Section 549.500  Application, Fees and Other Regulations

a)         Application

1)         Application forms for the placement of DUI memorial markers and commemorative plaques will be available from the Department (see Section 549.Appendix A for a listing of District addresses and phone numbers).  If a qualifying relative wishes to participate in the program, he/she must complete an application form for each victim he/she wishes to commemorate and submit it to the Department at the address shown in Section 549.Appendix A for the county in which the marker is desired. 

2)         When the Department determines from the initial application that the criteria listed in this Part are met, the application will be approved and a copy returned to the qualifying relative, along with instructions concerning payment of the fee and other appropriate information.

b)         Fees

1)         A one-time fee sufficient to offset the cost of the program will be charged for each DUI memorial marker and commemorative plaque installed by the Department.  The fees, as of January 1, 2008, will be $150 for each DUI memorial marker and $50 for each commemorative plaque.  A commemorative plaque cannot be installed without a DUI memorial marker.

2)         The Department will periodically adjust the fees to reflect the current cost of installing and maintaining the signing with adjustments subject to rulemaking.

3)         Once the fee is paid for a DUI memorial marker or a commemorative plaque and the marker or plaque is installed, the Department will maintain the marker or plaque for the entire 2-year period provided in Section 549.500(c)(3) without any additional cost to the qualified relative.  (See Section 20(f) of the Act.)

c)         Placing and Maintaining Memorial Markers and Commemorative Plaques

1)         The DUI memorial markers and commemorative plaques shall only be placed by the Department.

2)         A DUI memorial marker and commemorative plaque shall be maintained for at least 2 years from the date the last person was memorialized on the plaque.  (See Section 20(c) of the Act.)

3)         The Department has the right to install a marker at a location other than the location of the crash or to relocate a marker due to restricted room, property owner complaints, interference with essential traffic control devices, safety concerns, or other restrictions.  In such cases, the Department may select an alternate location.  (See Section 20(d) of the Act.)

4)         A DUI memorial marker and commemorative plaque may memorialize more than one victim who died as a result of the same crash.  If one or more additional, unrelated DUI deaths subsequently occur in close proximity to an existing DUI memorial marker, the Department may use the same marker to memorialize the subsequent death or deaths by adding the names of the additional persons.  (See Section 20(b) of the Act.)

5)         The Department shall secure the consent of any municipality before placing a DUI memorial marker within the corporate limits of the municipality.  (Section 20(e) of the Act.)