Illinois license plate registration online

NOTE: Other vehicle types have different registration requirements, including custom-built cars and snowmobiles. Visit our page on Other Vehicle Registrations for details on special vehicles. If you are new to the state, you have 30 days to get your vehicle licensed and titled after becoming an Illinois resident.

You must also obtain Illinois auto insurance before registering your car. To register your vehicle, go to your local Illinois Secretary of State office with:. You will be issued your license plates, or a temporary registration permit TRP if you are applying for personalized or vanity license plates. Whenever you buy a vehicle in Illinois, get one as a gift, or inherit a vehicle, it needs to be registered within 20 days from the date of purchase. If you are buying from a car dealer, they will take care of sending this information to the Secretary of State's SOS office.

When you buy from a private individual, it is your responsibility to complete the paperwork. To register your vehicle, you must first obtain auto insurance for it.

Then go to your local SOS office and submit the following:. You may then pick up your new Illinois license plates. You may also transfer your license plates for an additional fee.

More information on completing vehicle title transactions can be found at our guide on Title Transfers in Illinois , which will help you properly transfer the title from one owner to another. Members of the Armed Forces who are not residents of Illinois must maintain proper registration and insurance of their vehicles in their home state, or risk being pulled over and fined by the police. Illinois residents in the military should follow the same procedures as described in the vehicle registration section above.

You will receive regular license plates at the SOS office when you register your vehicle. If you would like a specialty plate or personalized license plate, you can get one for an extra fee. Ordering special license plates will take 60 to 90 days to arrive after the application is filed with the Secretary of State. The TRP is a cardboard license plate that must be attached where the rear license plate normally lives, and is valid for 90 days from the date of registration.

You will receive another TRP to use until your new license plates arrive. Make sure to note the transfer when filling out your Application for Vehicle Transactions. Instead, the SOS recommends you sign up for e-mail renewal notice reminders. If you are a member of the United States military, or a civilian working for the Department of Defense or with the U. Armed Forces, you have up to 45 days after your return to the country to register your vehicle. Contact your local SOS office for details.

If you have your registration renewal notice from the Illinois DMV, you can renew your IL vehicle registration online , by phone , by mail , and in person. To renew your vehicle registration online, visit the Illinois SOS website and provide:. Remember to print out your transactions receipt. If you renew online before your previous registration expired, the receipt shows proof your registration has been renewed.

This receipt is valid for 30 days after your previous registration's expiration date. To renew your registration by phone, call the Illinois SOS at and:. To renew your vehicle registration by mail , return your signed renewal notice and payment by mail to the address listed on your renewal notice.

If you did not receive a renewal notice , you can submit the following by mail to renew your registration:.