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1    AN ACT concerning transportation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing
5Section 12-215 as follows:
 
6    (625 ILCS 5/12-215)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-215)
7    Sec. 12-215. Oscillating, rotating or flashing lights on
8motor vehicles. Except as otherwise provided in this Code:
9    (a) The use of red or white oscillating, rotating or
10flashing lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited
11except on:
12        1. Law enforcement vehicles of State, Federal or local
13    authorities;
14        2. A vehicle operated by a police officer or county
15    coroner and designated or authorized by local authorities,
16    in writing, as a law enforcement vehicle; however, such
17    designation or authorization must be carried in the
18    vehicle;
19        2.1. A vehicle operated by a fire chief who has
20    completed an emergency vehicle operation training course
21    approved by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and
22    designated or authorized by local authorities, in writing,
23    as a fire department, fire protection district, or township

 

 

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1    fire department vehicle; however, the designation or
2    authorization must be carried in the vehicle, and the
3    lights may be visible or activated only when responding to
4    a bona fide emergency;
5        3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
6    federal firefighting vehicles;
7        4. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as
8    ambulances or rescue vehicles; furthermore, such lights
9    shall not be lighted except when responding to an emergency
10    call for and while actually conveying the sick or injured;
11        5. Tow trucks licensed in a state that requires such
12    lights; furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted on
13    any such tow truck while the tow truck is operating in the
14    State of Illinois;
15        6. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management
16    Agency, vehicles of the Illinois Department of Public
17    Health, and vehicles of the Department of Nuclear Safety;
18        7. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency
19    management services agency as defined in the Illinois
20    Emergency Management Agency Act;
21        8. School buses operating alternately flashing head
22    lamps as permitted under Section 12-805 of this Code;
23        9. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively as
24    organ transplant vehicles when used in combination with
25    blue oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights;
26    furthermore, these lights shall be lighted only when the

 

 

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1    transportation is declared an emergency by a member of the
2    transplant team or a representative of the organ
3    procurement organization; and
4        10. Vehicles of the Illinois Department of Natural
5    Resources that are used for mine rescue and explosives
6    emergency response.
7    (b) The use of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing
8lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:
9        1. Second division vehicles designed and used for
10    towing or hoisting vehicles; furthermore, such lights
11    shall not be lighted except as required in this paragraph
12    1; such lights shall be lighted when such vehicles are
13    actually being used at the scene of an accident or
14    disablement; if the towing vehicle is equipped with a flat
15    bed that supports all wheels of the vehicle being
16    transported, the lights shall not be lighted while the
17    vehicle is engaged in towing on a highway; if the towing
18    vehicle is not equipped with a flat bed that supports all
19    wheels of a vehicle being transported, the lights shall be
20    lighted while the towing vehicle is engaged in towing on a
21    highway during all times when the use of headlights is
22    required under Section 12-201 of this Code;
23        2. Motor vehicles or equipment of the State of
24    Illinois, local authorities and contractors; furthermore,
25    such lights shall not be lighted except while such vehicles
26    are engaged in maintenance or construction operations

 

 

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1    within the limits of construction projects;
2        3. Vehicles or equipment used by engineering or survey
3    crews; furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except
4    while such vehicles are actually engaged in work on a
5    highway;
6        4. Vehicles of public utilities, municipalities, or
7    other construction, maintenance or automotive service
8    vehicles except that such lights shall be lighted only as a
9    means for indicating the presence of a vehicular traffic
10    hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking
11    or passing while such vehicles are engaged in maintenance,
12    service or construction on a highway;
13        5. Oversized vehicle or load; however, such lights
14    shall only be lighted when moving under permit issued by
15    the Department under Section 15-301 of this Code;
16        6. The front and rear of motorized equipment owned and
17    operated by the State of Illinois or any political
18    subdivision thereof, which is designed and used for removal
19    of snow and ice from highways;
20        (6.1) The front and rear of motorized equipment or
21    vehicles that (i) are not owned by the State of Illinois or
22    any political subdivision of the State, (ii) are designed
23    and used for removal of snow and ice from highways and
24    parking lots, and (iii) are equipped with a snow plow that
25    is 12 feet in width; these lights may not be lighted except
26    when the motorized equipment or vehicle is actually being

 

 

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1    used for those purposes on behalf of a unit of government;
2        7. Fleet safety vehicles registered in another state,
3    furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except as
4    provided for in Section 12-212 of this Code;
5        8. Such other vehicles as may be authorized by local
6    authorities;
7        9. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
8    authorities when used in combination with red oscillating,
9    rotating or flashing lights;
10        9.5. Propane delivery trucks;
11        10. Vehicles used for collecting or delivering mail for
12    the United States Postal Service provided that such lights
13    shall not be lighted except when such vehicles are actually
14    being used for such purposes;
15        11. Any vehicle displaying a slow-moving vehicle
16    emblem as provided in Section 12-205.1;
17        12. All trucks equipped with self-compactors or
18    roll-off hoists and roll-on containers for garbage or
19    refuse hauling. Such lights shall not be lighted except
20    when such vehicles are actually being used for such
21    purposes;
22        13. Vehicles used by a security company, alarm
23    responder, or control agency;
24        14. Security vehicles of the Department of Human
25    Services; however, the lights shall not be lighted except
26    when being used for security related purposes under the

