Does anyone have any experience with the Illinois DMV? Specifically, I want to know if they can issue Trip Permits or Temp Registrations. The website says nothing about this but most official state DMV sites omit to mention Trip Permits since it is not something that a resident of the state usually is interested in.

A Trip Permit or Temp Registration would allow me to legally drive a newly purchased car (from a private seller not a used car dealer) from IL to wherever I need to go.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

I know virginia offers them, and Pa does but only for out of state residents purchasing a car in Pa.

Your best bet would be to call the IL dmv or an independent place that also does title work for the state and ask. I had to do that in Pa and thats how i found out that they only offer the permits for out of state residents.

I was able to get through and speak to a human. Trip Permits valid for 30 days cost $10. You need the Title, DL and insurance card. Only full service DMV offices will process them.

Only full service = (I think)...
- n. elston/foster
- downtown loop
- libertyville
- and so on

Bottom line, a majority of the Sec. of State offices won't be able to if you're in the Chicago area. I've had good luck with Elston.

On a private sale, don't the plates go with the car? When I bought both the Rs I've owned from out of state the plates went with the caR both times. Usually dealers (big and those small private lots) are the only ones who issue the temp plates. If you're traveling to IL to purchase a car I would make sure the plates don't go with the car, as it'd be a lot better than standing in line at the DMV.

I'm from IL and should know this, but most of the other state's laws state that the plates go with the car in a private sale, unless its a vanity plate and the reg owner wants to keep the plates and goes through the necessary DMV steps.

I was told the closest full service ones near the R's location are at Lombard and Elgin. Any experience with those?

I believe this would be between seller and buyer if the plates stayed with the car whether they are vanity or not. In NJ, you are supposed to turn in plates to the DMV from a car you no longer own. The couple that I have sold I have removed and turned plates in. You don't get any money back but I guess turning them in wipes the plate number off the system. If they had been vanity, I would have then transferred them to another car.

The issue with the plates (someone correct me if I'm mistaken) is that the plate is in your name and there could be liability or other legal issues. If I buy a car from you and you leave the IL plates on, suppose I then become involved in a hit and run or something worse. If someone saw the incident and reported the plate to the police, the plate would then trace back to you. How easy would it be for you in this case to talk yourself out of the mess, I don't know. Personally, I would rather not run that risk. Yes, it would be simpler if the plates stayed on but I don't mind waiting at the DMV to do it right so that both parties can then sleep with no worries.

I always keep my plates as they are in my name. Someone could roll off with my plates, run a bunch of red light cameras, and I get dinged with fun tickets/fines in the mail.

In Virginia the plates will stay with you. Not only because they are in your name, but also because if they aren't expired you are able to get a portion of your registration fee back when they are turned in.

Notarized Bill of Sale. /talk of legal fears with your name on old plates

It's highly unlikely that someone will purchase a car turn around and go out and risk racking up parking tickets and red light camera violations. But the only way you could really have that happen was if there was no record of the sale and date (which is why you need to get it notarized) of the car changing hands, legally. The only way that could really happen is if you threw a stranger the keys to your car and said "have fun". Under normal circumstances people complete legal documents that transfer the ownership of the vehicle.

Its for this reason that most states have a leniency period allowing the owner of a newly purchased (used) car to have a few days to register their new car before they face legal consequences. But it's the responsibility of the *seller* of any vehicle to know what to do with the license plates on their car because every state is different on this topic.

After the bill of sale is completed and notarized, the car has legally changed hands and the original owner is no longer responsible for the car, regardless of what the license plates say.

I still keep my plates ...and use them on whatever car I'm replacing it with. Easy transfer, etc. You can drive a car without tags within a certain amount of time if you have proper documentations (bill of sale, title, etc.)