Illinois Car Sales Tax Calculator Tax, title & license fees (2026)
Dealer: state + local sales tax (ST-556). Private: flat private-party vehicle use tax by chart (RUT-50) · 6.25% state rate
Calculate Illinois car tax & fees
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How much is car sales tax in Illinois?
Illinois taxes vehicles in two completely different ways. A dealer sale is taxed as a percentage: 6.25% state plus local rates. A private-party sale pays a flat dollar amount from a state chart, based on the vehicle's age or price, with no percentage at all.
Dealer sales: add the dealer's documentary fee to the price, subtract your trade-in, and multiply by 6.25% plus the local rate for where you live.
Private sales: if the price is under $15,000, the tax depends only on the vehicle's age. On the 2026 chart, a 2025-or-newer model is $465, falling to $100 for vehicles 11 or more years old. At $15,000 or more, the tax depends on the price bracket: $850 for $15,000–$19,999, up to $10,100 at $1 million and above. Trade-ins don't count on private sales. Chicago and Cook County add their own private-party taxes.
Every buyer pays a $165 title fee. Passenger registration is $151, or $251 for an electric vehicle.
- Dealer: taxable base = price + doc fee - trade-in; tax = base x combined rate
- Private party: tax from chart (Table A by vehicle age if price under $15,000; Table B by price bracket if $15,000+) + Chicago/Cook County amounts if applicable
- Total = tax + title + registration (+ doc fee for dealer sales)
Illinois car tax example with real numbers
Buying a used car from a private seller
You buy a $2,020 sedan from a private seller for $9,000. You live outside Chicago and Cook County.
- The price is under $15,000, so Table A applies: the tax depends on age, not price.
- On the 2026 chart, a 2020 model is 6 years old, so the tax is $165.
- Add the $165 title and $151 registration: $316.
- Estimated total: $481.
| Taxes | |
|---|---|
| Private-party vehicle use tax (flat)By vehicle age | $165 |
| Title & registration | |
| Title | $165 |
| Registration | $151 |
| Estimated total | $481 |
Computed with the calculator on this page using the figures in our data. Local add-ons not mentioned in the example are left out.
Exceptions that change your Illinois tax bill
Close family transfers
A sale or gift between spouses, parents, siblings or children owes a flat $15 state tax. Grandparents and other relatives don't qualify and pay the full chart amount.
Estates
A vehicle passing from an estate to a surviving spouse owes nothing. Other beneficiaries pay $15.
New residents
If you lived in another state and used the vehicle there for at least three months, you owe $0 when you bring it to Illinois (you still file the return). Military members whose home of record is Illinois can't claim this.
Dealer doc fees
On dealer sales, the documentary fee is part of the taxable price.
Illinois vehicle sales tax rates
| State rate | 6.25% |
|---|---|
| Local rate | Dealer sales: varies by purchaser residence |
Private-party tax chart
| Table a price under 15,000 by vehicle age years | Show all 11 rows
|
|---|---|
| Table b price 15,000 and up |
|
| Motorcycle | $25 |
| Family exception | $15 |
| Chicago private use tax by age |
|
| Cook county private use tax by age |
|
Illinois title & registration fees
| Title | $165 |
|---|---|
| Duplicate title | $50 |
| Sticker | $20 |
| Plates 2 | $29 |
| Registration passenger | $151 |
| Registration EV | $251 |
| EV extra | $100 |
| Motorcycle plate | $41 |
Illinois car tax exemptions & special cases
| Private-party sale | Uses the flat chart, never the 6.25% rate; no trade-in credit |
|---|---|
| Family transfer: spouse, parent, sibling or child | State tax $15 (grandparents and other relatives do not qualify) |
| Estate to surviving spouse | State tax $0 |
| Estate to other beneficiary | State tax $15 plus local exception amounts |
| New resident who used vehicle out of state 3+ months | Tax $0 (return still filed); not available to military with Illinois home of record |
| Dealer doc fee | Included in the taxable price |
Illinois car tax FAQ
Why is Illinois private-party tax a flat amount?
Private sales are taxed under a separate vehicle use tax that uses a dollar chart, not a percentage of the price.
Does a trade-in help on a private sale in Illinois?
No. Trade-in deductions aren't allowed on the private-party tax.
How much is the Illinois title fee?
$165.
Is a gift from my grandparent tax-free?
No. Only spouses, parents, siblings and children get the $15 family rate. Other gifts use the chart.
Sources & verification
We checked these figures against the following official pages on October 7, 2026:
- tax.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/tax/forms/sales/documents/vehicleusetax/rut-5.pdf
- www.ilsos.gov/departments/vehicles/basicfees.html
Not yet confirmed on an official page: Chicago/Cook local amounts; motorcycle 25; 6.25% dealer rate (standard). Treat these figures as estimates.
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll recheck it.