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Business How do I obtain a Certificate of Good Standing? How do I obtain a copy of a corporation's annual report? How can I check the status of a corporation or get incorporation forms online? To download Business Service forms, click here. How is a limited liability company organized in Illinois and how do I obtain information on them? Information on limited liability companies (LLCs) is available to the public from the Department of Business Services upon written request, by telephone or in person. Please send requests to: Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Liability Limitations Division, 351 Howlett Building, Springfield, IL 62756; or call (217) 524-8008. I represent a company doing business in another state. Do I need to complete any forms to transact business in Illinois? How can I reinstate my corporation? Driver's License I have lost my driver's license. How can I get a replacement? If you are in Illinois, a duplicate driver's license can be issued at any Secretary of State facility in the state. You will need to present acceptable identification and pay a $5 fee. For examples, please refer to the complete list of acceptable documentation. If you are out of state, please call the Special License and Re-Examination Unit at (217) 782-2720. If you plan to return to Illinois within 90 days, you may request that a 90-day temporary driver's license be mailed to you at your out-of-state address. If you will be out of state for more than 90 days, the Secretary of State's office will mail you the forms to apply for a non-photo duplicate driver's license. You also may request a duplicate driver's license packet by e-mailing this office with your full name, Illinois driver's license number, date of birth, out-of-state address and your date of return to Illinois. I am out of state and my driver's license is coming up for renewal. What should I do? In order to obtain a military deferral, mail in a photocopy of your current Illinois license, military ID card, and proof of residence to the Special License Unit at the Secretary of State, 2701 S. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, Illinois 62723. Please include your out of state mailing address. Acceptable forms of proof of residency are as follows:
Any questions regarding military deferral or acceptable documentation, please call our office at 217-782-2720, option 6 then option5, and provide your name, Illinois driver's license number, date of birth and current mailing address. If you are not in the military, you may submit a request for renewal forms to the Secretary of State, Special License Re-Examination Unit, 2701 S. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, IL 62723 or call (217) 782-2720. You also may be eligible to renew your driver's license through the Safe Driver Renewal Program. It may be helpful to know that Illinois drivers can renew their licenses up to one year before a four-year or two-year license expires, or six months before a one-year license expires. Is it true that the minimum driving age is being raised to 18? How can I find information on teen driver's licensing requirements? The widespread rumor about a change in the minimum driving age from 16 to 18 is false. For complete information on licensing requirements and sanctions for teen drivers, please review the Illinois Graduated Licensing System on our Web site. The Illinois State Board of Education administers high school driver education programs and issues blue slips. For information on these, please call the Board at (217) 782-5256. How do I obtain a copy of my driving record? If you are the parent or legal guardian of a minor person (under age 18) and are requesting the driving record of that minor person, the requestor must submit a notarized written permission of the person listed on the request form to obtain the driving record and pay the $12 fee. If you are an immediate family member (parent/legal guardian, brother, sister, spouse, grandparent, child or grandchild) of the adult person (age 18 or older) and are requesting the driving record of that adult person, the requestor must submit a notarized written permission of the person listed on the request form to obtain the driving record and pay the $12 fee. If you are requesting a driving record on another person, please allow an additional 10 days for processing. Before any information is released on another individual, notification will be sent to that person, giving the date and name of the person making the request. If you are out of state, a family member (parent/ legal guardian, brother, sister, spouse, grandparent, child or grandchild) in Illinois can obtain a copy of your driving record at a Driver Services facility. The requestor must submit a notarized written permission of the person listed on the request form to obtain the driving record and pay the $12 fee. The Illinois Secretary of State no longer issues clearance letters. If another state insists on written proof of your driving status in Illinois, you may request a certified copy of your driving record for the licensing authorities in that state. For further information, you may contact the Abstract Information Unit at (217) 782-2720. My driver's license is suspended. Can I apply for a permit to drive to work or school? My child has an Illinois instruction permit. Can he/she drive in other states while we are on vacation? Also, most states reciprocally recognize the Illinois instruction permit. You may, however, wish to contact the local law enforcement agencies of the state in which you will be traveling. I will be working in/moving to Illinois. How do I obtain a driver's license in your state? To obtain an Illinois driver's license, you must successfully complete a vision screening, written examination and possibly a driving examination. The fee for an Illinois driver's license is $10 and is valid for four years. The fee for an Illinois ID card is $20 and is valid for five years. How can I obtain a motorcycle driver's license? If you are age 18 or over, you may apply for a 12-month instruction permit to operate a Class L or Class M motorcycle. It allows you to drive only during daylight