Electric Vehicle Rebate Program

Eligible Illinois residents that meet income thresholds established in the Electric Vehicle Rebate Act (EV Rebate Act) and that purchase a new or used all-electric vehicle whose base purchase or selling price does not exceed $80,000 from an Illinois licensed dealer may be eligible for an Illinois' Electric Vehicle Rebate in the amounts set forth below.

• A $4,000 rebate to a low-income applicant, as defined in the EV Rebate Act, for the purchase of an all-electric vehicle that is not an electric motorcycle (See Section 2 of the Instructions).

• A $2,000 rebate to an applicant that is eligible to apply for a rebate but does not meet the low-income criteria for the purchase of an all-electric vehicle that is not an electric motorcycle.

• A $1,500 rebate to an eligible applicant for the purchase of an all-electric motorcycle.

Applicants must apply for the rebate during an open rebate cycle and within 180-days of vehicle purchase using the application forms available on this webpage. The Illinois EPA has been appropriated $14 million for the program in the current fiscal year. Rebates are only available to the extent appropriated annually by the Illinois General Assembly and as long as funds are available in the EV Rebate fund.

Eligibility requirements for an EV rebate in Illinois include, but are not limited to:

• The vehicle must be a new or used all-electric vehicle and legally permitted to drive on all public roadways, including interstate highways.

• The selling price of the vehicle cannot exceed $80,000, not including state and local taxes, license and registration fees, documentary service fees, and aftermarket products, if itemized separately on the bill of sale.

• The vehicle must be purchased from a dealership licensed by the Illinois Secretary of State and be the owner of the vehicle at the time the rebate is issued. Rented or leased vehicles, vehicles purchased from an out-of-state dealership, and vehicles delivered to or received by the purchaser out-of-state are not eligible for a rebate under the Act.

• A rebate cannot have been previously issued for the vehicle that is the subject of the application. The Illinois EPA uses the vehicle VIN number to track issued rebates. A searchable list of vehicle identification numbers for vehicles that have received a rebate under the Act is below.

• The applicant must reside in Illinois, both at the time the vehicle was purchased and at the time the rebate is issued.

• The applicant must not have received a rebate under the Act in the 10 years prior to the date an application is received by the Agency.

• The applicant’s family income cannot exceed 500% of the federal poverty line for the current State fiscal year.

• The applicant must apply for the rebate within 180 days of the vehicle purchase date and provide and certify to all of the information specified in the application. The application must be postmarked during an open rebate application cycle.

• The purchaser must retain ownership of the vehicle for a minimum of 12 consecutive months immediately after the vehicle purchase date. The purchaser must register the vehicle in Illinois during that time frame.

• Only individuals can receive a rebate. Businesses, government units, organizations, and other entities that are not individuals that submit an application will be denied.

• The rebate amount cannot exceed the purchase price of the vehicle.

The Illinois EPA has developed a Frequently Asked Questions document to answer questions about the program. The full text of the EV Rebate Act, including recent changes, is found at https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=1608&ChapterID=36&Chapter=ENVIRONMENTAL%20SAFETY&MajorTopic=HEALTH%20AND%20SAFETY Program rules are at 35 Ill. Adm. Code 275. The Agency is still in the process of updating the 35 Ill. Adm. Code 275 rules to reflect the recent statutory amendments, so they may differ from the requirements in the Electric Vehicle Rebate Act in some respects. For any conflict between the current rules and the Electric Vehicle Rebate Act, the provisions of the Act are controlling.

IRS Form W-9: Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification

IRS Form W-8BEN

If an application is ineligible or incomplete, the applicant will receive a letter from the Illinois EPA stating such. The regulations for the EV Rebate Program provide for appeal to the Director of the Illinois EPA of an Illinois EPA decision denying a rebate application. See the requirements for an appeal in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 275.250.  An appeal must be postmarked within 30 days after the date of mailing of the denial. Per Illinois regulations, appeals must specify which provisions of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 275 (‘Part 275’) the applicant alleges that the Agency did not properly apply and an explanation of how the Agency misapplied them. Also, per regulations, the Director can only reverse a rebate denial if the applicable procedures and requirements in Part 275 were indeed misapplied by the Agency. He cannot reverse a denial for other reasons based on an individual’s personal circumstances. Note that the Agency does not have the ability to change or disregard statutory or regulatory requirements, including the requirement that an application must be postmarked within 180 days of vehicle purchase.

A vehicle being purchased may not have previously been the subject of a rebate under the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program. The table below identifies the vehicles that have received a rebate.

To receive information about Illinois EPA EV programs, signup using our EV Listserv signup. Once you enter your information below, you will receive an e-mail with a link to confirm your signup.

Alternative Fuels Data Center - Website with information on federal incentives for EVs and charging infrastructure

Drive Electric - Joint EV website of the federal Department of Transportation and Department of Energy

Electric Fueling Station Locator - at the Alternative Fuels Data Center