Overview
The qualifying list is narrower than people expect. Illinois's own instructions are explicit: spouse (including a party to a civil union), parent, brother, sister, and child (including adopted children) qualify for the $15 rate. Step-relations, in-laws, and grandparent/grandchild transfers do NOT qualify - RUT-50 says so directly - and get taxed at the full Table A or B rate on the vehicle's fair market value instead, the same as a total stranger. An estate gift to a surviving spouse is fully exempt ($0); an estate gift to any other beneficiary uses the same $15 rate as a living family transfer.
01 - Official fees
Illinois gift a car fees at a glance
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Family transfer (spouse/parent/child/sibling) | $15.00 | RUT-50 exception, sale or gift |
| Estate gift to surviving spouse | $0.00 | fully exempt |
| Estate gift to any other beneficiary | $15.00 | |
| Title fee | $165.00 | |
| Chicago local add-on (family transfer) | $0–$15 | by vehicle age |
| Cook County local add-on (family transfer) | $25.00 | |
| Non-qualifying 'gift' (friend, cousin, grandparent) | Table A/B rate | based on fair market value |
Figures verified June 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with the Illinois Secretary of State (vehicle tax is paid to the Illinois Department of Revenue, IDOR) - counties can add small local fees.
02 - Step by step
How to gift a car in Illinois
- 1
Confirm the relationship actually qualifies: spouse, parent, child, or sibling (not step, in-law, or grandparent/grandchild).
- 2
Have the giver sign the title over to the recipient, noting 'gift' where a sale price would go.
- 3
Complete Form RUT-50, marking the family-transfer exception in Step 4.
- 4
Bring the title, RUT-50, and ID to a Secretary of State facility within 20 days of the transfer.
- 5
Pay the $15 flat tax (plus any Chicago/Cook local add-on) and the $165 title fee.
03 - Same state, other costs
More Illinois vehicle costs
04 - Common questions
Illinois gift a car FAQ
How much does it cost to gift a car to my child in Illinois?
About $180: the $15 flat family-transfer tax under RUT-50, plus the $165 title fee. If your address is in Chicago or Cook County, add their local family-transfer charge - up to $15 (Chicago) and $25 (Cook County).
Can I gift a car to my grandmother or son-in-law at the $15 rate?
No. RUT-50's instructions specifically exclude grandparent/grandchild and in-law relationships from the family exception. Those transfers are taxed at the regular Table A or B rate on the vehicle's fair market value, exactly like a sale to a stranger.
What if there's no sale price because it's a true gift?
RUT-50 uses the vehicle's fair market value in place of price whenever there's no stated purchase price - which is exactly the gift scenario. For a qualifying family gift that FMV doesn't even matter, since the rate is a flat $15 either way.
Does an inherited car pay tax in Illinois?
If it passes to a surviving spouse through an estate, it's fully exempt - $0 tax. If it passes to any other heir, it owes the same flat $15 that a living family transfer would.
My cousin wants to 'sell' me their car for $1 - does that work?
No. Cousins aren't on the qualifying-family list, and RUT-50 taxes the vehicle's fair market value, not your stated $1. The county will assess Table A or B tax on what the car is actually worth, not what you wrote on the bill of sale.
Do I still need Form RUT-50 for a qualifying family gift?
Yes - even at $15, the transaction still gets reported on Form RUT-50 within 30 days, marking the family-transfer exception box. Skipping the form doesn't avoid tax; it just risks the IDOR late-payment penalty (2%–10%) once they catch it.
05 - Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.