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90_HB1484 625 ILCS 5/2-111 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 2-111 625 ILCS 5/3-707 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-707 625 ILCS 5/7-601 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-601 625 ILCS 5/7-602 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-602 625 ILCS 5/7-606 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-606 625 ILCS 5/7-606.5 new Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that if a vehicle owner is in an accident and cannot provide proof of coverage of the minimum liability insurance, the law enforcement agency shall immediately confiscate that person's registration plates. Provides a 7 business day period to provide proof of coverage at the time of the accident without being subject to a penalty. Provides that if that person does not provide the required proof within the grace period, the registration plates and other information shall be forwarded to the Secretary of State. Provides that the plates, upon receipt by the Secretary, shall be destroyed, and the uninsured vehicle registration file shall be tagged to prohibit issuance of new plates until the qualifications for registration plate reinstatement have been satisfied. Provides that an operator of a vehicle may produce proof of his or her own liability insurance, if separate from the coverage required for the vehicle. Exempts vehicles registered in another jurisdiction from the required liability insurance policy provisions. Generally effective January 1, 1998, except that the Section regarding required liability insurance policy takes effect July 1, 1998. LRB9004136NTsb LRB9004136NTsb 1 AN ACT to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code by changing 2 Sections 2-111, 3-707, 7-601, 7-602, and 7-606 and adding 3 Section 7-606.5. 4 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 5 represented in the General Assembly: 6 Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by 7 changing Sections 2-111, 3-707, 7-601, 7-602, and 7-606 and 8 adding Section 7-606.5 as follows: 9 (625 ILCS 5/2-111) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 2-111) 10 Sec. 2-111. Seizure of documents and plates. 11 (a) The Secretary of State is authorized to take 12 possession of any certificate of title, registration card, 13 permit, license, registration plate, plates, or registration 14 sticker issued by him or her upon expiration, revocation, 15 cancellation or suspension thereof, or which is fictitious, 16 or which has been unlawfully or erroneously issued. Police 17 officers who have reasonable grounds to believe that any item 18 or items listed in this section should be seized shall 19 request the Secretary of State to take possession of such 20 item or items. 21 (b) If a vehicle owner involved in a accident cannot 22 prove that the vehicle is covered by the minimum liability 23 insurance as required under Section 7-601 of this Code, the 24 law enforcement agency at the accident site shall immediately 25 confiscate the vehicle's registration plates. The law 26 enforcement agency shall maintain these registration plates 27 for a period of 7 business days. If within the 7 business 28 day period the owner can prove the vehicle in question was 29 properly insured at the time of the accident, the 30 registration plates can be released to the vehicle owner with 31 no further penalty. After the 7 business day period has -2- LRB9004136NTsb 1 expired and the owner has not successfully proven compliance 2 with the minimum liability insurance requirements set forth 3 under Section 7-601 of this Code, the registration plates, 4 vehicle name, owner address, a copy of the CRASH report, and 5 a copy of any citation issued shall be forwarded to the 6 Secretary of State. 7 (Source: P.A. 82-433.) 8 (625 ILCS 5/3-707) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-707) 9 Sec. 3-707. Operation of uninsured motor vehicle - 10 penalty. No person shall operate a motor vehicle unless the 11 motor vehicle is covered by a liability insurance policy in 12 accordance with Section 7-601 of this Code. 13 Any person who fails to comply with a request by a law 14 enforcement officer for display of evidence of insurance, as 15 required under Section 7-602 of this Code, shall be deemed to 16 be operating an uninsured motor vehicle. 