Illinois Cracks Down on Illegal License Plate Swaps: What Rental Car Companies and Federal Agents Need to Know

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is taking decisive action against what his office describes as a public safety risk: the practice of federal officials exchanging or altering vehicle license plates to circumvent detection.

Giannoulias has issued notifications to 19 national rental car agencies, including Enterprise, Hertz, Budget, and Alamo, emphasizing that Illinois law prohibits switching or modifying license plates assigned to a vehicle. These companies may face accountability if their vehicles are involved in such activities.

This initiative comes after an investigation confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had swapped plates on a rental vehicle during a recent operation in the Chicago area. In response, Giannoulias’s office promptly annulled the plate, rendering the vehicle illegal to operate.

“This is about public safety, transparency, and accountability,” Giannoulias declared in a statement. “No one is above the law. That’s why we’ve made it clear to federal agents and rental car companies that swapping out or altering license plates on vehicles to avoid detection will not be tolerated in Illinois.”

The Secretary of State’s office also issued a cease-and-desist letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in October, warning that all vehicles registered in Illinois, regardless of who is driving, must comply with state law. Violations can carry fines, potential jail time, and plate suspension or revocation.

Federal officials have pushed back, saying their agents comply with federal law and “endeavor to comply with state law except where doing so could compromise or interfere with the federal mission.” DHS argued that its officers face safety risks during operations and accused activists of harassing agents.

Giannoulias launched the Plate Watch Hotline in October to give the public a way to report vehicles with missing, masked, or mismatched plates.

Under Illinois law, vehicles registered in the state must display two plates, front and rear, and tampering with or misusing plates can result in penalties. Giannoulias urged residents to remain vigilant: “Our job is to keep our roads safe for Illinoisans.”