Buying a used car can be quite risky. If you’re not careful, you may unknowingly buy a pre-owned car with a bad history. The sellers may not always know it, especially if they have also bought the car from someone else. In some cases, however, there is malicious intent to sell the car for more than its value. In any case, it’s always safe to get a vehicle history report.

In Illinois, there are several ways to obtain a obtain a vehicle history report. You can use license plate lookup services online or by visiting the county’s office. VinCheck.info offers free license plate lookup that will reveal past ownership, title information, liens, odometer reading and salvage records. Simply enter the license plate above to search license plates registered in the state of Illinois. The Illinois Secretary of State Office is another excellent source of Illinois vehicle information. For inquiries, you may call at 217-785-3000 (Outside Illinois) / 800-252-8980 (Toll-free in Illinois). You may also visit the Contact page.

Illinois License Plates & Placards

Drivers have 30 days to register their cars upon entering the state or purchasing a vehicle. Afterward, a temporary registration permit will be provided as you wait for your license plates. You can use the permit to drive up to 90 days or until your license plates arrive. The Secretary of State Office of Illinois is the official provider of license plates in the state. The state’s standard license plate must contain three letters and four numerical digits, while each car must display two license plates: one each for the rear and the front parts.

Request for a replacement plate/sticker if your plate/sticker is damaged or missing. A replacement for one plate costs $6, while for both license plates it’s $9. Stickers cost $20 each.

Types of Illinois License Plates

The state has eleven (11) license plate designs which you can order for your car:

1. Passenger
2. Persons with Disabilities
3. Specialty
4. Antique
5. Collegiate Series
6. Pan Hellenic Series
7. First Responders
8. Military Series
9. Recreational Trailer/Vehicle
10. Sporting Series
11. Professional Sports

Your vehicle must be properly titled and registered under your name before you can request a personalized or vanity plate. The use of personalized or vanity plates for vehicles that are leased, in a trust, or registered by a business entity is prohibited.

Transferring of License Plates in Illinois

In general, you can process a license plate transfer to any vehicle that you owned. However, you cannot transfer the ownership of your license plate to another person or entity. Visit the Transferring Plates page for more information.

Titling Requirements and Procedure in Illinois

Vehicle owners in Illinois may start their title application online through the Electronic Registration and Titling System. Upon completing the process, they may send their applications by mail or over the counter to a Secretary of State office. Make sure the details you will divulge are correct to prevent your request from being denied. If the vehicle is under nine years old, don’t forget to include your vehicle’s mileage at the time of submission.

A title request may depend on the following documents: (1) Tax Form RUT-50 to transfer ownership, and (2) Tax Form RUT-25 for vehicles that were purchased from out-of-state dealers. A replacement for a lost or damaged title can only be issued after 15 days have passed since the original title was given, and after being acknowledged by the state’s DMV office. If it is a second duplicate request, it will take 30 days.

If your title contains incorrect details, you may submit a request for correction, along with a signed Illinois Certificate of Title for authentication. Make sure all important persons have provided their signatures on the certificate. If the car has a lien, the title will be delivered to the lienholder because the DMV recognizes his or her preponderance. Otherwise, the main owner will acquire the title if a lien is absent.

More Resources for Illinois Drivers:

• Illinois Driver’s License/Commercial Driver’s License/State ID Card
• Illinois Registration Renewal and ID Cards
• Illinois Apply for Registration and Title
• Illinois Driver’s License Study Guide
• Illinois Rules of the Road

Buying a used car in Illinois?  Don’t make a costly mistake. Run a Free License Plate Lookup for your Illinois-registered vehicle!

1. Check for accidents. Every year, approximately 6.0 million automobile accidents are reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
2. Check for title brands. Flood, hail-damage, and salvage titles are examples of critical title brands.
3. Check for special purpose designations, including taxi-use, rental-use, or police-use.
4. Check for thefts. Lookup a VIN to check for an active theft or previously recovered theft record.

Run a Free Illinois License Plate Lookup to uncover the full-story of your Illinois-registered vehicle.