17 Any operator of a motor vehicle subject to registration 18 under this Code who is convicted of violating this Section is 19 guilty of a business offense and shall be required to pay a 20 fine in excess of $500, but not more than $1,000. However, 21 no person charged with violating this Section shall be 22 convicted if such person produces in court satisfactory 23 evidence, including the vehicle operator's own liability 24 insurance documentation, barring any policy exclusions, that 25 at the time of the arrest the motor vehicle was covered by a 26 liability insurance policy in accordance with Section 7-601 27 of this Code. The chief judge of each circuit may designate 28 an officer of the court to review the documentation 29 demonstrating that at the time of arrest the motor vehicle 30 was covered by a liability insurance policy in accordance 31 with Section 7-601 of this Code. 32 (Source: P.A. 88-315.) -3- LRB9004136NTsb 1 (625 ILCS 5/7-601) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-601) 2 Sec. 7-601. Required liability insurance policy. 3 (a) No person shall operate, register or maintain 4 registration of, and no owner shall permit another person to 5 operate, register or maintain registration of, a motor 6 vehicle designed to be used on a public highway unless the 7 motor vehicle is covered by a liability insurance policy. 8 The insurance policy shall be issued in amounts no less 9 than the minimum amounts set for bodily injury or death and 10 for destruction of property under Section 7-203 of this Code, 11 and shall be issued in accordance with the requirements of 12 Sections 143a and 143a-2 of the Illinois Insurance Code, as 13 amended. No insurer other than an insurer authorized to do 14 business in this State shall issue a policy pursuant to this 15 Section for any vehicle subject to registration under this 16 Code. Nothing herein shall deprive an insurer of any policy 17 defense available at common law. 18 (b) The following vehicles are exempt from the 19 requirements of this Section: 20 (1) vehicles subject to the provisions of Chapters 21 8 or 18a, Article III or Section 7-609 of Chapter 7, or 22 Sections 12-606 or 12-707.01 of Chapter 12 of this Code; 23 (2) vehicles required to file proof of liability 24 insurance with the Illinois Commerce Commission; 25 (3) vehicles covered by a certificate of 26 self-insurance under Section 7-502 of this Code; 27 (4) vehicles owned by the United States, the State 28 of Illinois, or any political subdivision, municipality 29 or local mass transit district; 30 (5) implements of husbandry; 31 (6) other vehicles complying with laws which 32 require them to be insured in amounts meeting or 33 exceeding the minimum amounts required under this 34 Section; and -4- LRB9004136NTsb 1 (7) inoperable or stored vehicles that are not 2 operated, as defined by rules and regulations of the 3 Secretary. 4 (8) Vehicles registered in another jurisdiction. 5 (Source: P.A. 88-315; 89-669, eff. 1-1-97.) 6 (625 ILCS 5/7-602) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-602) 7 Sec. 7-602. Insurance card. Every operator of a motor 8 vehicle subject to Section 7-601 of this Code shall carry 9 within the vehicle evidence of insurance. The evidence shall 10 be legible and sufficient to demonstrate that the motor 11 vehicle currently is covered by a liability insurance policy 12 as required under Section 7-601 of this Code and may include, 13 but is not limited to, the following: 14 (a) an insurance card provided by the insurer for 15 the owner or operator under this Section; 16 (b) the combination of proof of purchase of the 17 motor vehicle within the previous 60 days and a current 18 insurance card issued for the motor vehicle replaced by 19 such purchase; 20 (c) the current declarations page of a liability 21 insurance policy; 22 (d) a liability insurance binder, certificate of 23 liability insurance or receipt for payment to an insurer 24 or its authorized representative for a liability 25 insurance premium, provided such document contains all 26 information the Secretary of State by rule and regulation 27 may require; 28 (e) a current rental agreement; 29 (f) registration plates, registration sticker or 30 other evidence of registration issued by the Secretary 31 only upon submission of proof of liability insurance 32 pursuant to this Code; 33 (g) a certificate, decal, or other document or -5- LRB9004136NTsb 1 device issued by a governmental agency for a motor 2 vehicle indicating the vehicle is insured for liability 3 pursuant to law. 4 An insurance card shall be provided for each motor 5 vehicle insured by the insurer issuing the liability 6 insurance policy. 