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92_SB1924
LRB9215381DHmg
1 AN ACT concerning vehicles.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
5 adding Section 3-654 and changing Section 12-215 as follows:
6 as follows:
7 (625 ILCS 5/3-654 new)
8 Sec. 3-654. Emergency services plates.
9 (a) The Secretary of State, upon receipt of an
10 application made in the form prescribed by the Secretary, may
11 issue special vehicle registration plates designated as
12 Emergency Services license plates. The special plates issued
13 under this Section shall be affixed only to passenger
14 vehicles of the first division, motor vehicles of the second
15 division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds, recreational
16 vehicles as defined in Section 1-169 of this Code, and
17 subject to the staggered registration system. Plates issued
18 under this Section shall expire according to the multi-year
19 procedure established by Section 3-414.1 of this Code.
20 (b) The original application and subsequent renewals of
21 Emergency Services plates must be accompanied by a letter
22 from the Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency
23 or the chief officer of an Emergency Management Services and
24 Disaster Agency stating that the applicant is employed by the
25 respective agency. An Emergency Service license plate shall
26 not be issued to a person who is not employed by either the
27 Illinois Emergency Management Agency or an Emergency
28 Management Services and Disaster Agency.
29 (c) The design and color of the plates shall be wholly
30 within the discretion of the Secretary of State. The
31 Secretary of State may, in his or her discretion, allow the
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1 plates to be issued as vanity plates or personalized in
2 accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this Code. The plates are
3 not required to designate "Land of Lincoln", as prescribed in
4 subsection (b) of Section 3-412 of this Code. The Secretary
5 of State shall prescribe stickers or decals as provided under
6 Section 3-412.
7 (d) An applicant shall be charged a $15 fee for original
8 issuance of the plate in addition to the applicable
9 registration fee. This additional $15 fee shall be deposited
10 into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund. For
11 each registration renewal period, an applicant shall be
12 charged a $2 fee in addition to the applicable renewal
13 registration fee. This additional $2 fee shall be deposited
14 into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund.
15 (625 ILCS 5/12-215) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-215)
16 Sec. 12-215. Oscillating, rotating or flashing lights on
17 motor vehicles. Except as otherwise provided in this Code:
18 (a) The use of red or white oscillating, rotating or
19 flashing lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited
20 except on:
21 1. Law enforcement vehicles of State, Federal or
22 local authorities;
23 2. A vehicle operated by a police officer or county
24 coroner and designated or authorized by local
25 authorities, in writing, as a law enforcement vehicle;
26 however, such designation or authorization must be
27 carried in the vehicle;
28 3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
29 federal firefighting vehicles;
30 4. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively
31 as ambulances or rescue vehicles; furthermore, such
32 lights shall not be lighted except when responding to an
33 emergency call for and while actually conveying the sick
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1 or injured;
2 5. Tow trucks licensed in a state that requires
3 such lights; furthermore, such lights shall not be
4 lighted on any such tow truck while the tow truck is
5 operating in the State of Illinois; and
6 6. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management
7 Agency, and vehicles of the Department of Nuclear Safety;
8 and.
9 7. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency
10 management services agency as defined in the Illinois
11 Emergency Management Agency Act.
12 (b) The use of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing
13 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except
14 on:
15 1. Second division vehicles designed and used for
16 towing or hoisting vehicles; furthermore, such lights
17 shall not be lighted except as required in this paragraph
18 1; such lights shall be lighted when such vehicles are
19 actually being used at the scene of an accident or
20 disablement; if the towing vehicle is equipped with a
21 flat bed that supports all wheels of the vehicle being
22 transported, the lights shall not be lighted while the
23 vehicle is engaged in towing on a highway; if the towing
24 vehicle is not equipped with a flat bed that supports all
25 wheels of a vehicle being transported, the lights shall
26 be lighted while the towing vehicle is engaged in towing
27 on a highway during all times when the use of headlights
28 is required under Section 12-201 of this Code;
29 2. Motor vehicles or equipment of the State of
30 Illinois, local authorities and contractors; furthermore,
31 such lights shall not be lighted except while such
32 vehicles are engaged in maintenance or construction
33 operations within the limits of construction projects;
34 3. Vehicles or equipment used by engineering or
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1 survey crews; furthermore, such lights shall not be
2 lighted except while such vehicles are actually engaged
3 in work on a highway;
4 4. Vehicles of public utilities, municipalities, or
5 other construction, maintenance or automotive service
6 vehicles except that such lights shall be lighted only as
7 a means for indicating the presence of a vehicular
8 traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching,
9 overtaking or passing while such vehicles are engaged in
10 maintenance, service or construction on a highway;
11 5. Oversized vehicle or load; however, such lights
12 shall only be lighted when moving under permit issued by
13 the Department under Section 15-301 of this Code;
14 6. The front and rear of motorized equipment owned
15 and operated by the State of Illinois or any political
16 subdivision thereof, which is designed and used for
17 removal of snow and ice from highways;
18 7. Fleet safety vehicles registered in another
19 state, furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted
20 except as provided for in Section 12-212 of this Code;
