The fifth-highest circulation newspaper in Illinois, the Register Star takes its name from the 1979 merger of two predecessors, the Register Republic (founded February 15, 1855 (1855-02-15), daily since January 6, 1873 (1873-01-06)) and the Morning Star (founded March 20, 1888 (1888-03-20)).

The Register Star is currently owned by Gannett, which reacquired the paper upon merging with GateHouse Media in 2019.

The newspaper is published from the Register Star Tower at 99 East State Street in Downtown Rockford, Illinois.

[2] The tower was built in 1930 and remains a Rockford landmark to this day, as it is still recognized as one of the most appealing buildings in downtown.

The publication's general format is customary to that of most papers around the nation; it contains a front page and an "A" section, followed by local and state news, sports, and business throughout the work week.