7 The form, contents and manner of issuance of the 8 insurance card shall be prescribed by rules and regulations 9 of the Secretary of State. The insurance card shall display 10 an effective date and an expiration date covering a period of 11 time not to exceed 12 months. The insurance card shall 12 contain the following disclaimer: "Examine policy exclusions 13 carefully. This form does not constitute any part of your 14 insurance policy." If the insurance policy represented by the 15 insurance card does not cover any driver operating the motor 16 vehicle with the owner's permission, or the owner when 17 operating a motor vehicle other than the vehicle for which 18 the policy is issued, the insurance card shall contain a 19 warning of such limitations in the coverage provided by the 20 policy. 21 No insurer shall issue a card, similar in appearance, 22 form and content to the insurance card required under this 23 Section, in connection with an insurance policy that does not 24 provide the liability insurance coverage required under 25 Section 7-601 of this Code. 26 The evidence of insurance shall be displayed upon request 27 made by any law enforcement officer wearing a uniform or 28 displaying a badge or other sign of authority. Any person 29 who fails or refuses to comply with such request is in 30 violation of Section 3-707 of this Code. Any person who 31 displays evidence of insurance, knowing there is no valid 32 liability insurance in effect on the motor vehicle as 33 required under Section 7-601 of this Code or knowing the 34 evidence of insurance is illegally altered, counterfeit or -6- LRB9004136NTsb 1 otherwise invalid, is in violation of Section 3-710 of this 2 Code. 3 "Display" means the manual surrender of the evidence of 4 insurance into the hands of the law enforcement officer, 5 court, or officer of the court making the request for the 6 officer's, court's, or officer of the court's inspection 7 thereof. 8 (Source: P.A. 88-315; 89-565, eff. 7-26-96.) 9 (625 ILCS 5/7-606) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-606) 10 Sec. 7-606. Uninsured motor vehicles - suspension and 11 reinstatement. The Secretary shall suspend the vehicle 12 registration of any motor vehicle determined by the Secretary 13 to be in violation of Section 7-601 of this Code, including 14 any motor vehicle operated in violation of SectionsSection15 3-707 and,3-708or 3-710of this Code by an operator other 16 than the owner of the vehicle. Neither the fact that, 17 subsequent to the date of verification or conviction, the 18 owner acquired the required liability insurance policy nor 19 the fact that the owner terminated ownership of the motor 20 vehicle shall have any bearing upon the Secretary's decision 21 to suspend. 22 The Secretary is authorized to suspend the registration 23 of any motor vehicle registered in this State upon receiving 24 notice of the conviction of the operator of the motor vehicle 25 in another State of an offense which, if committed in this 26 State, would constitute a violation of Section 7-601 of this 27 Code. 28 Until it is terminated, the suspension shall remain in 29 force after the registration is renewed or a new registration 30 is acquired for the motor vehicle. The suspension also shall 31 apply to any motor vehicle to which the owner transfers the 32 registration. 33 In the case of a first violation, the Secretary shall -7- LRB9004136NTsb 1 terminate the suspension upon payment by the owner of a 2 reinstatement fee of $100 and submission of proof of 3 insurance as prescribed by the Secretary. 4 In the case of a second or subsequent violation by a 5 person having ownership interest in a motor vehicle or 6 vehicles within the preceding 4 years, or a violation of 7 Section 3-708 of this Code, the Secretary shall terminate the 8 suspension 4 months after its effective date upon payment by 9 the owner of a reinstatement fee of $100 and submission of 10 proof of insurance as prescribed by the Secretary. 11 All fees collected under this Section shall be deposited 12 into the Road Fund of the State treasury. 13 (Source: P.A. 88-315.) 14 (625 ILCS 5/7-606.5 new) 15 Sec. 7-606.5. Confiscated registration plates. 16 Registration plates confiscated under Section 2-111 of this 17 Code by a law enforcement agency for failure to carry the 18 minimum liability insurance as required under Section 7-601 19 of this Code and forwarded to the Secretary of State for 20 failure to prove compliance within 7 business days as 21 required by Section 2-111 of this Code shall be destroyed 22 upon receipt by the Secretary of State. The uninsured 23 vehicle registration file shall be tagged to prevent the 24 transfer, renewal, or purchase of new registration plates 25 until the proper registration plate reinstatement procedures 26 are followed. 27 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on 28 January 1, 1998, except that the changes to Section 7-601 of 29 the Illinois Vehicle Code take effect on July 1, 1998.