Illinois figures checked October 25, 2026
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That is the full five-year cost of a $42,000 pickup in Illinois in the worked example below, not just the monthly payment, and it uses the 6.25% state sales tax only, before local tax. Local tax depends on where you register the car and will push the real total higher in most places. Keep reading for the line-by-line math, the local-tax picture, and the places where the sources disagree.
The tax you pay on day one: the state rate, before local tax
Illinois charges a state sales tax of 6.25% on a car bought from a dealer, on the price minus any trade-in value. On a $42,000 vehicle with no trade-in, the state portion is $2,625. That is the number the headline total on this page uses, and it is labeled as the state rate only, because counties, cities, and transit districts layer their own tax on top of it, set by the address where the car is registered, not by the dealership.
Secondary sources give combined figures of about 7.25% outside the Chicago metro and about 8.25% for suburban Cook. For Chicago and Cook County combined, sources disagree: one source gives 9.5% and others give about 10.25%. That disagreement was already open on the Chicago page and is not re-litigated here; this page does not pick a Chicago winner. Before you buy, check the Illinois Department of Revenue rate finder for your exact address and use that number, not this page's state-rate example. To show the size of the gap: at 7.25%, the tax on $42,000 would be $3,045, and at 8.25% it would be $3,465, against $2,625 at the state rate alone.
Buying from a private seller works differently and is kept separate from the dealer headline. Illinois charges a tiered flat use tax (the tax on a purchase from someone who is not a dealer, paid when you register the car) through forms RUT-50 and RUT-5, not the straight percentage above. A $42,000 private-party purchase falls in the $30,000 to $49,999 tier, which is $1,600. If you are buying privately, price that version, not the dealer version.
Title and registration: the smaller stack
The Illinois title fee is $165, and standard passenger registration is $151 a year. The Illinois Secretary of State lists a first transaction at $316, which is the $165 title plus the $151 registration together. That $316 is a first-time paperwork total, not an extra yearly charge, so it is noted here and not added on top of the five-year total, which counts the $151 registration each year instead. The $151 covers a standard passenger vehicle under 8,000 pounds; heavier trucks and buses are priced by weight and are a separate case.
Emissions testing: some counties only, and the price is unsettled
Emissions testing is not statewide. It covers the Chicago metro counties of Cook, DuPage, and Lake in full, plus parts of Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Will, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair counties in the Metro-East area, every two years once the vehicle is four model years old. Illinois has no safety inspection for standard passenger cars, so there is no yearly inspection bill to add.
One conflict, stated plainly: sources disagree on what the emissions test itself costs, with one guide saying the test is free and another saying typically under $30. Because the cost is unsettled, no inspection cost is added to the five-year total below. If your county requires the test and your station charges for it, your real total is higher by that amount over the years a test falls due.
No yearly tax just for owning the car
Illinois does not charge an annual personal property tax on a car for individuals. That kind of tax was abolished for individuals decades ago, and the business replacement tax that followed is an income-based tax on businesses, not a tax on a car's value. Once the day-one tax is paid, the yearly government line statewide is the $151 registration, plus an emissions test in the covered counties when one is due.
Insurance: a range, not one number
Full-coverage insurance across Illinois runs about $1,189 to $2,546 a year across the sources checked, from MoneyGeek at the low end to Experian and NerdWallet at the high end, with InsuranceQuotes, Insure.com, Insurance.com, and Insurify in between. The range is very wide because sources use different driver profiles and coverage levels. One pattern is consistent across sources: Cook County and Chicago are the priciest part of the state, while downstate counties run lower. The worked example uses $1,867.50 a year, the middle of the range, labeled as the example value. Your own quote is what matters, and where you live in Illinois moves it more than almost anything else on this page.
Gas: the statewide price, dated
AAA on October 24, 2026 put regular gas at $4.8990 a gallon statewide in Illinois, against $4.2957 nationally. The worked example uses the $4.8990 statewide figure. Chicago drivers pay more: the City of Chicago was $5.23 the same week, which is why the Chicago page uses its own city figure instead. Gas prices move every week, so treat $4.8990 as a dated snapshot, not a five-year promise.
What Illinois drivers actually buy
At the state (all of Illinois) level, the Honda CR-V is the most-registered new vehicle in 2025 registration data. For used cars, this page headlines no single winner, because the sources split by age group: the Ford F-150 leads among all used cars in one iSeeCars study, while the Chevrolet Equinox leads among one- to five-year-old used cars in the 2025 study. Same source family, different age group, different leader, so the cohort is named and no winner is picked.
