Category Archives: Auto

For many drivers, vehicle registration is simply another task to check off the list. But in Illinois, it can also be a great opportunity to add a personal touch to your car. Through the state’s Pick-a-Plate program, drivers can select customizable or specialty license plates that reflect their interests, personality, or brand.

What Is the Illinois Pick-a-Plate Program?

The Pick-a-Plate service from the Illinois Secretary of State allows eligible vehicle owners to order vanity license plates online or at your local CFSC during the renewal or registration process. Drivers can test combinations of letters and numbers to see if their desired plate is available before submitting an order. This program makes it simple to create something meaningful for your vehicle.

These are the two main types of custom plates available in Illinois:

• Personalized Plates: Combines letters and numbers chosen by the driver
• Vanity Plates: Typically use letters only

Eligibility Requirements to Keep in Mind

Before choosing a custom plate, vehicle owners must meet certain requirements. Your vehicle must already be titled and registered in your name, and your registration address must be current. You will also need information such as your license plate number, VIN, and identification details to complete the full request.

Some vehicles are not eligible to use the Pick-a-Plate service. For example, vehicles registered to trusts, businesses, or leased vehicles may not qualify for personalized plates through this system.

Understanding these details beforehand can help avoid delays and ensure your request is processed as smoothly as possible.

Creativity Is Encouraged, Within Reason

One of the biggest advantages of personalized plates is the opportunity for creativity. Many Illinois drivers enjoy using their plates to showcase their personal interests, humor, or pride. However, the Secretary of State’s office reviews submissions and can reject combinations that are misleading, offensive, or difficult to read. The office also reserves the right to recall plates if issues are discovered later. In short, be creative, but keep it appropriate.

Costs and Ordering Considerations

Personalized and vanity plates typically include an additional fee beyond standard registration. Costs vary by plate type and renewal schedule, but custom plates often involve higher initial fees and higher annual renewal rates.

It’s also important to note that once your order is submitted, no changes can be made, and refunds are not issued if you later decide to change your plate choice. Taking a few extra moments to confirm your design before ordering can save time and frustration later on.

Make Your Registration Work For You

Your License plate doesn’t have to be just a number. It can be a small but meaningful way to express who you are. With Illinois’ Pick-a-Plate program, drivers have a simple way to customize their vehicles while staying fully compliant with state registration requirements.

Then, when it’s time for your license plate renewal, visit a CFSC location for quick, simple, friendly service!

Find a CFSC Auto Services near you.

A young man named Zion from Chicago’s south side was thinking of buying a Volkswagen Jetta, and he needed the right coverage to be able to drive it. But the price tag for auto insurance was too high, and Illinois law prohibits people from driving without the proper insurance. What he discovered – according to a video on the Secretary of State’s website – was that his zip code wasn’t helping. The same coverage would cost far less in a suburb.

Zion’s experience highlights a question many Illinois drivers are asking right now: are auto insurance rates changing, and will your driving record matter more than it previously did? While insurance pricing has always considered multiple factors, it’s true that recent shifts in the industry suggest that how you drive could play a growing role.

Are Auto Insurance Rates Changing in Illinois?

Across Illinois and nationwide, auto insurance costs have been rising, leading to concerns about affordability. Drivers may notice the changes when they renew even if nothing about their driving has changed. Factors like increased vehicle repair costs, inflation, and higher claim payouts have pushed insurers to re-evaluate how they price coverage. As a result, companies are placing a greater emphasis on risk — and that often starts with a driver’s history.

Location has long affected rates, but with insurance costs climbing overall, its impact may feel more noticeable to drivers. However, while Zion can’t control where he lives, he may be able to lower his insurance rates over time by maintaining a clean driving record and avoiding violations.

Related reading: Read on to find out about Digital IDs, another recent change.

How Your Driving Record Affects Auto Insurance

Insurers cannot deny coverage based on location alone, but ZIP codes, traffic density, and claim frequency can still influence a person’s rates. So can the way you drive. A clean driving record has always helped keep insurance costs down, and it’s becoming even more important to drivers who want to maintain their coverage.

Insurers typically review multiple criteria that could impact your insurance premiums:

• Speeding or traffic violations
• At-fault accidents
• DUI or reckless driving convictions
• Lapses in insurance coverage

Drivers with fewer violations are often viewed as lower risk and may qualify for better pricing. On the other hand, if you were recently ticketed or were in an accident, that can lead to higher premiums — regardless of vehicle type.

Usage-Based Insurance and Driving Behavior

Some insurance companies now offer usage-based programs using technology such as GPS that track driving behavior. These tools are designed to monitor speed, braking, mileage, and the time of day you drive. For safe drivers, this option can translate to potential savings. For others, it may reinforce how closely driving habits are tied to insurance costs.

While participation is optional, these programs reflect a broader shift: insurance pricing is increasingly behavior-driven.

What Illinois Drivers Can Control

Drivers can’t always control where they live, but they can control their driving record and vehicle compliance. Keeping plates current, avoiding lapses in registration, and addressing title or sticker issues promptly helps prevent unnecessary tickets that could impact insurance rates.

These and other types of requirements for drivers of all types of vehicles can be managed at neighborhood CFSC Auto Services locations throughout Illinois. By taking care of these tasks quickly and conveniently, CFSC helps drivers avoid costly penalties that can follow them long after a traffic stop.

How CFSC Auto Services Can Help Drivers Stay on the Road

CFSC Auto Services doesn’t sell insurance, but it does a lot to help Illinois drivers handle the essentials that keep vehicles legal and stress-free — from license plate stickers and title transfers to registration services and more.

Visit your local CFSC Auto Services to take control of your routine auto needs today!

