For the first time in Illinois, the Secretary of State’s office is making Electronic Lien and Titling (ELT) available when purchasing a vehicle from a participating dealer, Secretary Alexi Giannoulias announced. Illinois joins 25 other states that have active ELT programs. This new program allows vehicle titles to be processed, stored and released digitally, eliminating the need for arduous paperwork, physical document mailing or in-person visits to a DMV facility. ELT allows an individual purchasing a vehicle at a dealership to complete an online title application that determines whether the lender has opted in for ELT. If they have, an electronic copy of the paperwork is sent to the Secretary of State for review, and a third-party vendor stores the electronic record until it is time to release the title. Instead of customers waiting for lienholders to search through physical title records that may be stored for years, lienholders can now mark the title as paid, and the Secretary of State will send the released title to the owner. The first phase of the Illinois ELT program is focused on transitioning new titles to the electronic format. Future phases of the program may allow lienholders to convert existing paper titles to electronic format and enable vehicle owners to hold their titles electronically on their phones.