Bill of sale · Illinois

Illinois Bill of Sale

Illinois charges private-sale tax from a flat-rate table — the RUT-50's age-based amounts under $15,000 are unlike anywhere else. No state bill of sale form exists, so the receipt is yours to build. Both explained here.

The Illinois answer

A tax return, an online form, and your own receipt.

Three documents move an Illinois private sale: the assigned title, the RUT-50 tax return (due within 30 days), and the VSD-190 title application — started online in the ERT system and printed, never downloaded blank. The state publishes no bill of sale, which leaves the actual deal — price, date, condition, AS-IS terms — undocumented unless you write it yourselves. No notarization anywhere.

Illinois publishes no bill of sale

Build yours free — VIN, odometer, price, photos

The record both parties keep while RUT-50 and VSD-190 do the state’s paperwork.

Start

The flat-rate table

Where the car's birthday sets the tax.

Under $15,000 — tax by vehicle age	$465 (1 yr) stepping down to $100 (11+ yrs)
$15,000 and up — tax by price band	$850 and up, by bracket
Spouse / parent / sibling / child	$15 flat
Motorcycles & ATVs	$25 flat

The practical takeaways: on older vehicles, Illinois tax is predictable and small — an eleven-year-old car owes $100 whether you paid $2,000 or $12,000 — and on newer bargains, age still rules below the $15,000 line. Put the honest price on your bill of sale regardless; the RUT-50 asks for it, and family-rate and exemption claims get reviewed.

Not legal advice. Verified against Illinois SOS and Department of Revenue sources in July 2026 — official links in our 50-state requirements table.

Prairie State questions

Illinois specifics, answered.

Does Illinois have an official bill of sale form?

No — the Secretary of State publishes none for private car sales. What Illinois requires instead is tax return RUT-50 (Private Party Vehicle Use Tax) filed at titling, plus the title application VSD-190, which is completed through the online ERT system and printed — it isn't distributed as a blank PDF. Your own bill of sale fills the receipt gap the state leaves open.

How does the RUT-50 flat-rate table work?

Illinois skips percentages for most private sales. Under $15,000, tax is charged by the vehicle's AGE — from $465 for a one-year-old car stepping down to $100 at eleven years and older. At $15,000 and above it switches to price bands, from $850 up. It's why a $14,000 late-model bargain and a $6,000 one can owe the same tax: age, not price, sets the number below the threshold.

What are the family and special flat rates?

Transfers to a spouse, parent, sibling, or child — and estate gifts to surviving family — pay a flat $15. Motorcycles and ATVs pay a flat $25 regardless of age or price. The RUT-50 instructions carry the full schedule.

What are the deadlines and the seller's exit move?

The buyer should apply for title within 20 days (the RUT-50 itself is due within 30 days of acquisition), with the title transfer fee at $165. The seller's move is filing the Notice of Sale / Seller's Report with the Secretary of State — it cuts off liability for the buyer's tickets and tolls. Plates stay with the seller: transfer them to your next vehicle or surrender them.

What's changing hands

Every item type, Illinois rules applied.

The Illinois rules above apply to whatever you are selling. Pick the item type to get a form with the right identifying fields on it.