If you’ve ever sold your car or given up driving – for example, when moving out of state – you might have wondered what to do with those old license plates. It’s a good question, since throwing them out isn’t the best idea. Drivers should know and follow recommended practices for car tasks like these.

Since used plates can be stolen and cause problems for the original owner, it’s advisable to dispose of them properly instead of holding on to plates you don’t need, unless you have a valid reason to do otherwise.

When Should You Get Rid of Your Plates?

As a rule, plates belong with the owner, so no longer being the legal owner of a vehicle signals you no longer need them. Both plates are usually disposed of together unless one is lost or damaged. Three reasons you may need to dispose of plates are:

• You want “vanity” plates or some unique alternative to replace your state-issued ones
• You’re relocating and won’t be driving anymore
• Your plates are damaged – particularly if they’ve become difficult to see on the road

Illinois doesn’t make residents return them, which is why residents here should inform themselves about best practices below to figure out what to do next. Contact CFSC Auto Services if you have questions about lost or stolen plates and we will help you out.

The Right Ways to Dispose of License Plates in Illinois

Don’t worry: drivers have some options in this area. In Illinois, there are four common, responsible ways to handle this process.

1. Recycle Your Plates

Want to make sure your old plates don’t end up in the wrong hands? Recycle them through a recycling facility by bringing them to your local Secretary of State’s office.

2. Destroy It & Bring it to a Facility

You can destroy a license plate yourself the same way you would any other metal item you don’t want to be used in the future. This involves making it unusable by bending it or cutting it into pieces. The metal pieces should still be recyclable through a recycling center in your area.

3. Keep Them in a Safe Place

If your old plates hold a special place in your heart, feel free to keep them. They’re yours! You’re allowed to frame them or use them how you wish as long as there’s no chance they will end up on someone else’s vehicle.

4. Bring Them to the DMV

Most people would rather avoid the DMV if possible, but some locations do carry bins in which old plates can be tossed in a responsible way.

What Not to Do with Your Old License Plates

You never know who is going through your trash bins out back. Identity theft is real, and the same kind of fraudster might use someone’s old plates to avoid registering their vehicle. It is not illegal to throw out your license plates along with your garbage, but it is simply not recommended for the aforementioned reasons.

Contact your local government for more information about options and rules in your area.

Pick Up Your New Plates at CFSC Auto Services in Illinois & Wisconsin

When it’s time to pick up your new plates, call the CFSC Auto Services in your area! We handle all kinds of licensing services. You can register your new car, order your annual stickers, and more.

Call first for details on hours, the required documentation, and fees. We’re happy to help out!

Self-driving cars are so 2024. A couple new show-offs can dance and fly. Love it or hate it, the latest models are dominated by increasingly innovative technology. To get an idea, locals can check out the annual Green Drives Conference & Expo (May 8) in Alsip, IL, as well as numerous niche auto shows and events.

These days, even unenthusiastic drivers who just want an easy commute to work are treated to an array of industry standard, high-tech additions. Here’s what’s becoming the norm.

Smarter Touch Screens & Multimedia Systems

It’s becoming easier and more streamlined to connect your phone to the car and use apps like maps, music, and messaging directly on the built-in touchscreen. They are designed to mirror a phone’s interface for easy, distraction-free access. Those screens have gotten a lot bigger, too. But you can keep your hands on the wheel by using voice controls just like you do in your living room, as long as your car has the right audio system.

Adaptive Cruise Control & Help Staying in Lanes

While most of us still drive all on our own, more cars are being built to help us do it right. Many of the changes are geared toward keeping drivers safe in faster traffic. A vehicle can maintain a set speed but will automatically slow down or speed up to keep a safe distance from the car in front. It’s super handy for highway driving.

Intelligent Controls

More and more, cars are compensating for human error by adjusting to their surroundings for a safer ride. If you live in a hilly, snow-prone area, some all-wheel-drives will automatically adjust power distribution to the wheels based on road conditions, giving you better traction on slippery or uneven surfaces.

Meanwhile, assistive steering systems help steer cars gently to keep them centered in their lane. If you start to drift without signaling, you may hear a beep, or your steering wheel might nudge you back into place.

Multi-Angle Cameras

Various tech-powered camera capabilities have been around for a while, but more car models are making use of them. This means that when you reverse, you can choose from different camera views – for instance, normal, wide, or top-down – to get a better look at what’s behind you. Other cars come with automatic pedestrian detection to help keep others safe, as well as a perimeter scan for more ease with parking or reversing out of tricky spots.

Features for use Outside of the Car

A lot of newer features are aimed at helping out when we’re away from our vehicles. There are more ways to lock, unlock, and start the vehicle remotely. Or, turn the heat or AC on so it’s a comfortable temperature when you get in. Similarly, people can use their smartphone as a key so they don’t have to fish around in their bag as they return to their parking spot.

Other ways you can use technology while you’re away from your car:

• Check your fuel levels.
• Make sure the doors are locked.
• Find your car using an app.
• If lost or stolen, GPS data can sometimes pinpoint its precise location.

Got your hands full of groceries? As long as the key is nearby, many people now wave their foot under the bumper to open the trunk.

Traffic Sign Recognition

Do you ever get frustrated trying to follow traffic signs while driving? There is technology to help you out with that. For example, there are cars that can read road signs such as speed limits and display them on the dashboard, helping you stay aware without taking your eyes off the road. Other cars have voice technology to provide helpful hints.

CFSC Auto Services in Illinois & Wisconsin

Our CFSC Auto Services may not be as fancy as flying cars, but they can do something even better: Help you take care of necessary payment and renewal tasks that are easy to overlook, preventing you from getting pricey tickets.

Check out CFSC Auto Services for more on what we do, or stop by your nearest location next time you need help with title, registration, plates, stickers and more!