Giannoulias Cracks Down on Rental Car Companies for Permitting ICE’s Swapping or Altering of License Plates

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office sent a letter to rental car companies, reminding them that swapping or altering license plates is illegal and they can be held liable under Illinois law if their vehicles are used in this manner.

Additionally, a cease-and-desist letter was issued to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, making it clear that all vehicles registered in Illinois, regardless of who is driving, must comply with state law. When the office’s investigation confirmed that ICE agents switched plates on a rented vehicle, it revoked that license plate immediately.

“This is about public safety, transparency, and accountability,” Giannoulias said. “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. Our job is to keep our roads safe for Illinoisans, and that’s why when our investigation found evidence of ICE agents switching license plates between vehicles, we immediately took action to revoke the plate, making it illegal to drive that vehicle. I encourage residents to continue reporting these activities to the Plate Watch Hotline.”

In October, the Secretary of State’s office launched a Plate Watch Hotline for the public to report vehicles with missing, masked, or mismatched plates.

Related documents:

• Letter to DHS

• Letters to 19 rental car companies

• Letter to EAN (Enterprise) on plate revocation