How much is vehicle registration in Illinois?

Standard passenger vehicle registration in Illinois is $151 per year. Electric vehicles pay an additional surcharge on top of that, and motorcycles and small trucks have their own lower or higher base fees.

Why do electric vehicles pay more to register in Illinois?

Illinois charges EVs an extra registration surcharge (currently $100 on top of the standard fee) to recoup road-funding lost from the motor-fuel tax that EVs do not pay at the pump.

How much is an Illinois car title?

The Illinois certificate of title fee is $165 when you buy or transfer a vehicle. It is separate from the annual registration fee and is paid once per ownership change, not every year.

Is Illinois registration based on the value of my car?

No. Unlike some states, Illinois passenger registration is a flat fee that does not depend on the vehicle's value, weight, or age, which makes the cost easy to predict each renewal.

What does a vanity or personalized plate cost in Illinois?

Vanity and personalized plates carry an additional one-time issuance fee plus an annual renewal surcharge. The amounts vary by plate type, but you can add the extra to your estimate here.

Illinois Vehicle Registration Fee Calculator

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Registering a vehicle in Illinois is mostly a flat-fee process: the Secretary of State charges the same annual passenger plate fee regardless of how new or expensive your car is. This calculator adds the title fee and any optional plate charges so you can see the full out-the-door cost before you visit the SOS.

How it works

Illinois passenger registration is a flat statutory fee rather than a value-based or weight-based tax. The estimate is a simple sum:

total = base registration fee
      + (titling a vehicle ? title fee : 0)
      + EV surcharge (if applicable)
      + vanity/personalized plate fee (optional)

The standard passenger plate is $151 per year, the title fee is $165 per ownership change, and electric vehicles add a $100 surcharge. Motorcycles and B-trucks use their own base figures, which the tool swaps in when you change the vehicle type.

Example

A buyer titling a used gasoline sedan pays the $151 plate fee plus the $165 title fee for $316 total the first year, then $151 each renewal after that. An EV owner adds the $100 surcharge, making the first year $416.

Notes

These are the standard Illinois Secretary of State figures and cover the common cases. Specialty plates, fleet vehicles, and trucks rated over 8,000 lbs use different schedules, so confirm unusual configurations with the SOS before you pay.