Renewing Your Illinois Plate Sticker

By Javier Marín, Editor·Last reviewed September 2026·How we check this

Illinois registration runs on an annual cycle. Each year the Secretary of State mails a renewal notice 60 days before expiration, and you receive a new month/year plate sticker after paying the fee and clearing any holds. The base passenger fee is $151 a year — one of the higher annual fees among large states.

How to renew

Illinois offers four renewal channels:

Online

The fastest option. Sign in to the Illinois SOS Vehicle Services portal with your plate number, last four digits of the VIN, and the renewal PIN printed on the mailed notice. Pay by credit, debit, or e-check. The new sticker arrives in 7-10 business days. Drivers in emissions counties need a passing emissions test on file before the system will accept payment.

By phone

The SOS Touch-Tone Telephone Renewal system is available 24/7 at the number on the renewal notice. Same plate-number-and-PIN process as online, with a $2 service fee. Sticker arrives in 10-14 business days.

By mail

Send the renewal notice and a check or money order to the address on the notice. Expect 4-6 weeks for the sticker to arrive. Mail renewal does not work for drivers needing to clear a registration hold or update an address.

At a Currency Exchange or kiosk

Many Illinois Currency Exchanges process registration renewals for a small service fee, with same-day sticker pickup. SOS Now self-service kiosks at participating grocery stores and SOS facilities take credit/debit and dispense the sticker on the spot.

Standard renewal fees

Passenger car (B plate): $151 per year.
Light truck under 8,000 lbs: $153 per year.
Motorcycle: $41 per year.
Antique vehicle (25+ years, limited use): $50 every 5 years.
Two-year passenger plate (where eligible): $302.
Late renewal fee (after expiration): $20.

Emissions testing

If your vehicle is registered in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Madison, Monroe, or St. Clair counties, the SOS will not allow registration renewal until you've passed a current emissions test. Vehicles four model years and newer are exempt. Most 1996+ gasoline vehicles use OBD-II testing; pre-1996 vehicles use tailpipe testing. The Air Team contractor sends a separate test notice and posts results to the SOS within 24 hours of a passing test. Test fees are paid through state appropriations, not by the driver.

Common reasons renewal is blocked

Unpaid Cook County or Chicago city taxes (especially the Chicago Wheel Tax).
10 or more unpaid parking tickets, 5+ red-light camera tickets, or 5+ automated speed tickets in any Illinois municipality.
Failed or missed emissions test.
Insurance lapse reported through the Illinois Insurance Verification Program.
Suspended driver's license (in some categories the SOS blocks renewal of vehicles registered to that driver).

Address changes during renewal

The SOS portal lets you update your address as part of the online renewal — there's a checkbox after the payment screen. The new sticker still ships to the old address printed on the renewal notice, however, unless you update the address before submitting payment. To be safe, complete the address change first, wait 24 hours, and then renew.

For a national overview of registration renewals, see our vehicle registration hub.