flags
- Total-loss records from insurers
- Theft check
- Market value for the car
Full vehicle history report
By VIN or license plate · Not instant: emailed or texted to you within two hours
- Every owner, how they used it (personal, lease, rental or fleet) and where
- Accidents and damage reports
- Title brands: salvage, junk, rebuilt, flood, fire, hail, lemon
- Odometer readings over time, checked for rollbacks
- Service and maintenance history
- Open recalls and common owner complaints for the model
Illinois license plate lookup questions
How do I look up an Illinois license plate?
Type the plate above with Illinois selected. We turn it into the car's VIN and show the year, make and model at no charge, then the $5 report shows its title brands, odometer readings, total-loss records and theft check.
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Illinois?
The Secretary of State charges $165 for the title and $151 for standard passenger plates, $316 together, or $25 to transfer plates you already own. On top of that you pay the RUT-50 vehicle use tax: a flat amount from $100 to $465 by the car's age if it cost under $15,000, or $850 and up by price if it cost $15,000 or more. Chicago and Cook County residents pay a local amount as well.
How is sales tax figured on a car bought from an individual in Illinois?
It is not a percentage. Illinois uses a flat table on Form RUT-50: by the car's age when the price is under $15,000, and by price bracket when it is $15,000 or more. Transfers from a spouse, parent, brother, sister or child are $15 flat. No trade-in deduction is allowed, and the return is due within 30 days.
Does Illinois require a vehicle inspection?
The state's title checklist includes no safety inspection. Emissions testing applies only to cars registered in the Chicago and Metro-East St. Louis test areas: most 1996 and newer gasoline cars, every two years starting at four years old. The Secretary of State will not renew the plates of a car that is out of compliance.
Can a salvage car be put back on the road in Illinois?
Yes, as a rebuilt vehicle. An owner who is not a licensed rebuilder has to contract with one, the Secretary of State inspects any rebuilt car eight model years old or newer for a $94 fee, and the new title bears the word REBUILT.
What does a flood brand mean on an Illinois title?
A flood vehicle is one where water rose over the door sill into the passenger or trunk compartment. If repairs cost more than 50% of its fair market value it becomes flood salvage; if not, it still gets a title marked flood. Either way the word stays on every later Illinois title, so the lookup will show it.
Can I find the owner of an Illinois plate?
No. The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps owners' names and addresses in Secretary of State records private, and no legitimate plate lookup shows them. You see the car, not the person.
Who runs vehicle titles in Illinois?
The Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department, issues titles and plates and processes transfers at its facilities and by mail in Springfield. The Illinois Department of Revenue collects the RUT-50 vehicle use tax, and the Illinois EPA runs the emissions program.
More ways to check a car
Find the deal, then check it.
Wheel Scout alerts you the moment an underpriced car posts on Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist near you, and runs the history right in the app.
The basic history report uses NMVTIS data from an approved NMVTIS data provider. NMVTIS records come from states, insurers and salvage yards; not every event is reported to it. Vehicle specs and recalls come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Wheel Scout is not affiliated with any marketplace or government agency. Wheel Scout is not affiliated with the Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department.