Illinois·Updated for 2026·Figures in USD · dealer rate set by the dealer’s location
Illinois Car Sales Tax Calculator (2026)
Buying from a dealer, Illinois charges 6.25% plus the local rate where the dealer is, on the price less any trade-in. Buying from a private seller, you pay a flat tax from the Department of Revenue's 2026 chart instead. Then come the title and plates. Choose the sale type to start.
Your purchase
$
What you pay for the vehicle
$
Dealer sales only. No trade-in deduction on a private sale
Look it up with the Illinois Tax Rate Finder, then enter it here. Blank means the state rate only
%
Enter the purchase price. Your Illinois tax, title and license estimate appears here as you type — there is no button to press.
Calculating
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This is a planning estimate, not the exact number a dealer or the Secretary of State will charge. Check the Tax Rate Finder and the Secretary of State fee table before you buy.
Figures last verified October 19, 2026. Tax figures are from the Department of Revenue, including the RUT-5 chart for January 1 – December 31, 2026. Look up local rates with the Illinois Tax Rate Finder.
Buying from a dealer
The dealer charges 6.25% plus the local rate for its business location, on the price less any qualified trade-in. On a $30,000 car, the state part is $1,875.00, and each 1% of local rate adds $300. A $10,000 trade-in cuts the state part to $1,250.00. Chicago residents buying from a dealer in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry or Will County also pay 1.25% Chicago Home Rule Use Tax.
Buying from a private seller: the 2026 RUT-50 tax
Private sales pay a flat private party vehicle use tax on Form RUT-50, from the Department of Revenue's RUT-5 chart. A trade-in deduction is not allowed. Under $15,000, it goes by model year (a 2019 at $12,000 pays $155.00):
Model year (price under $15,000)
Tax
2025 or newer
$465
2024
$365
2023
$290
2022
$240
2021
$190
2020
$165
2019
$155
2018
$140
2017
$125
2016
$115
2015 or older
$100
Price (or fair market value)
Tax
$15,000 to $19,999.99
$850
$20,000 to $24,999.99
$1,100
$25,000 to $29,999.99
$1,350
$30,000 to $49,999.99
$1,600
$50,000 to $99,999.99
$2,600
$100,000 to $999,999.99
$5,100
$1,000,000 or more
$10,100
A spouse, parent, brother, sister or child pays a flat $15. Chicago, Cook County and some other places add their own private party tax; see IDOR's RUT-6.
Illinois title and registration fees
Fee
Amount
Source
Original title
$165
Secretary of State fee table*
Passenger registration
$151 a year
Secretary of State fee table*
*As published by the Secretary of State. Its site could not be opened from our network on October 19, 2026, so these two fees were not re-checked that day.
Illinois car tax FAQ
How much is sales tax on a car in Illinois?
From a dealer, 6.25% plus the local rate where the dealer is, on the price less any trade-in. On a $30,000 car the state part alone is $1,875.00. From a private seller, a flat tax from the Department of Revenue's chart instead: $1,600.00 at $30,000.
How is the private party vehicle tax worked out?
With Form RUT-50 and the RUT-5 chart. Under $15,000, it depends on the model year: from $465 for 2025 or newer down to $100 for 2015 or older. At $15,000 or more, it depends on the price, from $850.
Does a trade-in lower Illinois car tax?
On a dealer sale, yes, with no cap: the old $10,000 limit ended for sales on or after January 1, 2022. A $10,000 trade-in on a $30,000 car cuts the state part from $1,875.00 to $1,250.00. On a private sale, a trade-in deduction is not allowed.
Do I pay the rate where I live or where the dealer is?
Generally where the dealer is: the dealer uses the rate for its business location. If the dealer is in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry or Will County and you live in Chicago, the dealer also collects 1.25% Chicago Home Rule Use Tax.
Do family members pay the private party tax?
A vehicle bought from or transferred by a spouse, parent, brother, sister or child pays a flat $15. Step-relatives, in-laws and grandparents do not qualify (IDOR RUT-5).
How much are Illinois title and registration fees?
The Secretary of State lists an original title at $165 and a passenger plate at $151, $316 together. We could not open the Secretary of State site from our network on the verification date, so check its fee table before you pay.
Are you covering other states?
Yes. Texas, California, Florida, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, Arizona and Michigan are live too, and more states are added once their rates and fees are verified from each state's own pages. Each state uses its own published rules. Pick your state on the vehicle tax, title and license calculator by state.
Dealer sales: 6.25% state rate (IDOR) plus the rate at the dealer’s business location, less a qualified trade-in with no cap since January 1, 2022, plus 1.25% for Chicago residents buying in six collar counties (IDOR ST-556 instructions). Private sales: IDOR RUT-5 chart for January 1 – December 31, 2026, with no trade-in deduction. Title $165 and passenger registration $151 as published by the Secretary of State.
