hey guys, i've been reading all the threads about obtaining a title in illinois. most of them seem to pertain to getting a home built or street rod title. here is the situation i am in. my oldest son is in california for approx 6-9 months for an internship. while he was out there, he came across a 38 plymouth coupe project car. he purchased the car and the owner signed over the title and gave him a bill of sale. my son states that he can title the car in california while he is there. not sure how he can do that because he doesnt have a california address. his idea is to get the california title in his name and then transfer it to illinois once he returns home. would it be easier to have him do that or should i have him send me all the paperwork and i can transfer it here in illinois and skip the california process? he figured it would be easier to get an illinois title if the car is already titled in his name. i don't mind paying the california dmv and the illinois dmv if it will save me some headaches.
I bought my 51 from a guy in Indianna. I just took that title to the IL DMV and got a new IL title in my name. Easy.
As long as he has a signed GOOD title from the current owner (not an open title from a previous owner) he should have no problem transferring the title with a signed California title and Bill of Sale at any S.O.S. office. Just make copies of everything before you submit it. You will need them later when you get the "Tax Due letter" from Il. Dept of Revenue.
Best advice is to go to your DMV with your question... That said, lots of the people that work in my local DMV really don't know the laws.. So you may find it to your advantage to seek beyond the window clerks. AAA handles simple transactions, maybe not out of state ones... But, a lot more user friendly. Karl
I agree with this commentary and advice. I have purchased a couple of cars from California, and other States as well, and as long as I had good documents, I had no problem with IL Secretary of State's office. For a period of time, seemingly now past, the IL SoS required vehicles 1948 and earlier, when purchased out of State, to be inspected for Serial #/VIN verification. I do not think that is currently the case. The Illinois Dept of Revenue is another matter. Because the car has "collector value", you can expect a letter and assessment of additional tax based on a totally arbitrary valuation. Having supporting documents on your side, such as a proper Bill of Sale, perhaps a copy of the check issued for payment and photographs, you can easily, and successfully, refute their assessment. I tell you this from personal experience with more than one vehicle. This explanation makes it sound more complicated than it is in fact.
Yes.... The Illinois Dept Revenue will send you a letter claiming you owe them thousands of dollars in taxes because you must have purchased a completely restored vehicle that was also gold plated and diamond encrusted. Make sure you have photocopies, or scanned pdf documents of everything including bill of sale, title, etc. Also, take photos of the car in the condition you purchased it in, along with the a photo of the vin tag on the car. I sent the bill of sale along with photos of my car, photo of vin tag, which had not been driven in probably 30 years, missing an engine, etc, and stated I did not owe them any additional taxes beyond the ones I paid the day I applied for the title. That resolved the issue and I received a letter that I did not owe more money. I'd skip titling it in California and just do it in Illinois. I had an Arizona title that was 20+ years old. It was a pretty easy process while at the DMV. I would recommend checking out the websites below so you walk in there prepared. See the tax form you'll need below also. Big difference in taxes if it's over $15k. http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/vehicles/title_and_registration/pert.html http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/vehicles/title_and_registration/apply.html http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/vsd293.pdf I think you'll need tax form RUT-50. It's located here: http://tax.illinois.gov/taxforms/Sales/VehicleUseTax/rut25.htm
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