The Van Guide
Registration · Illinois

How to Register a Van Conversion in Illinois (2026 Guide)

Illinois's van conversion registration process explained: forms, fees, inspections, and what your conversion needs to qualify as a van camper.

The Van Guide

Illinois is one of the few states that has a specific statutory classification for converted vans: the van camper. The Illinois Vehicle Code at 625 ILCS 5/1-145.01 defines “motor home, mini motor home or van camper” as a single category, and a vehicle must meet four of six habitation-feature requirements to qualify under that definition. The state also has one of the higher title fees in the country — $250 for a recreational vehicle title — which is worth knowing before you walk into a Secretary of State facility.

If your van camper meets the four-of-six equipment threshold, it qualifies for Recreational Vehicle (RV) license plates. If it does not, the vehicle can still be registered, but it will receive standard passenger or B-truck plates rather than RV plates.

Illinois does not have a statewide safety inspection. Emissions testing is required in parts of the Chicago metro area and the Metro East (St. Louis metro) and is conducted at no charge for vehicles required to test. Here is the full process for titling and registering a converted van in Illinois.

What Illinois Calls Your Van

Illinois uses the term van camper as part of a combined definition under 625 ILCS 5/1-145.01, which covers motor homes, mini motor homes, and van campers together:

A self-contained motor vehicle, not used commercially, designed or permanently converted to provide living quarters for recreational, camping or travel use, with direct walk through access to the living quarters from the driver’s seat.

That last requirement is important: direct walk-through access from the cab to the living area. A van with a solid bulkhead wall between the cab and the cargo area that blocks walk-through access does not meet this definition. Most van conversions naturally satisfy this because the typical build removes or modifies the bulkhead, but if your van has a full partition with no pass-through, Illinois will not classify it as a van camper.

The same statute section also requires that the vehicle include at least four of six habitation features (listed below). Meeting the definition is what qualifies a vehicle for RV plates.

Illinois separately defines recreational vehicle under 625 ILCS 5/1-169 as a broader category that includes motor homes, mini-motor homes, van campers, travel trailers, truck campers, and camping trailers used primarily for recreational purposes and not used commercially.

What Your Van Needs to Qualify for RV Plates

Under 625 ILCS 5/1-145.01, a motor home, mini motor home, or van camper must contain at least four of the following six equipment items to qualify for the classification and for Recreational Vehicle license plates. The equipment list comes from the statute itself:

  1. A cooking facility with an on-board fuel source
  2. A gas or electric refrigerator
  3. A toilet with exterior evacuation
  4. A heating or air conditioning system with an on-board power or fuel source separate from the vehicle engine
  5. A potable water supply system that includes at least a sink, a faucet, and a water tank with an exterior service supply connection
  6. A 110-125 volt electric power supply

If your van does not meet the four-of-six requirement, you can still register it, but you will receive either passenger or B-truck license plates instead of RV plates, depending on the design and use of the vehicle.

The toilet requirement specifies “exterior evacuation,” which means a toilet plumbed to a holding tank with an external dump connection. A composting toilet does not have exterior evacuation. Whether a composting toilet counts toward this specific item varies in practice. If you are relying on the toilet as one of your four features, a cassette toilet with an external dump port is the safest choice.

The heating/air conditioning item requires a system with a fuel or power source separate from the vehicle engine. A diesel heater with its own fuel pickup counts. The van’s factory heater (which runs off the engine) does not.

The Registration Process, Step by Step

Step 1: Complete the Conversion

Finish the build so that at least four of the six habitation features are installed and functional if you want RV plates. Make sure the van has walk-through access from the driver’s seat to the living area.

Step 2: Gather Documentation

Prepare the following:

  • Completed Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (VSD 190), available online through the Electronic Registration and Title (ERT) system or at any Secretary of State facility
  • Current vehicle title (Illinois or out-of-state)
  • Bill of sale (if recently purchased)
  • Valid Illinois driver’s license or state ID
  • Proof of Illinois insurance
  • Applicable tax form: RUT-50 if purchased from an individual, with tax payment made to the Illinois Department of Revenue. For vehicles purchased from an Illinois dealer, the dealer handles the sales tax filing (Form ST-556). For out-of-state dealer purchases where the dealer did not collect Illinois tax, file RUT-25.
  • Payment for title and registration fees
  • Documentation of the conversion (photographs showing the habitation features)

Step 3: Visit a Secretary of State Facility

Illinois handles vehicle titling and registration through the Secretary of State’s office, not county offices. You can visit any Secretary of State facility that handles vehicle services.

When applying, request the title with a motor home or van camper body type and RV plates. The facility may ask to see documentation of the habitation features. Bring photographs of the interior showing the cooking facilities, water system, refrigerator, toilet, electrical system, and heating system.

The Secretary of State’s office does not perform physical inspections of the vehicle at the facility. Documentation is reviewed in-office.

Step 4: Pay Fees and Receive Plates

Pay the title fee, registration fee, and applicable taxes. You will receive RV plates and a registration card. Illinois registration is annual, with renewal available online through the Secretary of State.

Fees

Illinois has one of the higher title fees in the country. Registration fees shown below are the full annual amounts; for newly acquired vehicles, the registration portion is prorated by quarter based on when you register. The amounts below reflect published rates as of early 2026.

FeeAmountSource
Recreational vehicle title fee$250IL SOS Fees
Standard (non-RV) title fee$165IL SOS Fees
RV plates (8,000 lbs or less)$78IL SOS RV Plates
RV plates (8,001-10,000 lbs)$90IL SOS RV Plates
RV plates (10,001 lbs and over)$102IL SOS RV Plates
Standard passenger plates (if not RV-qualifying)$151IL SOS Fees

Vehicle Use Tax

Illinois taxes vehicle purchases differently depending on the seller. Vehicles purchased from a licensed dealer are subject to 6.25% state sales tax plus applicable local taxes.

