Illinois Car Sales Tax Calculator
Illinois charges 6.25% Illinois sales tax (Retailers' Occupation Tax) on dealer sales, reported on Form ST-556; Private Party Vehicle Use Tax (Form RUT-50) on private sales on a used car purchase, verified September 15, 2026. Local taxes add 0% to 2.5% depending on where you register the car. A trade-in is deducted before tax. Private-party sales are taxed too, paid when you title the car.
Figures verified September 15, 2026; sources linked per row. Re-checked quarterly, next due December 15, 2026.
On a $20,000 used car, Illinois's tax, doc fee, title and registration come to $1,941 (up to $2,441 at the highest local rate): number 43 of 50 states, cheapest first. Every state compared
Illinois taxes dealer sales at 6.25% plus local tax, but a private-party purchase pays flat Form RUT-50 amounts by model year or price band instead of a percentage; the calculator shows the dealer-sale figure.
Taxable amount: $25,000. Tax only; dealer doc fees, title and registration are separate, and some states tax the doc fee as part of the price. The local figure is an estimate from the state's published range unless you entered your own rate.
The Illinois numbers, with sources
Each figure below was checked on September 15, 2026 against the page linked in the source column, and the wording the state uses is quoted so you can confirm it yourself.
| Item | Illinois | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State rate (Illinois sales tax (Retailers' Occupation Tax) on dealer sales, reported on Form ST-556; Private Party Vehicle Use Tax (Form RUT-50) on private sales) | 6.25% | tax.illinois.gov(state source)As published: “Use 6.25 percent (.0625) unless otherwise instructed.” |
| Local tax range | 0% to 2.5% | tax.illinois.gov(state source)As published: “Use 6.25 percent (.0625) unless otherwise instructed.” |
| Trade-in credit | Yes, full credit | tax.illinois.gov(state source)As published: “For sales made on or after January 1, 2022, the $10,000 trade-in credit limit no longer applies.” |
| Dealer doc fee | $378 cap | illinoisattorneygeneral.gov(state source)As published: “However, the documentary fee is illegal if it exceeds $300.00 [footnote 2: As of January 1, 2020. Adjusted annually by the Consumer Price Index.]” |
| Title fee | $165 | codes.findlaw.com(secondary, cites the statute)As published: “Certificate of Title, except for an all-terrain vehicle, off-highway motorcycle, or motor home, mini motor home or van camper ... $165” |
| Registration (flat fee) | $148 | codes.findlaw.com(secondary, cites the statute)As published: “$148 [for motor vehicles of the first division other than Autocycles, Motorcycles, Motor Driven Cycles and Pedalcycles] ... Beginning with the 2021 registration year” |
| Private-party sale taxed | Yes, paid when you title the car | tax.illinois.gov(state source)As published: “Illinois private party vehicle use tax is based on the purchase price (or fair market value) of the motor vehicle, with exceptions noted on the right ... A trade-in deduction is not allowed on this tax.” |
- State rate: Illinois taxes dealer sales at 6.25% plus local tax, but a private-party purchase pays flat Form RUT-50 amounts by model year or price band instead of a percentage; the calculator shows the dealer-sale figure.
- Local tax: On a dealer sale the combined rate is the one in effect at the dealer's sales location, not the buyer's address. The Department of Revenue's vehicle rate table puts most downstate locations at the 6.25% state rate with no local tax on vehicles, Madison and St. Clair counties at 6.50%, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will at 7.25% to 8.50% and Cook at 7.50% to 8.75%. The top of each range includes the 1.25% Chicago Home Rule Use Tax, which applies when the buyer lives in Chicago, so the local add-on is at most 2.5%.
- Trade-in: A $10,000 trade-in credit cap applied only to sales from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021; no cap since January 1, 2022. No trade-in deduction at all on private-party (RUT-50) purchases.
- Doc fee: Statutory maximum was $300 as of January 1, 2020 and is adjusted every January by the Consumer Price Index; CarEdge reports the 2026 cap as $378 (rounded).
- Registration: Statutory annual registration fee for first-division motor vehicles (passenger cars) from the 2021 registration year onward. The Secretary of State's published all-in passenger plate fee may include small statutory surcharges on top of this base; ilsos.gov returned HTTP 403 so that figure was not captured.
Next steps
- Out-the-door price calculator: adds the Illinois doc fee, title and registration to the tax for the full figure.
- Dealer doc fees by state and registration and title fees by state: see how Illinois compares.
- All states: the full sales tax table.
- Cheapest vehicle history reports: Carfax, AutoCheck and the NMVTIS-approved alternatives compared, prices checked.
Tax is fixed. The price is not.
Buying a specific car in Illinois? Run its VIN free for the specification and open recalls. From $2.99, see what it is worth at its mileage against cars for sale near your ZIP code. The $9.99 Negotiation Bundle adds an opening offer, a walk-away figure and the drive-away cost with Illinois tax and fees.
Illinois car tax questions
Does Illinois charge sales tax on a private-party car sale?
Yes. Private Party Vehicle Use Tax (Form RUT-50) is paid to the Secretary of State when the buyer applies for title, due within 30 days of purchase; Cook County and Chicago add their own private party vehicle use tax per Form RUT-6. Tax is a flat amount from tables, not a percentage: for a price under $15,000 it depends on model year ($465 for 2025 or newer down to $100 for 2015 or older); for $15,000 or more it is a price-band amount from $850 ($15,000 to $19,999.99) up to $10,100 ($1,000,000 or more); fair market value is used when there is no stated price.
Does Illinois give a trade-in credit on car sales tax?
Yes. The value of your trade-in is deducted from the price before Illinois tax is calculated. A $10,000 trade-in credit cap applied only to sales from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021; no cap since January 1, 2022. No trade-in deduction at all on private-party (RUT-50) purchases.
What is the dealer doc fee cap in Illinois?
Illinois caps the dealer documentation fee at $378. Statutory maximum was $300 as of January 1, 2020 and is adjusted every January by the Consumer Price Index; CarEdge reports the 2026 cap as $378 (rounded).
Do local sales taxes apply to car purchases in Illinois?
Yes. On a dealer sale the combined rate is the one in effect at the dealer's sales location, not the buyer's address. The Department of Revenue's vehicle rate table puts most downstate locations at the 6.25% state rate with no local tax on vehicles, Madison and St. Clair counties at 6.50%, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will at 7.25% to 8.50% and Cook at 7.50% to 8.75%. The top of each range includes the 1.25% Chicago Home Rule Use Tax, which applies when the buyer lives in Chicago, so the local add-on is at most 2.5%.
How much does a car title cost in Illinois?
$165 (flat). 625 ILCS 5/3-821(a), FindLaw copy current as of January 1, 2025. The Secretary of State fee page (ilsos.gov) returned HTTP 403 and ilga.gov refused connections, so the primary sources could not be fetched.
How much is annual car registration in Illinois?
$148 a year for a passenger car, flat fee. Statutory annual registration fee for first-division motor vehicles (passenger cars) from the 2021 registration year onward. The Secretary of State's published all-in passenger plate fee may include small statutory surcharges on top of this base; ilsos.gov returned HTTP 403 so that figure was not captured.
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