21 8. Such other vehicles as may be authorized by
22 local authorities;
23 9. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
24 authorities when used in combination with red
25 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights;
26 10. Vehicles used for collecting or delivering mail
27 for the United States Postal Service provided that such
28 lights shall not be lighted except when such vehicles are
29 actually being used for such purposes;
30 11. Any vehicle displaying a slow-moving vehicle
31 emblem as provided in Section 12-205.1;
32 12. All trucks equipped with self-compactors or
33 roll-off hoists and roll-on containers for garbage or
34 refuse hauling. Such lights shall not be lighted except
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1 when such vehicles are actually being used for such
2 purposes;
3 13. Vehicles used by a security company, alarm
4 responder, or control agency, if the security company,
5 alarm responder, or control agency is bound by a contract
6 with a federal, State, or local government entity to use
7 the lights; and
8 14. Security vehicles of the Department of Human
9 Services; however, the lights shall not be lighted except
10 when being used for security related purposes under the
11 direction of the superintendent of the facility where the
12 vehicle is located.
13 (c) The use of blue oscillating, rotating or flashing
14 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except
15 on:
16 1. Rescue squad vehicles not owned by a fire
17 department and vehicles owned or fully operated by a:
18 voluntary firefighter;
19 paid firefighter;
20 part-paid firefighter;
21 call firefighter;
22 member of the board of trustees of a fire
23 protection district;
24 paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad; or
25 paid or unpaid member of a voluntary ambulance
26 unit; or
27 paid or unpaid members of a local or county
28 emergency management services agency as defined in
29 the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act,
30 designated or authorized by local authorities, in
31 writing, and carrying that designation or
32 authorization in the vehicle.
33 However, such lights are not to be lighted except
34 when responding to a bona fide emergency.
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1 2. Police department vehicles in cities having a
2 population of 500,000 or more inhabitants.
3 3. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
4 authorities when used in combination with red
5 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
6 4. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
7 federal firefighting vehicles when used in combination
8 with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
9 5. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively
10 as ambulances or rescue vehicles when used in combination
11 with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights;
12 furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except when
13 responding to an emergency call.
14 6. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively
15 as organ transport vehicles when used in combination with
16 red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights;
17 furthermore, these lights shall only be lighted when the
18 transportation is declared an emergency by a member of
19 the transplant team or a representative of the organ
20 procurement organization.
21 7. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management
22 Agency and vehicles of the Department of Nuclear Safety,
23 when used in combination with red oscillating, rotating,
24 or flashing lights.
25 8. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency
26 management services agency as defined in the Illinois
27 Emergency Management Agency Act, when used in combination
28 with red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.
29 (c-1) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or
30 flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and
31 notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a
32 voluntary firefighter may be equipped with flashing white
33 headlights and blue grill lights, which may be used only in
34 responding to an emergency call.
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1 (c-2) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or
2 flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and
3 notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a paid
4 or unpaid member of a local or county emergency management
5 services agency as defined in the Illinois Emergency
6 Management Agency Act, may be equipped with white
7 oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights to be used in
8 combination with blue oscillating, rotating, or flashing
9 lights, if authorization by local authorities is in writing
10 and carried in the vehicle.
11 (d) The use of a combination of amber and white
12 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or
13 unlighted, is prohibited, except motor vehicles or equipment
14 of the State of Illinois, local authorities and contractors
15 may be so equipped; furthermore, such lights shall not be
16 lighted except while such vehicles are engaged in highway
17 maintenance or construction operations within the limits of
18 highway construction projects.
19 (e) All oscillating, rotating or flashing lights
20 referred to in this Section shall be of sufficient intensity,
21 when illuminated, to be visible at 500 feet in normal
22 sunlight.
23 (f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a
24 manufacturer of oscillating, rotating or flashing lights or
25 his representative from temporarily mounting such lights on a
26 vehicle for demonstration purposes only.
27 (g) Any person violating the provisions of subsections
28 (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this Section who without lawful
29 authority stops or detains or attempts to stop or detain
30 another person shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.
31 (h) Except as provided in subsection (g) above, any
32 person violating the provisions of subsections (a) or (c) of
33 this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
34 (Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99; 92-138, eff. 7-24-01;
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1 92-407, eff. 8-17-01; revised 9-12-01)
2 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
3 becoming law.
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