Illinois car-buying guide
Illinois Private-Party Car Tax and RUT-50 Explained
Illinois private-party car tax uses the 2026 RUT-50 age and value tables, with additional Chicago and Cook County amounts where applicable.
Published and verified October 5, 2026
Illinois private-party car tax does not simply equal the purchase price multiplied by 6.25%. An ordinary private sale uses the 2026 RUT-50 fixed vehicle use tax tables: an age table when the required value is under $15,000 and a value-bracket table at $15,000 or more.
RUT-50 is different from dealer sales tax
A registered Illinois dealer generally reports a taxable sale on ST-556 using a vehicle-specific Auto Rate. A private seller does not use that dealer system. The buyer instead files the applicable RUT-50 transaction and pays the table amount required for the vehicle.
That difference matters for an Illinois used-car private sale. Applying 6.25% to the price can produce an amount that does not match the official RUT-50 chart.
2026 RUT-50 state tax for values under $15,000
When the purchase price or required fair-market value is below $15,000, the state amount depends on vehicle age. These rows render directly from the verified dataset used by the calculator.
| Vehicle age | State tax |
|---|---|
| 1 year or newer | $465.00 |
| 2 years | $365.00 |
| 3 years | $290.00 |
| 4 years | $240.00 |
| 5 years | $190.00 |
| 6 years | $165.00 |
| 7 years | $155.00 |
| 8 years | $140.00 |
| 9 years | $125.00 |
| 10 years | $115.00 |
| 11 years or older | $100.00 |
2026 RUT-50 state tax for values of $15,000 or more
At $15,000 or more, RUT-50 uses fixed value brackets rather than vehicle age. The table below is also generated from the shared verified data.
| Purchase price or required value | State tax |
|---|---|
| $15,000.00–$19,999.99 | $850.00 |
| $20,000.00–$24,999.99 | $1,100.00 |
| $25,000.00–$29,999.99 | $1,350.00 |
| $30,000.00–$49,999.99 | $1,600.00 |
| $50,000.00–$99,999.99 | $2,600.00 |
| $100,000.00–$999,999.99 | $5,100.00 |
| $1,000,000.00 or more | $10,100.00 |
Purchase price or verified fair-market value
The RUT-50 instructions determine whether the transaction uses the purchase price or fair-market value. Enter the amount required for the actual transaction. CarBuyerKit does not invent a fair-market value or decide that an unsupported exception applies.
Keep the bill of sale and evidence supporting the amount reported. Gifts, family transfers, exemptions, motorcycles, ATVs, and other special cases are outside this ordinary private-party guide.
No dealer trade-in deduction applies
RUT-50 does not use the dealer trade-in treatment. A separately sold or exchanged vehicle does not reduce the private-party table amount in the supported engine.
The full trade-in deduction described in the Illinois trade-in sales-tax guide belongs to a qualifying dealer transaction, not an ordinary private sale.
Chicago and Cook County can add local private-party tax
RUT-6 provides separate age-based amounts based on the address shown on the Illinois title or registration application. A qualifying Chicago address can add the municipal amount, while a Cook County address can add the county amount. Both can apply to a Chicago address located in Cook County.
| Vehicle age | Chicago amount |
|---|---|
| 3 years or newer | $80.00 |
| 4–8 years | $65.00 |
| 9–14 years | $50.00 |
| 15 years or older | $0.00 |
| Vehicle age | Cook County amount |
|---|---|
| 3 years or newer | $225.00 |
| 4–8 years | $175.00 |
| 9 years or older | $90.00 |
Worked example: private sale to a Chicago buyer
The verified engine uses the four-year age bracket for the state amount and adds both local amounts because the title or registration address is inside Chicago and Cook County. Use the Illinois car sales tax calculator and select private-party purchase to estimate another supported transaction.
Get your estimate
Calculate Illinois Private-Party Car Tax
Choose private-party purchase and enter the required value, model year, and title or registration location.
Official Illinois sources
Rules and amounts in this guide were checked against these primary government sources.