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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.