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1 AN ACT concerning transportation.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
5 changing Section 3-616 as follows:
6 (625 ILCS 5/3-616) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-616)
7 Sec. 3-616. Disability license plates.
8 (a) Upon receiving an application for a certificate of
9 registration for a motor vehicle of the first division, a
10 motorcycle, an autocycle, or for a motor vehicle of the second
11 division weighing no more than 8,000 pounds, accompanied with
12 payment of the registration fees required under this Code from
13 a person with disabilities or a person who is deaf or hard of
14 hearing, the Secretary of State, if so requested, shall issue
15 to such person registration plates as provided for in Section
16 3-611, provided that the person with disabilities or person
17 who is deaf or hard of hearing must not be disqualified from
18 obtaining a driver's license under subsection 8 of Section
19 6-103 of this Code, and further provided that any person
20 making such a request must submit a statement, certified by a
21 licensed physician, by a licensed physician assistant, or by a
22 licensed advanced practice registered nurse, or by a licensed
23 physical therapist, to the effect that such person is a person
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1 with disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1 of this Code,
2 or alternatively provide adequate documentation that such
3 person has a Class 1A, Class 2A or Type Four disability under
4 the provisions of Section 4A of the Illinois Identification
5 Card Act. For purposes of this Section, an Illinois Person
6 with a Disability Identification Card issued pursuant to the
7 Illinois Identification Card Act indicating that the person
8 thereon named has a disability shall be adequate documentation
9 of such a disability.
10 (b) The Secretary shall issue plates under this Section to
11 a parent or legal guardian of a person with disabilities if the
12 person with disabilities has a Class 1A or Class 2A disability
13 as defined in Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card
14 Act or is a person with disabilities as defined by Section
15 1-159.1 of this Code, and does not possess a vehicle
16 registered in his or her name, provided that the person with
17 disabilities relies frequently on the parent or legal guardian
18 for transportation. Only one vehicle per family may be
19 registered under this subsection, unless the applicant can
20 justify in writing the need for one additional set of plates.
21 Any person requesting special plates under this subsection
22 shall submit such documentation or such physician's, physician
23 assistant's, or advanced practice registered nurse's, or
24 physical therapist's statement as is required in subsection
25 (a) and a statement describing the circumstances qualifying
26 for issuance of special plates under this subsection. An
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1 optometrist may certify a Class 2A Visual Disability, as
2 defined in Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card Act,
3 for the purpose of qualifying a person with disabilities for
4 special plates under this subsection.
5 (c) The Secretary may issue a parking decal or device to a
6 person with disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1 without
7 regard to qualification of such person with disabilities for a
8 driver's license or registration of a vehicle by such person
9 with disabilities or such person's immediate family, provided
10 such person with disabilities making such a request has been
11 issued an Illinois Person with a Disability Identification
12 Card indicating that the person named thereon has a Class 1A or
13 Class 2A disability, or alternatively, submits a statement
14 certified by a licensed physician, or by a licensed physician
15 assistant, or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse,
16 or a licensed physical therapist as provided in subsection
17 (a), to the effect that such person is a person with
18 disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1. An optometrist may
19 certify a Class 2A Visual Disability as defined in Section 4A
20 of the Illinois Identification Card Act for the purpose of
21 qualifying a person with disabilities for a parking decal or
22 device under this subsection.
23 (d) The Secretary shall prescribe by rules and regulations
24 procedures to certify or re-certify as necessary the
25 eligibility of persons whose disabilities are other than
26 permanent for special plates or parking decals or devices
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1 issued under subsections (a), (b) and (c). Except as provided
2 under subsection (f) of this Section, no such special plates,
3 decals or devices shall be issued by the Secretary of State to
4 or on behalf of any person with disabilities unless such
5 person is certified as meeting the definition of a person with
6 disabilities pursuant to Section 1-159.1 or meeting the
7 requirement of a Type Four disability as provided under
8 Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card Act for the
9 period of time that the physician, or the physician assistant,
10 or the advanced practice registered nurse, or the physical
11 therapist as provided in subsection (a), determines the
12 applicant will have the disability, but not to exceed 6 months
13 from the date of certification or recertification.
14 (e) Any person requesting special plates under this
15 Section may also apply to have the special plates
16 personalized, as provided under Section 3-405.1.
17 (f) The Secretary of State, upon application, shall issue
18 disability registration plates or a parking decal to
19 corporations, school districts, State or municipal agencies,
20 limited liability companies, nursing homes, convalescent
21 homes, or special education cooperatives which will transport
22 persons with disabilities. The Secretary shall prescribe by
23 rule a means to certify or re-certify the eligibility of
24 organizations to receive disability plates or decals and to
25 designate which of the 2 person with disabilities emblems
26 shall be placed on qualifying vehicles.
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1 (g) The Secretary of State, or his designee, may enter
2 into agreements with other jurisdictions, including foreign
3 jurisdictions, on behalf of this State relating to the
4 extension of parking privileges by such jurisdictions to
5 residents of this State with disabilities who display a
6 special license plate or parking device that contains the
7 International symbol of access on his or her motor vehicle,
8 and to recognize such plates or devices issued by such other
9 jurisdictions. This State shall grant the same parking
10 privileges which are granted to residents of this State with
11 disabilities to any non-resident whose motor vehicle is
12 licensed in another state, district, territory or foreign
13 country if such vehicle displays the international symbol of
14 access or a distinguishing insignia on license plates or
15 parking device issued in accordance with the laws of the
16 non-resident's state, district, territory or foreign country.
17 (h) Any registration plate or parking decal or device
18 issued under this Section to a person with a permanent
19 disability, or the parent or guardian thereof, shall require
20 certification of that permanent disability every 5 years by
21 submitting to the Secretary a statement, certified by a
22 licensed medical professional, declaring that such person is a
23 person with a disability as provided under Section 1-159.1 of
24 this Code.
25 (Source: P.A. 103-843, eff. 1-1-25.)Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.