§ 3-414 — Expiration of registration

(a) Every vehicle registration under this Chapter and every registration card and registration plate or digital registration plate or registration sticker or digital registration sticker issued hereunder to a vehicle shall be for the periods specified in this Chapter and shall expire at midnight on the day and date specified in this Section as follows: 1. When registered on a calendar year basis commencing January 1, expiration shall be on the 31st day of December or at such other date as may be selected in the discretion of the Secretary of State; however, through December 31, 2004, registrations of apportionable vehicles, motorcycles, motor driven cycles and pedalcycles shall commence on the first day of April and shall expire March 31st of the following calendar year; 1.1. Beginning January 1, 2005, registrations of motorcycles and motor driven cycles shall commence on January 1 and shall expire on December 31 or on another date that may be selected by the Secretary; registrations of apportionable vehicles and pedalcycles, however, shall commence on the first day of April and shall expire March 31 of the following calendar year; 2. When registered on a 2 calendar year basis commencing January 1 of an even-numbered year, expiration shall be on the 31st day of December of the ensuing odd-numbered year, or at such other later date as may be selected in the discretion of the Secretary of State not beyond March 1 next; 3. When registered on a fiscal year basis commencing July 1, expiration shall be on the 30th day of June or at such other later date as may be selected in the discretion of the Secretary of State not beyond September 1 next; 4. When registered on a 2 fiscal year basis commencing July 1 of an even-numbered year, expiration shall be on the 30th day of June of the ensuing even-numbered year, or at such other later date as may be selected in the discretion of the Secretary of State not beyond September 1 next; 5. When registered on a 4 fiscal year basis commencing July 1 of an even-numbered year, expiration shall be on the 30th day of June of the second ensuing even-numbered year, or at such other later date as may be selected in the discretion of the Secretary of State not beyond September 1 next. (a-5) The Secretary may, in his or her discretion, require an owner of a motor vehicle of the first division or a motor vehicle of the second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds to select the owner's birthday as the date of registration expiration under this Section. If the motor vehicle has more than one registered owner, the owners may select one registered owner's birthday as the date of registration expiration. The Secretary may adopt any rules necessary to implement this subsection. (b) Vehicle registrations of vehicles of the first division shall be for a calendar year, 2 calendar year, 3 calendar year, or 5 calendar year basis as provided for in this Chapter. Vehicle registrations of vehicles under Sections 3-808 and 3-809 shall be on an indefinite term basis or a 2 calendar year basis as provided for in this Chapter. Vehicle registrations for vehicles of the second division shall be for a fiscal year, 2 fiscal year or calendar year basis as provided for in this Chapter. Motor vehicles registered under the provisions of Section 3-402.1 shall be issued multi-year registration plates or digital registration plates with a new registration card issued annually upon payment of the appropriate fees. Motor vehicles registered under the provisions of Section 3-405.3 shall be issued multi-year registration plates or digital registration plates with a new multi-year registration card issued pursuant to subsections (j), (k), and (l) of this Section upon payment of the appropriate fees. Apportionable trailers and apportionable semitrailers registered under the provisions of Section 3-402.1 shall be issued multi-year registration plates or digital registration plates and cards that will be subject to revocation for failure to pay annual fees required by Section 3-814.1. The Secretary shall determine when these vehicles shall be issued new registration plates or digital registration plates. (c) Every vehicle registration specified in Section 3-810 and every registration card and registration plate or digital registration plate or registration sticker or digital registration sticker issued thereunder shall expire on the 31st day of December of each year or at such other date as may be selected in the discretion of the Secretary of State. (d) Every vehicle registration for a vehicle of the second division weighing over 8,000 pounds, except as provided in subsection (g) of this Section, and every registration card and registration plate or registration sticker, or digital registration plate or digital registration sticker, where applicable, issued hereunder to such vehicles shall be issued for a fiscal year commencing on July 1st of each registration year. However, the Secretary of State may, pursuant to an agreement or arrangement or declaration providing for apportionment of a fleet of vehicles with other jurisdictions, provide for registration of such vehicles under apportionment or for all of the vehicles registered in Illinois by an applicant who registers some of his vehicles under apportionment on a calendar year basis instead, and the fees or taxes to be paid on a calendar year basis shall be identical to those specified in this Code for a fiscal year registration. Provision for installment payment may also be made. (e) Semitrailer registrations under apportionment may be on a calendar year under a reciprocal agreement or arrangement and all other semitrailer registrations shall be on fiscal year or 2 fiscal year or 4 fiscal year basis as provided for in this Chapter. (f) The Secretary of State may convert annual registration plates or digital registration plates or 2-year registration plates or digital registration plates, whether registered on a calendar year or fiscal year basis, to multi-year plates. The determination of which plate categories and when to convert to multi-year plates is solely within the discretion of the Secretary of State. (g) After January 1, 1975, each registration, registration card and registration plate or digital registration plate or registration sticker or digital registration sticker, where applicable, issued for a recreational vehicle or recreational or camping trailer, except a house trailer, used exclusively by the owner for recreational purposes, and not used commercially nor as a truck or bus, nor for hire, shall be on a calendar year basis; except that the Secretary of State shall provide for registration and the issuance of registration cards and plates or registration stickers, or digital registration plates or stickers, where applicable, for one 6-month period in order to accomplish an orderly transition from a fiscal year to a calendar year basis. Fees and taxes due under this Code for a registration year shall be appropriately reduced for such 6-month transitional registration period. (h) The Secretary of State may, in order to accomplish an orderly transition for vehicles registered under Section 3-402.1 of this Code from a calendar year registration to a March 31st expiration, require applicants to pay fees and taxes due under this Code on a 15 month registration basis. However, if in the discretion of the Secretary of State this creates an undue hardship on any applicant the Secretary may allow the applicant to pay 3 month fees and taxes at the time of registration and the additional 12 month fees and taxes to be payable no later than March 31, 1992. (i) The Secretary of State may stagger registrations, or change the annual expiration date, as necessary for the convenience of the public and the efficiency of his Office. In order to appropriately and effectively accomplish any such staggering, the Secretary of State is authorized to prorate all required registration fees, rounded to the nearest dollar, but in no event for a period longer than 18 months, at a monthly rate for a 12-month registration fee. (j) The Secretary of State may enter into an agreement with a rental owner, as defined in Section 3-400 of this Code, who registers a fleet of motor vehicles of the first division pursuant to Section 3-405.3 of this Code to provide for the registration of the rental owner's vehicles on a 2 or 3 calendar year basis and the issuance of multi-year registration plates or digital registration plates with a new registration card issued up to every 3 years. (k) The Secretary of State may provide multi-year registration cards for any registered fleet of motor vehicles of the first or second division that are registered pursuant to Section 3-405.3 of this Code. Each motor vehicle of the registered fleet must carry a unique multi-year registration card that displays the vehicle identification number of the registered motor vehicle. The Secretary of State shall promulgate rules in order to implement multi-year registrations. (l) Beginning with the 2018 registration year, the Secretary of State may enter into an agreement with a rental owner, as defined in Section 3-400 of this Code, who registers a fleet of motor vehicles of the first division under Section 3-405.3 of this Code to provide for the registration of the rental owner's vehicle on a 5 calendar year basis. Motor vehicles registered on a 5 calendar year basis shall be issued a distinct registration plate or digital registration plate that expires on a 5-year cycle. The Secretary may prorate the registration of these registration plates or digital registration plates to the length of time remaining in the 5-year cycle. The Secretary may adopt any rules necessary to implement this subsection.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 100-201, eff. 8-18-17; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 100-956, eff. 1-1-19; 101-395, eff. 8-16-19.)