Illinois charges retailers' occupation tax / private party vehicle use tax (form st-556) of 6.25% at the state level, and local jurisdictions add their own, which brings a typical vehicle to about 7.5%. A trade-in does reduce the taxable price, which is real money on the deal.
Per the IDOR auto rate file (effective 2026-08-01), most of the state charges only the 6.25% state rate on vehicles: county and municipal home-rule taxes generally do not apply to titled vehicles. Local tax on vehicles applies in the RTA region: Cook County 7.50% combined (1.25% local), the collar counties (DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will) 7.25% (1.00% local), plus 1.25% more if the vehicle is registered in the City of Chicago (Cook 8.75%, collar 8.50%). A few downstate counties add 0.25%.
The applicable rate is the dealer's location rate; the Chicago home-rule use tax is added based on the registration address.
Manufacturer rebates and factory incentives do not reduce the taxable price; dealer discounts do.
Leases of one year or more: tax is due at inception on the total of the scheduled payments plus any down payment (ST-556-LSE).
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title | $165.00 |
| Registration | ~$151 |
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Pick your city for the exact combined rate where you register, plus what title and registration run there.
Illinois charges 6.25% at the state level and local jurisdictions add more, so a typical combined rate on a vehicle is about 7.5% and can reach 8.75% at the high end. The rate is set by the dealership location, so pick your city above for the exact figure.
The $10,000 trade-in credit cap was repealed effective January 1, 2022; the full trade-in value now reduces the taxable price.
Title is $165.00. Standard passenger plate registration $151 per year (plates included). Electric vehicles pay $251.
Yes, at $378. Cap is $300 (2020) indexed to CPI each January; 2026 figure of $377.63 is from dealer-industry sources, not fetched from the Attorney General's page in this run (secondary).
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Rates, fees, and rules change. These figures are estimates for planning, not tax advice; confirm the final numbers with the dealer and your state's motor vehicle agency before you buy.