Illinois Car Dealer Forms
These are the Illinois SOS forms a licensed dealer needs to buy, sell, and title vehicles in Illinois. From the Illinois title and registration application to the bill of sale, odometer disclosure, title reassignment, and temporary tag paperwork, each links to the official source where available. Download the current version straight from the Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department (Dealer/Remitter Licensing) or the federal agency, never a copy that's gone stale.
Which Illinois form goes with which deal
A form list on its own does not tell you what to grab on a Saturday afternoon. Here is the same set arranged by the deal in front of you.
- Retail sale to a customer in state
- Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (Form VSD 190), Odometer Disclosure (federal), the FTC Buyers Guide, and a bill of sale. This is the stack behind almost every deal jacket you build.
- Retail sale to an out-of-state buyer
- Same paperwork, but the buyer titles in their home state, so the Illinois title has to be assigned cleanly and the odometer reading has to match on every document. A correction later means a duplicate title and a delayed deal.
- Wholesale to another licensed dealer
- No Buyers Guide is required on a dealer-to-dealer sale, but the title assignment and odometer disclosure still are. Keep the invoice with the jacket, it is what proves the unit left your inventory.
- Taking a trade-in
- You need the customer's signed title assignment and odometer disclosure, plus a lien payoff quote in writing if the trade is financed. Take the trade in your books at actual cash value, not at the number you allowed on the deal.
- Title is not in hand at signing
- Secure Power of Attorney (odometer/title) covers the assignment and mileage disclosure until the title arrives. Track the promise: an unresolved title is the single most common reason a deal unwinds.
- Customer pays more than $10,000 in cash
- IRS Form 8300 is federal and applies in Illinois like everywhere else. It covers cash and cash equivalents in one transaction or in related transactions, and it is due within 15 days.
Illinois state forms
| Form | What it's for | When |
|---|---|---|
| Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (Form VSD 190) ↗ | Applies for Illinois title and registration on each sale; submitted through the SOS ERT system. VSD 190 is a controlled form, it is completed and printed through ERT rather than downloaded, so this links to the SOS 'Apply for Registration and Title' page. | Every deal |
| Sales Tax Transaction Return (Form ST-556) ↗ | Illinois dealers report and remit sales tax on each retail vehicle sale to the Department of Revenue. | Every deal |
| Secure Power of Attorney (odometer/title) | Odometer disclosure and title assignment when the title isn't present at the time of sale. | As needed |
| Temporary Registration Permit (TRP) | Temporary permit the dealer issues to a buyer to drive the vehicle pending plates; issued via SOS ERT. | As needed |
| Vehicle Use Tax Transaction Return (Form RUT-25) ↗ | Use tax on vehicles bought out of state or from unregistered sellers (buyer-side; not the dealer retail-sale form). | As needed |
Federal forms (every state)
| Form | What it's for | When |
|---|---|---|
| Odometer Disclosure (federal) | Federally required mileage disclosure at transfer, on the secure title/reassignment. | Every deal |
| Buyers Guide (FTC Used Car Rule) ↗ | As-is vs. warranty window sticker required on every used vehicle offered for sale. | Every deal |
| IRS Form 8300 ↗ | Report cash payments over $10,000 in a single transaction. | As needed |
Temporary tags and dealer plates in Illinois
Dealers move unregistered inventory on dealer 'in-transit' plates ($45/set) and issue the buyer a Temporary Registration Permit (TRP) at the point of sale. Titles, registration and TRPs are processed through the Secretary of State's Electronic Registration and Title (ERT) system, and the SOS has been moving TRP issuance to electronic processing, confirm the current TRP procedure and any electronic temporary-plate rollout with Vehicle Services.
Where Illinois dealer forms come from
Most dealers search for Illinois DMV forms, and in Illinois there is no DMV. The forms come from the Illinois SOS, while the Illinois Department of Revenue handles the licensing side. Same paperwork, different letterhead, which is worth knowing before you spend an afternoon on the wrong website.
- Illinois SOS, Dealer Licensing (Dealers and Remitters) ↗
- Illinois Vehicle Code, Chapter 5, Dealers (625 ILCS 5) ↗
- Illinois Department of Revenue, vehicle taxes (ST-556 / RUT-25) ↗
Paperwork mistakes that cost dealers money
None of these are exotic. They are the four that turn up again and again in audits and in unwound deals.
- Assuming an older car is odometer exempt. The federal rule changed for model year 2011 and newer: those vehicles carry a 20 year disclosure window, not 10. Dealers who learned the old rule skip disclosures they still owe.
- A Buyers Guide that is not on the car. The Used Car Rule wants it displayed on the vehicle while it is offered for sale, not produced at signing. It also has to match what you actually agreed to sell, and the copy the buyer takes home governs over the contract if the two disagree.
- A title assigned in the wrong hand. Reassignments are limited, the signature has to match the name printed on the title, and a correction fluid fix voids it. That is a duplicate title application and weeks of delay.
- Paperwork that lives in a drawer. A form you filed but cannot find is a form you did not file, as far as an auditor is concerned. Store documents against the VIN, not in a filing cabinet by month.
Illinois dealer forms FAQ
What forms do car dealers need in Illinois?+
Illinois dealers use Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (Form VSD 190), Sales Tax Transaction Return (Form ST-556), Secure Power of Attorney (odometer/title), Temporary Registration Permit (TRP) and more, plus federal forms every dealer needs like the FTC Buyers Guide and the odometer disclosure. Each is listed below with its purpose and official link.
Where do I get official Illinois dealer forms?+
Download current forms directly from the Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department (Dealer/Remitter Licensing). Third-party copies go out of date, always pull the latest version from the official source linked on this page.
Is it the Illinois DMV that handles dealer forms?+
Not exactly, and this trips up new dealers. Illinois does not call it the DMV: the agency is the Illinois SOS. Searching for "Illinois DMV forms" is how most dealers look for them, but the official source is the Illinois SOS, with the Illinois Department of Revenue handling the licensing side.
Do I need an FTC Buyers Guide on every used car in Illinois?+
Yes. The federal Used Car Rule requires an as-is/warranty Buyers Guide displayed on every used vehicle offered for sale, in Illinois and every other state.
Does an old car still need an odometer disclosure?+
Usually, yes. The federal exemption changed for model year 2011 and newer vehicles, which now require disclosure for 20 model years instead of 10. A 2011 model still needs a disclosure through 2031, so treat "it's an old car" as a reason to check, not to skip.
How long should I keep Illinois deal paperwork?+
Keep the complete deal jacket, not just the forms you filed. State record-retention rules run for years and an audit or a customer dispute can land long after the sale. Loturn stores every document against the VIN so the jacket rebuilds itself.
Let the paperwork build itself
Loturn fills and stores your deal documents against each vehicle and customer, a complete, audit-ready deal jacket without the filing cabinet.
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