Vehicle Ownership in Illinois — Car Alpha

Complete guide to vehicle ownership in Illinois: insurance requirements (25/50/20), lemon law protections, emissions testing, registration fees, and EV incentives.

Illinois Overview

Midwest · Capital: Springfield

Illinois requires liability insurance and emissions testing in the Chicago metro area and Metro East St. Louis. The state has a strong lemon law and offers incentives for electric vehicle purchases.

Insurance Requirements

Minimum Coverage

25/50/20

Average Annual Cost

$1,499

$25,000 bodily injury per person / $50,000 bodily injury per accident / $20,000 property damage

Full insurance guide Compare Illinois rates

Illinois Lemon Law

Illinois's New Vehicle Buyer Protection Act covers vehicles in the first 12 months or 12,000 miles. After four repair attempts or 30 business days out of service, consumers can demand a replacement or refund.

Full lemon law guide Talk to a lemon law attorney

Emissions Testing

Emissions testing is required in the greater Chicago area and Metro East St. Louis region for most vehicles 4-13 model years old. OBD-II testing is used, and testing costs $20.

EV Incentives

Illinois offers EV rebates of up to $4,000 for new electric vehicles through the Illinois EPA. Additional rebates are available for charging equipment installation. Some utility companies offer discounted charging rates.

Full EV incentives guide

Registration & Title

Registration Fee

$151 for most passenger vehicles

Title Fee

$150

Plate Fee

$29

Illinois charges an annual registration fee of $151 for standard passenger vehicles. Electric vehicles pay an additional $100 annual fee. Title fee is $150.

Full registration guide