625 ILCS 5/ Illinois Vehicle Code.

(625 ILCS 5/7-320) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-320)

Sec. 7-320. Bond as Proof. A person required to give proof of financial responsibility may file with the Secretary of State a bond, executed by the person giving such proof and by a surety company, duly authorized to transact business within the State; or by the person, giving such proof and by 2 individual sureties, each owning real estate within this State and having an equity therein in the amount of such bond, which real estate shall be scheduled therein.

1. The Secretary of State shall not accept any such real estate bond unless it is first approved by a judge of a court.

2. The Secretary of State shall not accept any such bond unless it is conditioned for payment in amounts and under the same circumstances as would be required in a motor vehicle liability policy furnished by the person giving such proof under this Act.

3. No such bond shall be cancelled unless 10 days' prior written notice is given to the Secretary of State, but cancellation of such bond shall not prevent recovery thereon with respect to any right or cause of action arising prior to the date of cancellation.

4. The principal and sureties of every such real estate bond shall execute and deliver an original and one copy of the bond and schedule and in addition, when the real property or any part thereof, listed or described in the schedule, shall lie in more than one county, then as many extra copies as there are counties in which the real property, or any part thereof, shall lie, to the judge to whom such bond is presented for approval, who shall, if he approved the bond, endorse upon the original and each copy of the bond the date of the approval thereof; and the clerk of the court shall immediately file one of the copies with the recorder in each county in which is situated any of the non-registered real property so scheduled.

5. If any of the lands so scheduled shall have been registered under "An Act concerning land titles", approved May 1, 1897, as amended, the clerk of the court in which the bond is approved shall immediately file with the registrar of titles in and for each county in which any of the registered land so scheduled is situated, a notice stating that such land has been so scheduled, and the registrar shall thereupon enter a memorial of such fact upon the record.

6. The clerk of the court in which the bond is approved shall endorse upon the original of each such real estate bond approved the date upon which he or she filed a copy of such bond with the recorder in each county in which is situated any of the non-registered real property so scheduled or the notice with the registrar of titles in and for each county in which any of the registered land scheduled is situated and shall deliver such original bond to the principal thereon.

(Source: P.A. 83-1362.)

(625 ILCS 5/7-321) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-321)

Sec. 7-321. When Bond Shall Constitute a Lien. Such bond shall constitute a lien upon the unregistered real estate so scheduled of any surety from the time when a copy of such bond is filed in the office of the recorder in and for the county in which such non-registered real property so scheduled is situated, and such bond shall be a lien upon all registered real property listed or described in the accompanying schedule from the time when notice, as aforesaid, is filed in the office of the registrar of titles in and for the county in which such registered real estate so scheduled is situated. Such lien shall exist in favor of the People of the State of Illinois for the use of any holder of a final judgment against the principal on such bond upon a liability covered by the conditions of such bond.

(Source: P.A. 83-358.)

(625 ILCS 5/7-322) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-322)

Sec. 7-322. Action on Bond.

If a judgment is rendered against the principal of any such surety or real estate bond upon a liability covered by the conditions of such bond and such judgment is not satisfied within thirty (30) days after it becomes final, then the judgment creditor may, for his own use and benefit, and at his sole expense, bring an action or actions in the name of the State against the company or persons who executed such bond including an action or proceeding to foreclose any lien that may exist upon the real estate of a person who has executed such bond, which action shall be brought in like manner and subject to all the provisions of law applicable to an action to foreclose a mortgage upon real estate.

(Source: P.A. 76-1586.)

(625 ILCS 5/7-323) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-323)

Sec. 7-323. Money Or Securities As Proof.

A person may give proof of financial responsibility by delivering to the Secretary of State a receipt of the State Treasurer showing the deposit with said State Treasurer of money in amount or securities endorsed in blank by the owner thereof and approved by said State Treasurer and of a market value in a total amount as would be required for coverage in a motor vehicle liability policy furnished by the person giving such proof under this Act. Such securities shall be of the type which may legally be purchased as investments of trust funds by trustees.

(Source: P.A. 76-1586.)

(625 ILCS 5/7-324) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-324)

Sec. 7-324. Application of Deposit.

All money or securities so deposited shall be subject to execution to satisfy any judgment mentioned in this Act but shall not otherwise be subject to attachment or execution. The State Treasurer shall not accept any such deposit or issue a certificate therefor, and the Secretary of State shall not accept such certificate unless accompanied by evidence that there are no unsatisfied judgments against the depositor registered in the county where the depositor resides.

(Source: P.A. 76-1586.)

(625 ILCS 5/7-325) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-325)

Sec. 7-325. Owner may give proof for others. Whenever the Secretary of State determines that any person required to give proof under this Article by reason of a revocation is not the owner of a motor vehicle but was, at the time of such conviction a driver in the employ of an owner of a motor vehicle, or a member of the immediate family or household of the owner of a motor vehicle, the Secretary of State shall accept proof of financial responsibility given by such owner in lieu of proof given by such other person so long as such other person is operating a motor vehicle for which the owner has given proof as herein provided.

(Source: P.A. 83-831.)

(625 ILCS 5/7-326) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-326)

Sec. 7-326. Substitution of proof. The Secretary of State shall cancel any bond or return any certificate of insurance, or the Secretary of State shall direct and the State Treasurer shall return any money or securities to the person entitled thereto, upon the substitution and acceptance of other adequate proof of financial responsibility pursuant to this Article.

