Yes, and this is an important step that many sellers overlook. After you sell your vehicle in Illinois, you should notify the Illinois Secretary of State’s office about the transfer of ownership. This protects you from future liability, for example, if the vehicle is involved in an incident after the sale or if parking tickets are issued against your old plates.

In Illinois, license plates stay with the owner rather than the vehicle. That means you are responsible for removing your plates before the car is picked up and either transferring them to a new vehicle, surrendering them to the Secretary of State’s office, or properly disposing of them.

Illinois also has an online vehicle transaction reporting system where private sellers can report the sale of a vehicle. Filing this report creates a paper trail showing that ownership was transferred on a specific date, which is your protection against any liabilities that arise after the sale.

EZ Cash Cars can help guide you through this process if you are uncertain about what steps apply to your specific situation. The team handles junk car sales in Illinois regularly and can answer questions about the post-sale administrative steps so nothing falls through the cracks.