Bill proposes changes to online car buying in Illinois

(WAND) — Illinoisans can buy pretty much anything online with a few clicks. But there is some gray area when it comes to purchasing a car electronically.

A new bill being proposed in the legislature would bring Illinois into the 21st century by modernizing its virtual car dealer laws.

Jessica Randalls is a busy mom. So when she and her husband decided to buy a new SUV, they had to consider their options.

"I have younger children so it was kind of difficult for us to orchestrate going to dealerships and toting kids around," Randalls told WAND News.

The couple opted to buy their new vehicle through Carvana.

"It allowed us to basically shop in night when our kids are in bed— and that was a huge benefit for us," Randalls explained.

The Randalls live outside Peoria, where there aren't many car dealerships. Online shopping provided more options for the family.

"It was really hard to find what we were looking for and when we put in the filter what we were looking for— it opened up so many options for us," Randalls said.

But existing Illinois law is vague about whether new and used car dealers can sell their products online, and get electronic signatures for purchase.

"This bill is designed to modernize Illinois law regulating the home-delivery of purchased vehicles, to ensure customers don't have to go to a physical facility just to sign some paperwork," Will Munsil, Senior Corporate Counsel for Carvana told WAND News.

He said the bill would clarify what has become common practice across the state, but is not explicitly allowed in Illinois.

"It gives working families, those who are managing disabilities, people who live in communities that don't have access to a bunch of car dealerships right down the street. They'll all benefit from this new state law protecting home delivery," Munsil added.

The bill has been voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is now set for a third reading in the full Senate later this month. It still needs approval in both the Senate and House before becoming law.