Offenses against registration is listed in 625 of Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) 5/3 – 701 to 5/3-711

Section 3-701 states that no person shall operate, nor shall an owner knowingly permit to be operated, upon any highway unless there shall be attached thereto and displayed thereon when and as required by law, proper evidence of registration in Illinois.

This section goes on to say that a vehicle required to be registered in Illinois needs to have a current and valid Illinois registration sticker or stickers and plate or plates, or an Illinois temporary registration permit, or a drive‑away or in‑transit permit, issued by the Secretary of State.

Section 3-702 discusses the operation of a vehicle when registration is cancelled, suspended or revoked. Here it states that no person shall operate, nor shall an owner knowingly permit to be operated, upon any highway a vehicle the registration of which has been cancelled, suspended, or revoked; or a vehicle properly registered in another Reciprocal State, the foreign registration of which, or the Illinois Reciprocity Permit or Decal of which, has been cancelled, suspended or revoked.

Subsection (c) notes that any violation of this Section is a Class A misdemeanor unless: the registration has been suspended for no insurance, then the provisions of Section 3-708 of this code apply in lieu of this section.

3-708 states that any person convicted of violating this Section is guilty of a business offense and shall be required to pay a fine of not less than $1,000 and not more than $2,000. Any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this Section is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor and shall be required to pay a fine of not less than $1,000 and not more than $2,000

Back to 3-702 subsection c, that goes on to say that if the registration of the motor vehicle has been suspended for failure to purchase a vehicle tax sticker then the violation shall be considered a business offense and the person shall be required to pay a fine in excess of $500 but not more than $1000.

In Illinois, a Class A Misdemeanor is punishable up to 364 days in jail and can carry up to $2,500 in fines.

Hopefully this information from the IL Statutes is not too confusing in its legalese for you to understand the penalties for driving without registration in IL. If the legal jargon is too complicated or if you want to seek clarification on the penalties try contacting the Illinois Secretary of State (SOS). Or if you have been cited for this offense the court listed on your ticket so should be able to tell you what penalties you may receive.