 

 

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1    direction of the superintendent of the facility where the
2    vehicle is located; and
3        15. Vehicles of union representatives, except that the
4    lights shall be lighted only while the vehicle is within
5    the limits of a construction project.
6    (c) The use of blue oscillating, rotating or flashing
7lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:
8        1. Rescue squad vehicles not owned by a fire department
9    and vehicles owned or operated by a:
10            voluntary firefighter;
11            paid firefighter;
12            part-paid firefighter;
13            call firefighter;
14            member of the board of trustees of a fire
15        protection district;
16            paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad;
17            paid or unpaid member of a voluntary ambulance
18        unit; or
19            paid or unpaid members of a local or county
20        emergency management services agency as defined in the
21        Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, designated
22        or authorized by local authorities, in writing, and
23        carrying that designation or authorization in the
24        vehicle.
25        However, such lights are not to be lighted except when
26    responding to a bona fide emergency or when parked or

 

 

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1    stationary at the scene of a fire, rescue call, ambulance
2    call, or motor vehicle accident.
3        Any person using these lights in accordance with this
4    subdivision (c)1 must carry on his or her person an
5    identification card or letter identifying the bona fide
6    member of a fire department, fire protection district,
7    rescue squad, ambulance unit, or emergency management
8    services agency that owns or operates that vehicle. The
9    card or letter must include:
10            (A) the name of the fire department, fire
11        protection district, rescue squad, ambulance unit, or
12        emergency management services agency;
13            (B) the member's position within the fire
14        department, fire protection district, rescue squad,
15        ambulance unit, or emergency management services
16        agency;
17            (C) the member's term of service; and
18            (D) the name of a person within the fire
19        department, fire protection district, rescue squad,
20        ambulance unit, or emergency management services
21        agency to contact to verify the information provided.
22        2. Police department vehicles in cities having a
23    population of 500,000 or more inhabitants.
24        3. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
25    authorities when used in combination with red oscillating,
26    rotating or flashing lights.

 

 

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1        4. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
2    federal firefighting vehicles when used in combination
3    with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
4        5. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as
5    ambulances or rescue vehicles when used in combination with
6    red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights; furthermore,
7    such lights shall not be lighted except when responding to
8    an emergency call.
9        6. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively as
10    organ transport vehicles when used in combination with red
11    oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights; furthermore,
12    these lights shall only be lighted when the transportation
13    is declared an emergency by a member of the transplant team
14    or a representative of the organ procurement organization.
15        7. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management
16    Agency, vehicles of the Illinois Department of Public
17    Health, and vehicles of the Department of Nuclear Safety,
18    when used in combination with red oscillating, rotating, or
19    flashing lights.
20        8. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency
21    management services agency as defined in the Illinois
22    Emergency Management Agency Act, when used in combination
23    with red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.
24        9. Vehicles of the Illinois Department of Natural
25    Resources that are used for mine rescue and explosives
26    emergency response, when used in combination with red

 

 

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1    oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.
2    (c-1) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or
3flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and
4notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a
5voluntary firefighter, a voluntary member of a rescue squad, or
6a member of a voluntary ambulance unit may be equipped with
7flashing white headlights and blue grill lights, which may be
8used only in responding to an emergency call or when parked or
9stationary at the scene of a fire, rescue call, ambulance call,
10or motor vehicle accident.
11    (c-2) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or
12flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and
13notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a paid or
14unpaid member of a local or county emergency management
15services agency as defined in the Illinois Emergency Management
16Agency Act, may be equipped with white oscillating, rotating,
17or flashing lights to be used in combination with blue
18oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights, if authorization by
19local authorities is in writing and carried in the vehicle.
20    (d) The use of a combination of amber and white
21oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or
22unlighted, is prohibited except motor vehicles or equipment of
23the State of Illinois, local authorities, contractors, and
24union representatives may be so equipped; furthermore, such
25lights shall not be lighted on vehicles of the State of
26Illinois, local authorities, and contractors except while such

 

 

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1vehicles are engaged in highway maintenance or construction
2operations within the limits of highway construction projects,
3and shall not be lighted on the vehicles of union
4representatives except when those vehicles are within the
5limits of a construction project.
6    (e) All oscillating, rotating or flashing lights referred
7to in this Section shall be of sufficient intensity, when
8illuminated, to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.
9    (f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a manufacturer
10of oscillating, rotating or flashing lights or his
11representative from temporarily mounting such lights on a
12vehicle for demonstration purposes only.
13    (g) Any person violating the provisions of subsections (a),
14(b), (c) or (d) of this Section who without lawful authority
15stops or detains or attempts to stop or detain another person
16shall be guilty of a Class 2 felony.
17    (h) Except as provided in subsection (g) above, any person
18violating the provisions of subsections (a) or (c) of this
19Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
20(Source: P.A. 96-214, eff. 8-10-09; 96-1190, eff. 7-22-10.)