Public Act 0448 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2860 Enrolled LRB102 11023 RAM 16355 b

Public Act 102-0448

AN ACT concerning transportation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Sections 3-611.5 and 12-601 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/3-611.5)

Sec. 3-611.5. Fire Chief license plates.

(a) The Secretary, upon receipt of a request from a municipality or fire protection district that operates a fire department, accompanied by an application and the appropriate fee, may issue, to a fire chief, deputy fire chief, and assistant fire chief of each municipal fire department or fire protection district, special registration plates designated as Fire Chief license plates. The special plates issued under this Section shall be affixed only to passenger vehicles of the first division or motor vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds, owned by the fire department or the fire chief, deputy fire chief, or assistant fire chief chief officer of the fire department. Plates issued under this Section shall expire according to the multi-year procedure established by Section 3-414.1 of this Code.

(b) The design and color of the special plates shall be wholly within the discretion of the Secretary. The plates are not required to designate "Land of Lincoln" as prescribed in subsection (b) of Section 3-412 of this Code. The Secretary may prescribe rules governing the requirements and approval of the special plates. The fee for this plate for a vehicle owned by the fire chief, deputy fire chief, or assistant fire chief shall be the same as the fee prescribed for first division vehicles in Section 3-806 of this Code. Permanent license plates for fire chief, deputy fire chief, or assistant fire chief vehicles owned by a municipal fire department or fire protection district shall be issued at the fee prescribed in Section 3-808.1(b).

(c) Any fire chief, deputy fire chief, or assistant fire chief operating warning devices as described in paragraph 2.1 of subsection (a) of Section 12-215 or subsection (b) of Section 12-601 upon a vehicle not owned by a municipality or fire protection district shall display license plates as described in this Section.

(d) With the exception of permanently issued license plates, upon the resignation, termination, or reassignment to a rank other than fire chief, deputy fire chief, or assistant fire chief, a person issued plates under this Section shall immediately surrender the license plate to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State shall have the ability to recover license plates issued under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 95-556, eff. 6-1-08; 96-808, eff. 10-30-09.)

(625 ILCS 5/12-601) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-601)

Sec. 12-601. Horns and warning devices.

(a) Every motor vehicle when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 200 feet, but no horn or other warning device shall emit an unreasonable loud or harsh sound or a whistle. The driver of a motor vehicle shall when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation give audible warning with his horn but shall not otherwise use such horn when upon a highway.

(b) No vehicle shall be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a vehicle any siren, whistle, or bell, except as otherwise permitted in this Section. Any authorized emergency vehicle or organ transport vehicle as defined in Chapter 1 of this Code or a vehicle operated by a fire chief, deputy fire chief, assistant fire chief, or the Director or Coordinator of a municipal or county emergency services and disaster agency may be equipped with a siren, whistle, or bell capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 500 feet, but such siren, whistle, or bell shall not be used except when such vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call or in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law in either of which events the driver of such vehicle shall sound such siren, whistle, or bell when necessary to warn pedestrians and other drivers of the approach thereof.

(c) Trackless trolley coaches, as defined by Section 1-206 of this Code, and replica trolleys, as defined by Section 1-171.04 of this Code, may be equipped with a bell or bells in lieu of a horn, and may, in addition to the requirements of subsection (a) of this Section, use a bell or bells for the purpose of indicating arrival or departure at designated stops during the hours of scheduled operation.

(Source: P.A. 100-182, eff. 1-1-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)

Effective Date: 1/1/2022