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91_SB1950
LRB9108492DHmgA
1 AN ACT to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code by changing
2 Section 12-215.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
6 changing Section 12-215 as follows:
7 (625 ILCS 5/12-215) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-215)
8 Sec. 12-215. Oscillating, rotating or flashing lights on
9 motor vehicles. Except as otherwise provided in this Code:
10 (a) The use of red or white oscillating, rotating or
11 flashing lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited
12 except on:
13 1. Law enforcement vehicles of State, Federal or
14 local authorities;
15 2. A vehicle operated by a police officer or county
16 coroner and designated or authorized by local
17 authorities, in writing, as a law enforcement vehicle;
18 however, such designation or authorization must be
19 carried in the vehicle;
20 3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
21 federal firefighting vehicles;
22 4. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively
23 as ambulances or rescue vehicles; furthermore, such
24 lights shall not be lighted except when responding to an
25 emergency call for and while actually conveying the sick
26 or injured; and
27 5. Tow trucks licensed in a state that requires
28 such lights; furthermore, such lights shall not be
29 lighted on any such tow truck while the tow truck is
30 operating in the State of Illinois.
31 (b) The use of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing
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1 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except
2 on:
3 1. Second division vehicles designed and used for
4 towing or hoisting vehicles; furthermore, such lights
5 shall not be lighted except as required in this paragraph
6 1; such lights shall be lighted when such vehicles are
7 actually being used at the scene of an accident or
8 disablement; if the towing vehicle is equipped with a
9 flat bed that supports all wheels of the vehicle being
10 transported, the lights shall not be lighted while the
11 vehicle is engaged in towing on a highway; if the towing
12 vehicle is not equipped with a flat bed that supports all
13 wheels of a vehicle being transported, the lights shall
14 be lighted while the towing vehicle is engaged in towing
15 on a highway during all times when the use of headlights
16 is required under Section 12-201 of this Code;
17 2. Motor vehicles or equipment of the State of
18 Illinois, local authorities and contractors; furthermore,
19 such lights shall not be lighted except while such
20 vehicles are engaged in maintenance or construction
21 operations within the limits of construction projects;
22 3. Vehicles or equipment used by engineering or
23 survey crews; furthermore, such lights shall not be
24 lighted except while such vehicles are actually engaged
25 in work on a highway;
26 4. Vehicles of public utilities, municipalities, or
27 other construction, maintenance or automotive service
28 vehicles except that such lights shall be lighted only as
29 a means for indicating the presence of a vehicular
30 traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching,
31 overtaking or passing while such vehicles are engaged in
32 maintenance, service or construction on a highway;
33 5. Oversized vehicle or load; however, such lights
34 shall only be lighted when moving under permit issued by
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1 the Department under Section 15-301 of this Code;
2 6. The front and rear of motorized equipment owned
3 and operated by the State of Illinois or any political
4 subdivision thereof, which is designed and used for
5 removal of snow and ice from highways;
6 7. Fleet safety vehicles registered in another
7 state, furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted
8 except as provided for in Section 12-212 of this Code;
9 8. Such other vehicles as may be authorized by
10 local authorities;
11 9. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
12 authorities when used in combination with red
13 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights;
14 10. Vehicles used for collecting or delivering mail
15 for the United States Postal Service provided that such
16 lights shall not be lighted except when such vehicles are
17 actually being used for such purposes;
18 11. Any vehicle displaying a slow-moving vehicle
19 emblem as provided in Section 12-205.1;
20 12. All trucks equipped with self-compactors or
21 roll-off hoists and roll-on containers for garbage or
22 refuse hauling. Such lights shall not be lighted except
23 when such vehicles are actually being used for such
24 purposes;
25 13. Vehicles used by a security company, alarm
26 responder, or control agency, if the security company,
27 alarm responder, or control agency is bound by a contract
28 with a federal, State, or local government entity to use
29 the lights; and
30 14. Security vehicles of the Department of Human
31 Services; however, the lights shall not be lighted except
32 when being used for security related purposes under the
33 direction of the superintendent of the facility where the
34 vehicle is located.
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1 (c) The use of blue oscillating, rotating or flashing
2 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except
3 on:
4 1. Rescue squad vehicles not owned by a fire
5 department and vehicles owned or fully operated by a:
6 voluntary firefighter;
7 paid firefighter;
8 part-paid firefighter;
9 call firefighter;
10 member of the board of trustees of a fire
11 protection district;
12 paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad; or
13 paid or unpaid member of a voluntary ambulance
14 unit.
15 However, such lights are not to be lighted except
16 when responding to a bona fide emergency.
17 2. Police department vehicles in cities having a
18 population of 500,000 or more inhabitants.
19 3. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
20 authorities when used in combination with red
21 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
22 4. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
23 federal firefighting vehicles when used in combination
24 with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
25 5. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively
26 as ambulances or rescue vehicles when used in combination
27 with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights;
28 furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except when
29 responding to an emergency call.
30 6. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively
31 as organ transport vehicles when used in combination with
32 red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights;
33 furthermore, these lights shall only be lighted when the
34 transportation is declared an emergency by a member of
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1 the transplant team or a representative of the organ
2 procurement organization.
3 (d) The use of a combination of amber and white
4 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or
5 unlighted, is prohibited, except motor vehicles or equipment
6 of the State of Illinois, local authorities and contractors
7 may be so equipped; furthermore, such lights shall not be
8 lighted except while such vehicles are engaged in highway
9 maintenance or construction operations within the limits of
10 highway construction projects.
11 (d-5) The use of green oscillating, rotating, or
12 flashing lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited
13 except (i) on vehicles used by security personnel on private
14 property they were hired to serve by the owner or owners of
15 that property or by an association representing the owners,
16 or (ii) on vehicles used by a security company, alarm
17 responder, or control agency on private property the security
18 company, alarm responder, or control agency has been
19 contracted to serve. The lights are not to be lighted except
20 on the private property served.
21 (e) All oscillating, rotating or flashing lights
22 referred to in this Section shall be of sufficient intensity,
23 when illuminated, to be visible at 500 feet in normal
24 sunlight.
25 (f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a
26 manufacturer of oscillating, rotating or flashing lights or
27 his representative from temporarily mounting such lights on a
28 vehicle for demonstration purposes only.
29 (g) Any person violating the provisions of subsections
30 (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this Section who without lawful
31 authority stops or detains or attempts to stop or detain
32 another person shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.
33 (h) Except as provided in subsection (g) above, any
34 person violating the provisions of subsections (a) or (c) of
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1 this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
2 (Source: P.A. 90-330, eff. 8-8-97; 90-347, eff. 1-1-98;
3 90-655, eff. 7-30-98; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)