Buying Motorcycle in Illinois

If you are buying a motorcycle in Illinois, the job is easy when dealing with a dealership. They process s all the paperwork on your behalf, while you walk away with a brand new bike. However, if you are purchasing a motorcycle from a private owner, you will have to worry about this paperwork yourself, and knowing your way around the process can be quite useful.

For starters, you will have to approach the Secretary of State’s office, which handles all vehicle registration and titling queries. You will need to fill out an Application for Title and Registration, which is necessary to reflect true ownership of the motorcycle. It is illegal for you to purchase or sell a motorcycle that does not have a title; you should always verify ownership before you buy a vehicle. You will also have to ensure that the Vehicle Identification Number which provides information about the motorcycle’s manufacturer make and model is consistent across all documents, and that the odometer reading is correctly reported. These are all important details to mention if you want to avoid any legal disputes in the future. There is a one-time fee that you must pay to title your motorcycle, after which you will have to pay an annual amount to renew registration.

Even though buying a motorcycle in Illinois is possible without a motorcycle license, you will obviously not be able to ride it. Insurance companies may also choose not to offer you sufficient or any coverage because you do not possess a license. It is therefore important to be authorized to ride a motorcycle before you purchase one.

All motorcycles sold are subject to a sales tax, which you are liable to pay. If you purchased your vehicle from a dealer, the dealer is responsible for sales tax collection. If you purchase from a private party, you will have to pay the sales tax when you apply for title and registration.

Make sure that you double-check all the information on all of the documents before you walk away from the transaction. Any inconsistencies will make the process more difficult and lengthy for you.