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In Illinois you can't have vanity or personalized plates if you own an electric car :-(
- Thread starter Azamat
- Start date
I love my home state as well, just a Republican because Illinois is a blue state and that’s what they all say. Sadly politics has divided us.
I love my home state IL as well and have no interest in leaving, just probably a Republican because Illinois is a blue state and that’s what they all say, just very misinformed. Sadly politics has divided us.
ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
You could always just change your name to your tag number so it's personalized. 
Also a good excuse to not run front plates.The longer the paper plates, the better! It’s the sign of a ‘brand new’ car. Always the best feeling
ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
Good news! It appears Illinois has done an about-face and as of January 1, 2022, we can get our personalized plates back. See the letter below from the Secretary of State with the appropriate number to call. Here are the details as I understand them:
First (and shocking for those of us who live in nickel-and-dime Illinois), getting your previous personalized plates back is free!
"But there must be a caveat," you say.
Of course there's a caveat. It's Illinois.
- It's only free if you get the same plate you had when they forced you to change to EV plates. Still, not bad though.
- If they have to remake the plate for you, there's a long wait (maybe 10 wk.), but if you still have your old plate, it's faster because they'll just give you a new sticker.
- You can go in to a facility to fill out the app or they can mail you one.
I just found all this out tonight by accident and I'm a happy man. Going to DMV first thing tomorrow with my previous plates in hand and hoping for the best. Either way, when was the last time Illinois got something right? This is a positive step!
First (and shocking for those of us who live in nickel-and-dime Illinois), getting your previous personalized plates back is free!
"But there must be a caveat," you say.
Of course there's a caveat. It's Illinois.
- It's only free if you get the same plate you had when they forced you to change to EV plates. Still, not bad though.
- If they have to remake the plate for you, there's a long wait (maybe 10 wk.), but if you still have your old plate, it's faster because they'll just give you a new sticker.
- You can go in to a facility to fill out the app or they can mail you one.
I just found all this out tonight by accident and I'm a happy man. Going to DMV first thing tomorrow with my previous plates in hand and hoping for the best. Either way, when was the last time Illinois got something right? This is a positive step!
jgillispie
Member
I believe I found the added text in the published document. https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/102/PDF/102-0154.pdf
Page 25:
(b) For any registration period commencing after December 31, 2003, any person who is the registered owner of a passenger motor vehicle of the first division, of a motor vehicle of the second division registered at not more than 8,000 pounds, of a trailer weighing 8,000 pounds or less paying the flat weight tax, of a funeral home vehicle, of an electric vehicle, or of a recreational vehicle registered with the Secretary of State or who makes application for an original registration of such a motor vehicle or renewal registration of such a motor vehicle may, upon payment of a fee prescribed in Section 3-806.1 or Section 3-806.5, apply to the Secretary of State for vanity or personalized license plates.
Page 25:
(b) For any registration period commencing after December 31, 2003, any person who is the registered owner of a passenger motor vehicle of the first division, of a motor vehicle of the second division registered at not more than 8,000 pounds, of a trailer weighing 8,000 pounds or less paying the flat weight tax, of a funeral home vehicle, of an electric vehicle, or of a recreational vehicle registered with the Secretary of State or who makes application for an original registration of such a motor vehicle or renewal registration of such a motor vehicle may, upon payment of a fee prescribed in Section 3-806.1 or Section 3-806.5, apply to the Secretary of State for vanity or personalized license plates.
eCharcoal
Member
I’m surprised by this. It says “all electric vehicles are no longer required to have electric plates in the electric vehicle”. Does that mean when we get a new EV we can apply for a regular plate instead of the EV plate and pay the regular fee instead of $251?
I actually like the EL plate. Yes it’s bland but it’s unique. I hope they can give the EV plate better color and graphics. And at this pace, it’s gonna run out of room soon when it gets to 99999EL. IL’s plate can only accommodate 7 digits.
I actually like the EL plate. Yes it’s bland but it’s unique. I hope they can give the EV plate better color and graphics. And at this pace, it’s gonna run out of room soon when it gets to 99999EL. IL’s plate can only accommodate 7 digits.
jgillispie
Member
There's wording in the bill EV's can register for whatever plate +$100...as I understood it.
jeepn30
Member
The DMV couldn't find my old plates in the system (they said because it was over a year ago when I switched to ev plates). So they took the letter from above I printed, and put a bunch of notes down for processing. It didn't cost me anything, but they said because it wasn't in the system, they would have to remake the plates (which is fine because I can't locate my old ones yet).
I tried to purchase personalized plates for my Model Y today using the Pick A Plate service on the ILSOS website. It continuously rejected my application, telling me "We're sorry! You are unable to switch from your current plate type to the new plate type you have selected." I selected the only plate type that made sense, the one for a "passenger" vehicle.
I saw a letter from the IL Secretary of State that said as of Jan 1, 2022 EV's would be eligible for personal/vanity plates.
Does anyone know how to successfully apply for a personal/vanity plate on the ILSOS website? Please advise!!
I saw a letter from the IL Secretary of State that said as of Jan 1, 2022 EV's would be eligible for personal/vanity plates.
Does anyone know how to successfully apply for a personal/vanity plate on the ILSOS website? Please advise!!
jgillispie
Member
My guess is Illinois hasn't bothered to notify whoever runs it about the changes and you'll probably have to do it in person. Maybe someone else who has gotten personalized plates sine the change will chime soon and verify.
You need to go to the DMV personally. I did it. Happy to say my personalized plates are back on my car.
TomServo
Active Member
I transferred my wife’s old personalized plate to our Tesla back in Feb. I was charged $25 plus the rest of the annual registration fees so I was OTD for $279.
RyanDe680
'22 S Plaid
Does this work for personalized plates from a non EV? I’m picking up my model S Friday’s me would eventually like my plates that I have now on my non EV to transfer over?
Out of curiosity, what happened? We're picking up a model Y soon here in IL and are curious whether we can transfer over the plates from our non EV.
eCharcoal
Member
I’m pretty sure you can do that now. My understanding is that a change was made recently by the DMV to allow EVs to carry a normal passenger plate and still get billed the higher EV registration fee. But you might need to physically go to the DMV to transfer I’m not sure. Before this change, all EVs must carry the EL plate. I guess the DMV realized they’re going to run out of digits soon on the EL plate.
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