hours, under the direct supervision of a licensed motorcycle operator. If you are under age 18 and have satisfactorily completed driver education, you may apply for a 12-month instruction permit to operate a motor-driven cycle Class L (under 150 cc). It allows you to drive only during daylight hours, under the direct supervision of a licensed motor-driven or motorcycle operator. An instruction permit for a Class M license may be issued to an applicant under age 18 only after successful completion of an approved driver education course and after enrollment in an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Motorcycle Rider Education course. For more information on classes, please call the Motorcycle Safety Project at IDOT at 1-800-892-9607 or 1-800-642-9589. To initially obtain a Class L or Class M license, a person age 18 or older who successfully completes an IDOT motorcycle training course will not be required to pass a driving or written examination at a Secretary of State facility. To request a copy of the Illinois Motorcycle Operator Manual, please call (217) 782-7044. Motor Vehicles Payment Processor Fee Why do we have to pay different payment processor fees depending on how we choose to renew? CyberService Online Renewal Method I renewed online but now need to cancel that order (I sold the car, My husband bought a sticker through another renewal method, I'm moving out of state). I accidentally hit the Submit button twice on the payment page. Can you credit my account or let me know that I was only charged once for my online renewal? I do not have the renewal form and need a PIN and Renewal Code. I ordered online and now I've moved/I'm out of state temporarily/I need my plates sent to a different address. What do I do? To cover all of the bases to ensure that you will receive your plates soon, please do the following things:
I just renewed online. After I completed my registration, I realized that I could have elected to purchase an organ donor plate. Although I already completed my online renewal, can I make a change & order the Donor Plate? To receive an organ donor plate, you must fill out a Request Form, which is available online. The Vehicle Services Department will notify you by mail regarding your request. You will have to pay the additional organ donor fees, plus a $29 charge for the manufacture of the new plate and sticker. I was trying to renew online but my credit card wouldn't go through. License Plates One of my license plates is missing. How can I replace it? Or call (217) 782-7132 to request the form. You also may fill out an application at any Secretary of State Facility. How can I get the Walter Payton Organ Donor License Plate?
Applications and inquiries should be directed to Vanity and personalized plates are also available for Organ Donor Plates. Please visit Pick-A-Plate for plate availability Proceeds from the sale of the plates will go toward promoting organ donor awareness throughout Illinois. Read more about organ donation. Mistakes on Registration Card I noticed that the spelling of my first name/Drivers License number/other information is incorrect. If your Driver's License number is wrong or not listed on the Registration card, you can email the correction to License Plate and Vehicle Registration contact form. If your vehicle information is wrong, see Vehicle Registration/Renewal Stickers for more information. Please note that the Driver License file will not been updated as part of this process. To ensure that all Secretary of State records have correct and matching information, go to the Online Address Change for more information. I just renewed online, and I just realized that on the registration it says it needs my driver's license number. What do I do? Vanity or Personalized Plates I have sent in my request form for a vanity or personalized plate, but have not heard back from your office. What should I do? I received the award letter for a vanity or personalized plate and returned it to your office with the appropriate fees. Where are my plates? If your current plates will expire in the next two weeks and you have submitted your renewal for your current plates with your application and you have NOT received a temporary registration sticker, please contact us. We suggest you fill out the online request form today. It will take four to six weeks for Vehicles to check whether your selections are available and send you a letter regarding the outcome. You have 45 days within which you can return the letter, the appropriate fees, and claim your plate. Renewal notices are sent out 60-90 days before your plates are due to expire. Vehicle Registration/Renewal Stickers I have not received my license plate renewal sticker and I mailed in the fee more than 30 days ago. What should I do if it doesn't arrive in time? It should take five to ten business days for renewal stickers to arrive from the time your mail-in renewal hits our office. To inquire about the status of your renewal application, please email us using the License Plate and Vehicle Registration contact form or call (217) 782-6387. You may first wish to contact your banking facility to determine whether the check used for payment has been cashed. I did not receive my license plate sticker renewal notice. How do I renew? Standard processing time is 30 days. Annual renewal fees for standard license plates are $78. The renewal fee for personalized plates (combination of letters and numbers) is $85.The renewal fee for vanity plates (all letters or all numbers) is $91. For specialty plate fees, check the On-line Plate Guide or call (217) 785-4175. For the fastest service, please visit your nearest Secretary of State facility to renew your registration and receive a sticker on the spot. Currency exchanges and participating banks will also process registration renewals (minimum $3 service fee charge). Some of these entities will accept last year's registration card in lieu of the renewal form. Please call ahead to verify the service charge and make sure the institution/exchange will handle the sticker transaction without the renewal notice. What is the Circuit Breaker license plate registration fee discount, and how can I determine if I qualify?
