Public Act 102-0448
 
HB2860 EnrolledLRB102 11023 RAM 16355 b

    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