Illinois vehicle bill of sale

Fill in the free Illinois bill of sale on this page and print it.

We found no bill of sale requirement for a typical private sale in the Illinois Vehicle Code or the Secretary of State's rules. The seller transfers ownership by assigning the title. The Illinois Department of Revenue says attaching a bill of sale to the buyer's RUT-50 tax return may prevent future notices. The only bill of sale rule found is for imported vehicles sold abroad by a non-U.S. citizen (92 Ill. Adm. Code 1010.140).

Illinois doesn't publish a required list. A complete bill of sale usually has:

• The seller's and buyer's names and addresses
• Year, make, model and VIN
• Odometer reading
• Sale date and price
• An "as is" statement if there's no warranty
• Both signatures and the date

1. When you deliver the vehicle, complete the assignment and warranty of title in the space on the Illinois title.
2. On the title, write the odometer reading, the date, your printed name and signature, and the buyer's printed name and address. The buyer signs too.
3. Give the buyer the signed title at the same time as the vehicle.
4. Remove your license plates.
5. Apply to transfer the plates to another vehicle, or surrender them to the Secretary of State.

The assignment and warranty of title space on the Illinois certificate of title, including the odometer certification. The buyer also signs the odometer section. We found no notarization requirement in the Illinois Vehicle Code.

Illinois doesn't require you to report the sale to the state. Under 625 ILCS 5/3-112(e), a seller who delivers the vehicle and the properly assigned title is not liable as owner for damages from later use of the vehicle. Surrender your plates or transfer them to another vehicle.

Plates do not go to the buyer. Under 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1010.360, registration plates must be surrendered to the Secretary of State when the vehicle is sold, unless an application to transfer them has been filed. A transfer of registration costs $25 (625 ILCS 5/3-821).

Inspection. We found no inspection tied to a private sale in the Vehicle Code sections reviewed. In the emissions inspection area (Cook, DuPage and Lake counties and parts of Kane, Kendall, Madison, McHenry, Monroe, St. Clair and Will counties), a vehicle bought by a new owner must be tested off its normal 2-year schedule if it has not had a compliance certificate within 1 year of the title or registration application.

Odometer disclosure. Required unless exempt. On the title, the seller writes the reading, the date, their printed name and signature, and the buyer's printed name and address, and the buyer signs. Exempt: vehicles over 16,000 pounds GVWR, vehicles that are not self-propelled, model year 2010 or older (before Jan. 1, 2031; after that, vehicles 20 years old or older), vehicles without an odometer, and motorcycles, mopeds and antique vehicles.

Sales tax. The buyer files Form RUT-50 with the Illinois Department of Revenue and pays the private party vehicle use tax within 30 days of acquiring the vehicle. Under $15,000, the tax depends on the vehicle's age, from $465 (1 year old or less) to $100 (11 years or older). At $15,000 or more, it depends on the price, from $850 to $10,100. Trade-ins are not allowed. Transfers from a spouse, parent, brother, sister or child are taxed at $15. A local private party vehicle use tax may also apply. The Secretary of State needs the RUT-50 to process the title.

The buyer has 20 days to apply for a new title. The title fee is $165.

Forms used in the transfer:

• Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Transaction (RUT-50)

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check with the Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department if anything about your sale is unusual.

Listing it first? Good photos sell cars faster: see how to take pictures of a car to sell, and read the full guide to selling a car. Buying or selling in another state? Pick it on the bill of sale page.