A full Illinois example: a $42,000 pickup
Every figure below comes from the site's own calculator math with Illinois inputs. The stated inputs are: new pickup, $42,000 price, 10% down ($4,200), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan), 60 months, Illinois state sales tax 6.25% ($2,625, no trade-in, before local tax), $900 in title and dealer fees (the $165 title fee lives inside this lump and is not added again), 12,000 miles per year, 19 mpg, $4.8990 per gallon (the statewide AAA snapshot, October 24, 2026), $1,867.50 per year insurance (the middle of the $1,189 to $2,546 range), $1,000 per year maintenance, $21,000 resale value after five years. The financed amount is $41,325, which works out to $838 a month for the loan payment alone.
- Depreciation (the value the car loses): $21,000 ($42,000 minus $21,000 resale)
- Insurance: $9,338 ($1,867.50 x 5 years, rounded)
- Fuel: $15,471 (12,000 / 19 x $4.8990 x 5 years, rounded)
- Maintenance: $5,000 ($1,000 x 5 years)
- Tax, fees and interest: $12,475 ($2,625 state sales tax, $900 fees, $8,950 loan interest)
- Registration: $755 ($151 x 5 years)
That totals roughly $64,038 over five years, or about $1,067 a month, at the state tax rate before local tax. Figures are rounded to the nearest dollar, so rounded lines can differ from the total by $1. The Illinois pattern in one sentence: the state-rate headline looks middle-of-the-road, but local tax and Chicago-area insurance can push a real buyer's total well above it, while the lack of a yearly property tax on the car keeps one bill off the table entirely.
Formula
The five-year total is the sum of six buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, tax, fees and interest, and registration. Depreciation is the $42,000 price minus the $21,000 resale value after five years, which is $21,000. Insurance is $1,867.50 a year times 5 years, which is $9,338, rounded. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 19 miles per gallon, times $4.8990 a gallon, times 5 years, which is $15,471, rounded. Maintenance is $1,000 a year times 5 years, which is $5,000. Tax, fees and interest is $2,625 of state sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, and $8,950 of loan interest, which is $12,475. Registration is $755 over five years: $151 a year times 5 years.
Added together, $21,000 plus $9,338 plus $15,471 plus $5,000 plus $12,475 plus $755 comes to $64,039, which the page states as roughly $64,038, because the insurance and fuel lines are rounded to the nearest dollar, as the page itself discloses, or about $1,067 a month, at the state tax rate before local tax. The financed amount is the $42,000 price plus $2,625 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $4,200 down payment, which is $41,325. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $41,325 is $838 a month, and the loan costs $8,950 in interest over five years.
What is not in this total, stated plainly: any local sales tax above the 6.25% state rate, any emissions-test charge (cost unsettled), any doc fee above the $900 lump, parking, and tolls. Chicago residents also pay a separate city sticker, which is a Chicago-only cost and is not in this statewide total.
Check your exact combined tax rate in the Illinois Department of Revenue rate finder first, since local tax is the biggest gap between this state-rate example and a real bill, then get an insurance quote for your own county instead of a statewide range, and price gas at the pump price you actually pay.
Calculation transparency
Jurisdiction. Illinois, at the state tax rate before local tax. Tax, titling, registration, and insurance rules are set by your state and county, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 6.25% state sales tax is only the state rate: counties, cities, and transit districts layer their own tax on top of it, set by the address where the car is registered, not by the dealership.
Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, a new $42,000 pickup, 10% down, 8% APR, 60 months. Illinois state sales tax 6.25% ($2,625, no trade-in, before local tax), $900 in title and dealer fees, gas at the $4.8990 Illinois statewide AAA snapshot from October 24, 2026, insurance at the $1,867.50 example value, $1,000 a year maintenance, $21,000 resale after five years. Illinois charges no yearly property tax on a car for individuals, and emissions testing covers only some counties.
Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Not in this total: any local sales tax above the 6.25% state rate; any emissions-test charge, whose cost is unsettled; any doc fee above the $900 lump; parking; and tolls. Chicago residents also pay a separate city sticker, which is a Chicago-only cost and is not in this statewide total. At 7.25% the tax on $42,000 would be $3,045, and at 8.25% it would be $3,465, against $2,625 at the state rate alone. Insurance quotes, gas prices, and local rates vary by driver and address. Get a real quote for the same car, coverage, and loan before you decide.
Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Illinois Secretary of State, title $165, registration $151 a year, first transaction $316; Illinois Department of Revenue rate finder, state rate 6.25%, private-party flat use tax $1,600 on a $42,000 car in the $30,000 to $49,999 tier; AAA Illinois statewide gas $4.8990 a gallon, October 24, 2026, against $4.2957 nationally; full-coverage insurance $1,189 to $2,546 a year; MoneyGeek, Experian, NerdWallet, InsuranceQuotes, Insure.com, Insurance.com, Insurify.
Primary sources: Illinois Secretary of State; AAA gas prices. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.