(Source: P.A. 83-831.)

(625 ILCS 5/7-327) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-327)

Sec. 7-327. Other proof may be required. Whenever any evidence of proof of ability to respond in damages filed under the provisions of this Article no longer fulfills the purpose for which required, the Secretary of State shall, for the purposes of this Chapter, require other evidence of ability to respond in damages as required by this Article, and the driver's license, registration certificates, license plates and registration stickers involved shall be suspended by the Secretary of State pending such proof.

(Source: P.A. 83-831.)

(625 ILCS 5/7-328) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-328)

Sec. 7-328. Duration of proof; when proof may be canceled or returned. The Secretary of State shall upon request cancel any bond or return any certificate of insurance, or the Secretary of State shall direct and the State Treasurer shall return to the person entitled thereto any money or securities, deposited pursuant to this Chapter as proof of financial responsibility or waive the requirements of filing proof of financial responsibility in any of the following events:

1. In the event of the death of the person on whose behalf such proof was filed, or the permanent incapacity of such person to operate a motor vehicle.

2. In the event the person who has given proof of financial responsibility surrenders such person's driver's license, registration certificates, license plates and registration stickers, but the Secretary of State shall not release such proof in the event any action for damages upon a liability referred to in this Article is then pending or any judgment upon any such liability is then outstanding and unsatisfied or in the event the Secretary of State has received notice that such person has, within the period of 3 months immediately preceding, been involved as a driver in any motor vehicle crash. An affidavit of the applicant of the nonexistence of such facts shall be sufficient evidence thereof in the absence of evidence to the contrary in the records of the Secretary of State. Any person who has not completed the required 3-year period of proof of financial responsibility pursuant to Section 7-304, and to whom proof has been surrendered as provided in this paragraph applies for a driver's license or the registration of a motor vehicle shall have the application denied unless the applicant reestablishes such proof for the remainder of such period.

3. In the event that proof of financial responsibility has been deposited voluntarily, at any time upon request of the person entitled thereto, provided that the person on whose behalf such proof was given has not, during the period between the date of the original deposit thereof and the date of such request, been convicted of any offense for which revocation is mandatory as provided in Section 6-205; provided, further, that no action for damages is pending against such person on whose behalf such proof of financial responsibility was furnished and no judgment against such person is outstanding and unsatisfied in respect to bodily injury, or in respect to damage to property resulting from the ownership, maintenance, use, or operation hereafter of a motor vehicle. An affidavit of the applicant under this Section shall be sufficient evidence of the facts in the absence of evidence to the contrary in the records of the Secretary of State.

(Source: P.A. 102-982, eff. 7-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)

(625 ILCS 5/7-329) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-329)

Sec. 7-329. Proof of financial responsibility made voluntarily.

1. Proof of financial responsibility may be made voluntarily by or on behalf of any person. The privilege of operation of any motor vehicle within this State by such person shall not be suspended or withdrawn under the provisions of this Article if such proof of financial responsibility has been voluntarily filed or deposited prior to the offense or crash out of which any conviction, judgment, or order arises and if such proof, at the date of such conviction, judgment, or order, is valid and sufficient for the requirements of this Code.

2. If the Secretary of State receives record of any conviction or judgment against such person which, in the absence of such proof of financial responsibility would have caused the suspension of the driver's license of such person, the Secretary of State shall forthwith notify the insurer or surety of such person of the conviction or judgment so reported.

(Source: P.A. 102-982, eff. 7-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)

(625 ILCS 5/Ch. 7 Art. IV heading) ARTICLE IV. VIOLATIONS OF PROVISIONS OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT

(625 ILCS 5/7-401) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-401)

Sec. 7-401. Transfer of registration to defeat purposes of act prohibited.

(a) If an owner's registration has been suspended hereunder, such registration shall not be transferred nor the vehicle in respect to which such registration was issued be registered in any other name until the Secretary of State is satisfied that such transfer of registration is proposed in good faith and not for the purpose or with the effect of defeating the purposes of this act.

(b) Nothing in this section shall in any wise affect the rights of any conditional vendor, chattel mortgagee or lessor of such a vehicle registered in the name of another as owner who becomes subject to the provisions of this act.

(c) The Secretary of State shall suspend the registration of any vehicle transferred in violation of the provisions of this section.

(Source: P.A. 76-1586.)

(625 ILCS 5/7-402) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 7-402)

Sec. 7-402. Surrender of license to drive and registration. Except as otherwise provided in this Code or Article V of the Supreme Court Rules, any person whose license to drive has been suspended shall immediately return to the Secretary of State any driver's license, instruction permit, restricted driving permit or other evidence of driving privileges held by such person. Any driving authorization document issued under Section 6-206.1 or 11-501.1 of this Code shall be returned to the issuing court for proper processing. Any person whose vehicle registration has been suspended shall, upon the request of the Secretary, immediately return to the Secretary any license plates or other evidences of registration held by such person.

The Secretary is authorized to take possession of any license to drive, registration certificate, registration sticker or digital registration sticker, or license plates or digital license plates upon the suspension thereof under the provisions of this Code or to direct any law enforcement officer to take possession thereof and to return the same to the Secretary.

Any person willfully failing to comply with this Section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided in Section 9-110 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 101-395, eff. 8-16-19.)