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HB 3228

VEH CD-TRAILER FLAT WT TAX

104th Regular Session Introduced by Mike Coffey and 7 co-sponsors

Eliminates the $36 annual flat weight tax for non-farm trailers 3000 lb or less, cutting costs for small trailer owners; farm, apportioned, and larger trailers unchanged.

Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 3228

Summary — HB 3228 (VEH CD‑TRAILER FLAT WT TAX)

Status: Enacted — Signed by Governor 6/20/2025; effective 9/1/2025
Introduced: February 24, 2025 (Rep. Tom Weber)
Statute amended: 625 ILCS 5/3‑819 (Illinois Vehicle Code)
Companion: SB 2657

Purpose

HB 3228 removes the annual flat weight registration tax for small, non‑farm trailers. The bill is intended to reduce registration costs for owners of trailers that are not farm trailers and that have a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or less.

Key provisions

  • Amends Section 3‑819(b) of the Illinois Vehicle Code to eliminate the trailer flat weight tax that applies to non‑farm trailers with a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or less.
  • Does not alter registration rules or fees for:
    • Farm trailers (Section 3‑819(a) — existing farm trailer fee schedule remains),
    • Apportionable trailers registered under Section 3‑402.1,
    • Trailers over 3,000 pounds (other weight classes and their existing fees remain in statute).
  • Leaves the existing schedule of higher trailer flat weight taxes for larger weight classes unchanged.
  • The statutory provision describing distribution of trailer fee revenues (amounts deposited to the Secretary of State Special Services Fund and the Road Fund) remains in place for fees other than the small‑trailer classes addressed by this bill.

Who is affected

  • Directly affected: owners of non‑farm trailers used with motor vehicles on Illinois public highways whose trailer gross weight is 3,000 pounds or less. These owners will no longer owe the annual flat trailer weight tax (previously $36 per the schedule in the statute).
  • Not affected: owners/operators of farm trailers (covered under the separate farm trailer schedule), apportioned (IRP) trailers, and owners of trailers heavier than 3,000 lbs.
  • Administrative impact: Secretary of State (registration processing), and state agencies responsible for vehicle fee accounting.

Fiscal and administrative implications

  • Reduces annual fees collected from small non‑farm trailers (statutory schedule lists the prior fee at $36 for the ≤3,000 lb class).
  • Result: modest reduction in fee revenue that previously flowed through trailer fee distributions (some amounts are deposited to the Secretary of State Special Services Fund and the Road Fund for other classes). The bill does not specify an offsetting revenue source.
  • Administrative changes will be required to update registration forms, online systems, and guidance to reflect the exemption.

Legislative timeline (selected)

  • Introduced: February 2025
  • Passed both chambers (House and Senate) May 2025 (Senate passed as amended)
  • Sent to Governor: May 26, 2025
  • Signed by Governor: June 20, 2025
  • Effective date: September 1, 2025

For readers: HB 3228 narrows the scope of trailer registration fees by removing the annual flat tax for small (≤3,000 lb) non‑farm trailers while leaving existing charges for farm trailers, apportioned trailers, and larger trailers intact.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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