Definitions
Sales tax. The tax on the price of the car, paid when you buy it. The Illinois state sales tax on a car is 6.25%, which is $2,625 on a $42,000 car before local tax. Local taxes stack on top of that state rate depending on where the car is registered, so the combined rate is higher in most places.
Use tax. The tax on a purchase from someone who is not a dealer, paid when you register the car. Illinois charges a tiered flat use tax through forms RUT-50 and RUT-5, not the straight percentage above. A $42,000 private-party purchase falls in the $30,000 to $49,999 tier, which is $1,600.
Trade-in. Your old car, counted toward the price of the new one. A trade-in at a dealer reduces the taxable price.
Title fee. The one-time fee to put the car in your name. The Illinois title fee is $165, and it lives inside the $900 title and dealer fees lump in the example, not added again.
Registration. The yearly fee for the license plate. Standard passenger registration is $151 a year. The Illinois Secretary of State lists a first transaction at $316, which is the $165 title plus the $151 registration together, a first-time paperwork total, not an extra yearly charge.
Emissions test. A check that the car's exhaust is clean enough, run every two years once the vehicle is four model years old, in the Chicago metro counties of Cook, DuPage, and Lake in full, plus parts of Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Will, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair counties. Illinois has no safety inspection for standard passenger cars.
Personal property tax. A yearly tax on what a car is worth. Illinois does not charge an annual personal property tax on a car for individuals. That kind of tax was abolished for individuals decades ago.
Business replacement tax. The tax that followed the abolished personal property tax. It is an income-based tax on businesses, not a tax on a car's value.
Full-coverage insurance. Insurance that covers damage to your own car, not just damage you cause to others. Across Illinois it runs about $1,189 to $2,546 a year across the sources checked, and the worked example uses $1,867.50 a year, the middle of the range.
APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%. For context, Experian reported average rates of 6.35% on new cars and 11.19% on used cars in the second quarter of 2026.
Depreciation. The value the car loses over time. On this page, the $42,000 price minus the $21,000 resale value after five years, which is $21,000.
Common questions
How much does it cost to register a car in Illinois?
Standard passenger registration is $151 a year, and the title fee is $165. The Illinois Secretary of State lists a first transaction at $316, which is the $165 title plus the $151 registration together. That $316 is a first-time paperwork total, not an extra yearly charge, so it is not added on top of the five-year total on this page, which counts the $151 registration each year instead.
What is the sales tax on a car in Illinois?
The Illinois state sales tax on a car is 6.25%, which is $2,625 on a $42,000 car before local tax. Local taxes stack on top of that state rate depending on where the car is registered, so the combined rate is higher in most places. Secondary sources give about 7.25% outside the Chicago metro and about 8.25% for suburban Cook, while sources disagree on the Chicago and Cook combined rate, giving 9.5% in one source and 10.25% in others. This page uses the state rate only for its headline total and does not pick a Chicago winner.
How much is car insurance in Illinois?
Full-coverage insurance across Illinois runs about $1,189 to $2,546 a year across the sources checked. The range is very wide because sources use different driver profiles and coverage levels, and Cook County and Chicago are consistently the priciest part of the state. The worked example on this page uses $1,867.50 a year, the middle of the range, as an example value only.
Does my car need an emissions test in Illinois?
Only in some counties. Emissions testing covers the Chicago metro counties of Cook, DuPage, and Lake in full, plus parts of Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Will, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair counties, every two years once the vehicle is four model years old. Most of Illinois has no emissions test, and Illinois has no safety inspection for standard passenger cars.
What is the sales tax on a private-party car purchase in Illinois?
A private-party purchase does not use the straight 6.25% dealer percentage. Illinois charges a flat-fee use tax schedule for private sales, and a $42,000 car falls in the $30,000 to $49,999 tier, which is $1,600. If you are buying privately, price that version, not the dealer version on this page.
Related: the same pickup example in nearby states: Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin. See where Illinois lands in the cheapest and priciest states roundup.
Related: popular cars in Illinois, run through the same five-year math: F-150, Equinox, and CR-V.
See the same math for other cities
The same $42,000 example, run with each place's own costs: Alaska, Texas, New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, St. Louis, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, San Antonio, Austin, Seattle, Denver, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington, DC, and Pittsburgh.
Figures from the Illinois Secretary of State vehicle FAQ ($165 title, $151 registration, $316 first-transaction total), the Illinois Department of Revenue rate finder, LegalClarity Illinois tax and emissions guides, iSeeCars' most-popular-cars studies (state level, by age cohort), Edmunds via Visual Capitalist state registration data, and AAA gas prices (October 24, 2026). Insurance averages from Experian, NerdWallet, InsuranceQuotes, Insure.com, Insurance.com, Insurify, and MoneyGeek (2025 to 2026). Fees, insurance quotes, and gas prices vary by driver and address.