Illinois Vehicle Title Transfer
A title is a legal document establishing ownership of a vehicle. All vehicles in the state of Illinois must have a title, meaning that all vehicles must have an owner. A title transfer, in the state of Illinois, takes place in the following conditions:
- When a vehicle is sold
- When a vehicle is bought
- When an automobile loan is paid off
- When a vehicle is transferred from one family member to another
- When a vehicle is gifted or donated
- When a vehicle is inherited
A vehicle title transfer must take place within twenty (20) days of the abovementioned transactions so that the Secretary of State’s (SOS) Office has the updated record on who owns which vehicle.
The following steps must be followed by the seller once a vehicle has been sold:
- Locate the vehicle’s title
- Fill in the buyer’s name
- Fill in the odometer section
- Date and sign the title
- Make sure that the buyer has filled in the necessary information and signed the title
Although it is not mandatory but it is better if the seller and the buyer visit the Secretary of State’s Office together for a smooth transfer of vehicle’s title.
On the other hand, when a new vehicle is bought in Illinois, it is the dealer who does the necessary paperwork to transfer the vehicle’s title. However, when a used vehicle is sold in Illinois, is the buyer’s responsibility to transfer the vehicle’s title in his/her name by ensuring the following steps:
- That the seller has correctly filled in the relevant sections on the title
- That he/she has signed and dated the title
- That the mileage reading is verified
- That the vehicle’s VIN matches
- That the title is dated and signed by the buyer
- That form VSD-190 is completed
- That the tax form RUT-50 is completed
- That the required tax(s) and fee(s) are paid at the Secretary of State’s Office
The buyer, instead of visiting the Secretary of State’s Office, may mail-in the required documents to the office.
What are the necessary things that you have to do after an Illinois title transfer has taken place?
The first thing that you have to do after you have sold your Illinois registered car and the title transfer has taken place is that you have to remove the IL license plates. These are your property and you can use them on any other car that you buy or have one gifted to you or get transferred in your name in any other way. Check out more links on our site for further details.
While searching on how to change vehicle ownership in Illinois, I came across the documents involved when purchasing a vehicle from a dealer. Can you list them down?
Your dealer is responsible for providing these documents: the sales tax transaction return (form ST-556), surrender document, application for title and registration and the related fee (payable to Illinois Secretary of State), tax check (payable to Illinois Department of Revenue). These documents are submitted to the Secretary of State office on your behalf.
My search on secretary of state Illinois vehicle title transfer led to the mention of payment of taxes. Can you explain it in more detail?
Use tax has to be paid on the sale of all vehicles between individuals. The exact amount is determined by the model year if the selling price is less than $15,000. It is based on the selling price if the selling price is more than or equal to $15,000. Payments are made out to the Illinois Department of Revenue.
Where do you go to transfer a title to a car in Illinois?
Title transfers are necessary to make when buying or selling a car. This process basically transfers the ownership of a car from one party to another. You can easily get a title transfer form from your local DMV office. The DMV office will verify all the documents and successfully transfer ownership. Take a look at our page to learn more.