Private-party purchases are taxed under a separate Private Party Vehicle Use Tax schedule, not a flat percentage. The tax is a fixed dollar amount based on the vehicle’s age (for purchases under $15,000) or on the purchase price (for purchases of $15,000 or more). Buyers file Form RUT-50 and submit the tax to the Secretary of State at the time of titling. Some municipalities and counties impose additional local private-party vehicle use taxes.

Timelines

  • The RUT-50 vehicle use tax form is due within 30 days of acquiring the vehicle (or within 30 days of bringing it into Illinois if acquired out of state). The title application is typically submitted at the same time.
  • New Illinois residents must register their vehicle within 30 days of establishing residency.
  • Late title application may incur penalties.

Emissions Testing

Illinois requires emissions testing in parts of the Chicago metro area and the Metro East (St. Louis metro area). The program is administered by Illinois Air Team.

Counties and Areas Requiring Testing

Emissions testing is required for vehicles registered in parts of ten counties across two regions. In the Chicago metro area: Cook, DuPage, and Lake counties (all ZIP codes), plus specific ZIP codes in Kane, Kendall, McHenry, and Will counties. In the Metro East (St. Louis metro): specific ZIP codes in Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair counties. Check your ZIP code against the Illinois EPA testing area map or Illinois Air Team to confirm whether your address falls within a testing-required zone.

Vehicles Subject to Testing

Most 1996 and newer gasoline-powered passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks are subject to testing after they reach four model years of age. Testing is biennial (every two years), with even model-year vehicles tested in even years and odd model-year vehicles in odd years.

Exemptions

The following vehicles are not subject to mandatory emissions testing:

  • Vehicles in the first four model years
  • Diesel-powered vehicles
  • Electric vehicles
  • Vehicles registered outside the testing-required areas (out-of-area exemption)

Additional exemption categories include vehicles used exclusively for sporting activities and parade/ceremonial vehicles owned by nonprofit organizations. The Illinois Air Team publishes the full exemption list and waiver process.

The emissions testing program does not specifically exempt motor homes or RVs as a vehicle class. If your van camper is gasoline-powered, registered in a testing-required ZIP code, and past the four-model-year threshold, it is likely subject to testing. Vehicles with a manufacturer’s GVWR over 14,000 lbs are exempt, and 2006-and-earlier vehicles with a GVWR between 8,501 and 14,000 lbs are also exempt. The test uses OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostics) and is conducted at no charge at state-run Air Team stations. Voluntary tests for vehicles not required to test cost $20.

Safety Inspection

Illinois does not require a statewide vehicle safety inspection for registration.

Insurance After Registration

Once your van is titled as a van camper or motor home with RV plates, you become eligible for RV insurance policies that cover the full build value, not just the base vehicle.

See Best Insurance for Van Conversions for a comparison of carriers that write policies on converted vans, including which ones require a motor home title and which will insure builds on a standard auto policy.

Common Pitfalls

No walk-through access. Illinois requires direct walk-through access from the driver’s seat to the living quarters. If your van has a solid bulkhead partition between the cab and the living area with no pass-through, it does not meet the van camper definition. Remove or modify the partition before applying.

Toilet type confusion. The statute specifies a toilet “with exterior evacuation.” A composting toilet does not have exterior evacuation, which may disqualify it from counting toward the four-of-six requirement. If you need the toilet as one of your four features, use a cassette toilet with an external dump port or a holding tank with an exterior service connection.

Heating system powered by the vehicle engine. The heating/AC requirement specifies a power or fuel source “separate from the vehicle engine.” The van’s factory HVAC system does not count. You need an independent heating system such as a diesel heater with its own fuel source.

Expecting a lower title fee. Illinois charges $250 for a recreational vehicle title, compared to $165 for a standard vehicle title. Both are flat fees, not scaled to vehicle value. If you are titling a van camper with RV plates, expect the $250 fee.

Not qualifying for RV plates but assuming you have them. If your build does not meet four of six features, the Secretary of State’s office will issue passenger or B-truck plates instead of RV plates. The vehicle can still be registered and driven legally, but it will not carry the RV designation, which can affect insurance eligibility and campground access.

Emissions testing in the Chicago and Metro East areas. If you register in a testing-required ZIP code within Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Will, Madison, Monroe, or St. Clair County, your van camper may need biennial emissions testing once it is past four model years old. The mandatory test is conducted at no charge at state-run stations, but you need to have the vehicle tested before your license plate registration can be renewed.

Documentation Checklist

Take this to the Secretary of State facility:

  • Completed Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (VSD 190)
  • Current vehicle title (Illinois or out-of-state)
  • Bill of sale (if recently purchased)
  • Valid Illinois driver’s license or state ID
  • Proof of Illinois insurance
  • Applicable tax form: RUT-50 for private-party purchases (or RUT-25 if purchased from an out-of-state dealer that did not collect Illinois tax), with tax payment made to IL Department of Revenue
  • Photographs of the completed conversion showing habitation features
  • Payment for RV title fee ($250), RV plate fee, and applicable vehicle use tax (dealer purchases: 6.25% sales tax; private-party: flat amount per RUT-50 schedule)
  • Emissions test results (if registered in a testing-required area and vehicle is subject to testing)

Sources and Verification

All references verified against published materials as of April 2026.