Illinois Electric Vehicle Rebate Program Application Cycle To Open August 1

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director James Jennings is announcing the next EV Rebate Program application cycle will open Saturday, August 1, 2026, and run through Thursday, December 31, 2026. Forms and instructions on submitting a rebate application are available on the Illinois EPA’s EV Rebate Program webpage beginning today. Applications postmarked or received prior to August 1, 2026 will not be accepted.

“Illinois continues to see an increase in electric vehicles registered within the state, and many of those have been recipients of an Illinois EPA EV Rebate,” said Director Jennings. “This incentive program continues to encourage residents to adopt zero-emission transportation for the benefit of Illinois’ environment.”

Below are program updates that became effective in the last application cycle and will remain for the coming cycle.

• Limits on the price of the vehicle: An eligible vehicle, as defined by the EV Rebate Act, is one with a selling price not exceeding $80,000 as shown on the bill of sale.
• Rebate amounts: The rebate is $2,000 for an eligible new or used electric vehicle. Low-income applicants, defined below, are eligible to receive an additional $2,000 ($4,000 total rebate). The rebate amount for eligible motorcycles remains the same, $1,500 for all eligible applicants.
• Income Cap for applicants: An “eligible applicant” is defined as “persons and families whose income does not exceed 500% of the federal poverty line for the current State fiscal year and who may not be claimed as a dependent.” The rebate amount for eligible motorcycles remains the same, $1,500 for all eligible applicants.
• Definition of low-income applicant: A “low-income applicant” is defined as “persons and families whose income does not exceed 80% of the regional or county median income for the current State fiscal year, as established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Illinois Income Limits by metropolitan area and county.” Median income can be found on the HUD Income Limits Documentation System.
• Longer time to apply from the date of vehicle purchase: Applicants have 180 days from the date of purchase to apply. Applications must be submitted during an open application period. Applications postmarked prior to August 1, 2026 or after December 31, 2026, will be rejected.

The Illinois General Assembly has appropriated $14 million to the Illinois EPA for the current fiscal year (FY27), which ends on June 30, 2027. Actual funding amounts will be determined by the amount of money available in the Electric Vehicle Rebate Fund. Rebates will be issued to eligible individuals as funding is available. The FY26 EV Rebate Application Cycle, which ran from October 28, 2025 through May 31, 2026, included a total of 3,499 applications, with 3,001 rebates issued, 1,658 of those to low-income applicants.

Full eligibility requirements can be found in the EV Rebate Act and associated Illinois EPA program rules. These requirements 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 vehicle must be purchased (not rented or leased) from a dealership licensed by the Illinois Secretary of State.
• The vehicle cannot have been the subject of a previous EV rebate under this program.
• Only individuals that are Illinois residents can receive a rebate, and an individual can only receive one EV rebate under this program.
• The purchaser must retain ownership of the vehicle for a minimum of 12 consecutive months immediately after the vehicle purchase date.

Applicants are encouraged to request a hand postmark from the shipping location to avoid delay due to postmark at a regional distribution center. All applicants should utilize the new EV Rebate Application form the August 1, 2026 cycle.

Questions about the EV Rebate Program may be submitted to EPA.EV@Illinois.gov. Individuals interested in receiving updates on Illinois EPA’s EV programs may register for the EV Listserv located at the bottom of the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program webpage.

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