What is the real estate transfer tax in Illinois?

In Illinois, the state taxes the transfer of title to real estate at 50 cents for each $500 of value, or fraction of $500, stated in the transfer declaration, and a deed is not accepted for recording until the revenue stamps showing the tax is paid have been bought from the county recorder. A county board may impose its own tax at 25 cents for each $500 of value, collected by the county recorder before the deed is recorded. When the property is transferred subject to a mortgage, the amount still owed on that mortgage is left out of the value taxed. Exempt deeds include those where the actual consideration is less than $100 and deeds issued to a mortgage holder in a foreclosure or a transfer in lieu of foreclosure. Counties and cities can add their own tax where state law lets them, so check the county where the deed is recorded. This is 35 ILCS 200/31-10, 31-20, 31-45; 55 ILCS 5/5-1031.

WhatIllinois
State transfer tax50¢ per $500 of value; counties may add 25¢

What the statute says

“… at the rate of 50¢ for each $500 of value or fraction of $500 stated in the declaration required by Section 31-25.”

Quoted word for word from the section’s text.

Source

35 ILCS 200/31-10, 31-20, 31-45; 55 ILCS 5/5-1031

Read the statute in the Illinois Compiled Statutes (Illinois General Assembly): ilga.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

This page states the state’s rule so the costs and paperwork of a sale can be checked against it before a contract is signed. An owner on Seayora keeps each property’s owners of record and its documents in one place.

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