To qualify for the Circuit Breaker Program, applicants must be at least age 65, or at least age 16 and totally disabled. A person needs to be an Illinois resident and have an annual income of less than $21,218; or a combined annual income of $28,480 for a two-person household; or a combined annual income of $35,740 for a three-person household. To find out if you are eligible for the Circuit Breaker Program, please call the Illinois Department of Aging at (800) 624-2459. My registration renewal notice has incorrect information on it. Should I correct it on the form? You may renew using CyberService Express to renew your sticker and update your address, or visit a nearby Secretary of State facility. If the vehicle information is incorrect because you recently bought a new vehicle, please make the changes and attach a copy of the transfer ID,reflecting the transfer of the license plates to the new vehicle. If you have not received the transfer ID card, you may go ahead and mail in the registration form as is with your fee. When the transfer ID card arrives, attach it to the new registration card you receive with your renewal sticker. If the driver's license/FEIN number is incorrect, line out the number and write in the correction. If the driver's license/FEIN number has been omitted, you should write in the driver's license number. Do not write in out-of-state driver's license number or a driver's license number for a company-owned vehicle on the registration form. To change a name on a registration, you must visit a Secretary of State facility to correct your title before renewing your registration. Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (VSD-190) must be completed and submitted with the $65 title fee, the $3 corrected registration ID card fee, and the documentation. Proper documentation includes a copy of a marriage certificate, a driver's license (with corrected name) or other court document. I lost my registration sticker/card. How can I obtain a new one? Vehicles Sold If I've sold my vehicle, what should I do with the license plates? I've received a renewal notice for a vehicle that I've sold, what should I do? Vehicle Titles I cannot find my vehicle title. How can I get a copy? Or you may call (800) 252-8980 or (217) 782-7132 to request the form. Complete instructions on applying for a Duplicate Title can be found on our Web site. Miscellaneous How can I find information on driving and traffic laws in Illinois? To review specific statutes, the text of the Illinois Vehicle Code is on the Illinois General Assembly's Web site at http://www.ilga.gov. Click on Illinois Compiled Statutes, then Chapter 625. To obtain a copy of the Illinois Vehicle Code (480 pages), please call (217) 782-7132 or write to Why did I receive a letter from the Secretary of State requesting proof that my vehicle is insured? The questionnaire sampling process involves sending insurance questionnaires to vehicle owners chosen randomly by computer from the registration files. The vehicle owner is required to respond with the name of their insurance company and the policy number. If this information is provided by the vehicle owner, the named insurance company is asked to verify coverage. If a vehicle owner is not insured on the verification date stated on the questionnaire, or if the vehicle owner fails to respond to the questionnaire, he/she is considered to be in violation of the mandatory insurance law. As a result, a notice of suspension is mailed to the vehicle owner. Read more about the Mandatory Insurance Law and penalties. For more questions and answers, please check the FAQ section for each department on our Web site. Click on Departments on the navigation bar. What is the I-PASS and how do I obtain one? I-PASS is the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority's electronic toll collection system. This system allows you to pay tolls electronically, therefore eliminating the need to carry change, roll down your window, wait for lights to turn green, and in some instances even eliminates the need to stop your vehicle. For more information on Obtaining an I-PASS you may call 1 800 UCI-PASS (1 800 824-7277) or visit Illinois State Toll Highway Authority's web site. |
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