Who issues license plates in Illinois?

The Illinois Secretary of State. There is no DMV in Illinois; vehicle services are handled at Secretary of State facilities.

What is the difference between a vanity and a personalized plate in Illinois?

A vanity plate has only letters or only numbers. A personalized plate has a mix of both. They cost different amounts.

What does an Illinois plate number look like?

Current standard plates have two letters and five numbers, like AB 12345. Older plates with three letters and two or three numbers are still common.

Does Illinois require a front license plate?

Yes. Passenger vehicles registered in Illinois must show a plate on the front and the rear.

Can I get a VIN from a Illinois license plate?

Yes. Enter the license plate number with Illinois selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.

Can I find the owner of a Illinois license plate?

Not through a public lookup. Owner details in Illinois vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.

Illinois License Plate Lookup

Enter a Illinois plate number to get the vehicle’s VIN, year, make, model and trim.

Illinois has no DMV. Plates, titles and registrations come from the Secretary of State, and the offices people visit are Secretary of State facilities. The current standard plate, introduced in 2017, has two letters followed by five numbers.

Illinois plate to VIN

A Illinois platenumber points to one current registration, and the registration records the vehicle’s 17-character VIN. Enter the plate above to get the VIN with the year, make, model, trim, body and engine. It is the quickest way to get the VIN of a car you are not standing next to: one in a listing, one you are quoting a repair for, or your own when the title is in a drawer somewhere.

Illinois license plate formats

Standard passenger plates use these formats. Personalized, specialty, commercial and motorcycle plates follow their own rules, and every format works in the lookup.

Format	What it is
AB 12345	Standard passenger plate since 2017: two letters and five numbers.
ABC 123	Older plates from the series before it, still on the road.

Illinois requires plates on the front and the rear.

Who issues plates in Illinois

Plates and registrations in Illinois come from the Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services, and people go in person to Secretary of State facilities, not DMV offices. Plate Decoder is an independent service and is not affiliated with the Secretary of State or any other government agency.

Temporary tags in Illinois

Illinois dealers issue a temporary registration permit, a paper permit displayed in the rear window, until the metal plates arrive.

Personalized and specialty plates

Illinois draws a line other states do not. A vanity plate is letters only or numbers only, and a personalized plate mixes letters and numbers. They are priced differently, so check which one your idea counts as.

Two plates, front and back

Illinois requires plates on the front and rear of passenger vehicles. A car with only a rear plate is likely registered somewhere else.

What a Illinois plate lookup can and can’t show

You get the vehicle: VIN, year, make, model, trim, body and engine. You do not get the person. See what a plate lookup shows for the full list.

What we don’t show, and why

No owner names, addresses, phone numbers or photos. Owner details in DMV records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, and looking someone up out of curiosity is not a purpose it allows. Any site that promises the owner of a plate for a few dollars is either breaking that law or not going to deliver.

Who can get owner records, and what to do instead

FAQ

Illinois plate lookup questions

Who issues license plates in Illinois?: The Illinois Secretary of State. There is no DMV in Illinois; vehicle services are handled at Secretary of State facilities.
What is the difference between a vanity and a personalized plate in Illinois?: A vanity plate has only letters or only numbers. A personalized plate has a mix of both. They cost different amounts.
What does an Illinois plate number look like?: Current standard plates have two letters and five numbers, like AB 12345. Older plates with three letters and two or three numbers are still common.
Does Illinois require a front license plate?: Yes. Passenger vehicles registered in Illinois must show a plate on the front and the rear.
Can I get a VIN from a Illinois license plate?: Yes. Enter the license plate number with Illinois selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.
Can I find the owner of a Illinois license plate?: Not through a public lookup. Owner details in Illinois vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.