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FOR JOLIET PRIVATE CAR SELLERS

Sell your car
in Joliet, IL.

Give your car its own listing, find a strong selling price and talk directly with buyers. Below: what applies in Will County, where to meet buyers and the Illinois paperwork.

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WILL COUNTY

Selling a car in Joliet: local details

Where to meet a buyer

Joliet Police Department lists two official internet exchange locations: the Main Station lobby vestibule at 150 W Washington St, Joliet, and the West Sub Station parking lot at 7196 Caton Farm Rd, Plainfield. Both are open 24/7 and under video surveillance, and you do not need permission to use them.

Official source ↗

Emissions and inspections

Likely yes for most of the city. Illinois law covers Will County except a list of excluded ZIP codes, so coverage depends on the car's registration address. The test is tied to the registered owner's plate renewal, not to the sale itself. Check the car's address with the Illinois Air Team before you assume either way.

Official source ↗

Before the handoff

Agree on an independent inspection, verify payment with your bank before signing anything, and keep your home address out of photos and messages.

Plan a safe sale ↗

START WITH THREE DETAILS

What car are you selling?

Start with your year, make and model. We’ll carry these details into your listing after you create an account or sign in.

Save a draft and finish when you’re ready. Free publication, photos, messages and offers. See features & pricing.

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ILLINOIS PAPERWORK

The Illinois steps for a private sale

01

Signing over the title

Give the buyer the valid Illinois title when you hand over the vehicle. Sign and date the Assignment of Title area on the back, and print your name as well as sign it. Fill in the odometer reading at the time of sale (and check the box if the mileage is above the odometer's mechanical limits or is not the actual mileage), the date of transfer, and the buyer's printed name and address. The title does not need to be notarized. The buyer then has 20 days to apply for a new title in their name.

Official source ↗
02

License plates

Illinois plates belong to the owner, not the vehicle, so they stay with you. Remove them before you deliver the car. You cannot transfer plates to the buyer. You can only move them to another vehicle you own (transfer-only fee is $25 per the Secretary of State), and the buyer must get their own plates. It is illegal to drive with someone else's plates.

Official source ↗
03

Telling the state you sold it

File the Seller's Report of Sale (form VSD 703) as soon as you sell. It protects you from future responsibility for the vehicle. Fill in the date of sale, the vehicle year, make and VIN, and your and the buyer's names and addresses, sign it, and mail it to Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department, Record Inquiry Division, 501 S. Second Street, Springfield, IL 62756. The form sets no fixed number of days, only 'as soon as you sell'. It does not transfer ownership. The seller guide also mentions a Notice of Sale form attached to the bottom of some titles; mail that to the Secretary of State too. The pages reviewed did not show an online filing option.

Official source ↗

Official sources checked October 30, 2026. This is a planning guide for an ordinary private sale, not legal advice or an official form. Follow the current instructions from the Illinois Secretary of State for your vehicle, especially for lost titles, several owners, out-of-state buyers or a car that is not fully paid off.

See every Illinois requirement, including liens and bills of sale ↗

Questions from Joliet sellers

Where can I safely meet a car buyer in Joliet?

Joliet Police Department lists two official internet exchange locations: the Main Station lobby vestibule at 150 W Washington St, Joliet, and the West Sub Station parking lot at 7196 Caton Farm Rd, Plainfield. Both are open 24/7 and under video surveillance, and you do not need permission to use them.

Do I need an emissions or safety inspection to sell a car in Joliet?

Likely yes for most of the city. Illinois law covers Will County except a list of excluded ZIP codes, so coverage depends on the car's registration address. The test is tied to the registered owner's plate renewal, not to the sale itself. Check the car's address with the Illinois Air Team before you assume either way.

Can I list a car outside Joliet city limits?

Yes. Enter the city where the car is actually available, along with the correct ZIP code. Do not label a car as being in Joliet if it is in a nearby town.

Selling near Joliet?

Use the city where your car is actually available when you list it.