Illinois Secretary Alexi Giannoulias recently announced electronic lien and titling as a new option when purchacing a vehicle from participating dealers.
Illinois is one of 25 other states that have active ELT programs, including Iowa, Indiana and Wisconcin, officials said.
The Secretary's office said the new program will allow vehicle titles to be processed, stored, and released digitally.
"These investments are crucial to providing convenience, but more importantly security, for our customers and their data" said Giannoulias.
Officials added the Illinois General Assembly initially approved ELT in 2000, but outdated technology halted the implementation.
The Secretary of State's Office said the first phase of the Illinois ELT program is focused on transitioning new titles to the electronic format, and later phases will allow lienholders to convert preexisting paper titles to electronic format, allowing vehicle owners to access their titles electronically.