Illinois Vehicle Power of Attorney

Introduction

Key Things to Know

1. 1

   RT 5 appoints a named person as the owner's lawful attorney in fact to sign all papers and documents required to secure Illinois title and/or registration of, or transfer interest in, the single vehicle described on the form, and nothing wider than that.

2. 2

   No notary is involved and no witness is involved. RT 5 prints no notary acknowledgment block and no witness line. The grant is made under penalties of perjury, and the only execution lines on the page are Signed and Date Signed.

3. 3

   The form comes from the Office of the Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department, 501 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62756. The Secretary of State's Title and Registration forms list shows it as Power of Attorney, RT 5, and the current printing is marked February 2026, RT 5.14 ADA.

4. 4

   RT 5 describes the vehicle by Vehicle Make, Model Year, Vehicle Model, Body Type and Vehicle Identification Number, and asks for the address of the individual appointing the power as well as the address of the person appointed.

5. 5

   A second block headed Complete the following (if applicable) takes the Purchaser's Name, Address and Date of Sale. Leave those three lines blank where nobody is buying the vehicle.

6. 6

   RT 5 does not replace the application. An Application for Vehicle Transaction(s), form VSD 190, must be completed for any license plates or title transaction, and the Secretary of State's checklist asks that where there are two or more owners, all signatures appear on that application.

7. 7

   Mileage never goes on RT 5. Illinois discloses odometer readings on form VSD 333, Odometer Disclosure Statement for Title Transfers, which carries its own seller certification and buyer acknowledgment signatures.

Illinois Requirements for Vehicle Power of Attorney

• Secretary of State Form RT 5, Power of Attorney

  Illinois uses form RT 5, titled Power of Attorney, published by the Office of the Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department, 501 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62756. The Secretary of State Title and Registration forms list shows it as Power of Attorney, RT 5. The current printing is marked February 2026, RT 5.14 ADA.

• No Notary Block and No Witness Line

  RT 5 prints no notary acknowledgment block and no witness line. The granting paragraph is instead made under penalties of perjury, and the only execution lines on the page are Signed and Date Signed, so the owner can complete and sign it without a notary appointment.

• Vehicle Make, Model Year, Model, Body Type and VIN

  RT 5 describes the vehicle in five entries: Vehicle Make, Model Year, Vehicle Model, Body Type and Vehicle Identification Number. Copy the identification number from the Illinois certificate of title; the Secretary of State tips sheet warns that the number on the title must match the number on the dash or door of the vehicle.

• Both Addresses, the Owner's and the Appointee's

  The form opens with the name of the individual appointing power of attorney and that person's address, then does hereby make, constitute and appoint, followed by the name and address of the person appointed. Four lines, all of them required before the vehicle block makes sense.

• Scope, the Optional Purchaser Block, and the Office Disclaimer

  The authority runs to signing all papers and documents required to secure Illinois title and/or registration of, or transfer interest in, the one described vehicle. A second block headed Complete the following (if applicable) takes a Purchaser's Name, Address and Date of Sale. The form adds that the authority shall in no way reflect upon the State of Illinois, Secretary of State, or the Director of the Vehicle Services Department.

• Application for Vehicle Transaction(s), Form VSD 190

  An Application for Vehicle Transaction(s), form VSD 190, must be completed for any license plates or title transaction, and the Electronic Registration and Title system can complete and print one. The Secretary of State checklist asks whether signatures and names match and, where there are two or more owners, whether all signatures are on the application.

• Odometer Disclosure Goes on Form VSD 333

  RT 5 has no mileage field. Illinois discloses the odometer reading on form VSD 333, Odometer Disclosure Statement for Title Transfers, which carries a seller certification with printed name, address and date, then a buyer section with the buyer's signature and acknowledgment date. The form warns that a false statement may result in fines and/or imprisonment.

• Where It Goes, the Fees, and the RUT-50 Tax Routing

  RT 5 travels with the application to the Secretary of State at the address printed on the form, 501 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62756. Published fees are $165 for a title only, $50 for a duplicate or corrected title, $25 for a license plates transfer and $151 for registration and renewal. On a private sale, Tax Form RUT-50 and a separate payment to the Illinois Department of Revenue go in with the application rather than to the Department itself. Expedited title applications must reach Springfield by express mail or hand delivery for an extra $30 (625 ILCS 5/3-104).