Section 451.130  Responsibilities of Certified Safety Tester

a)         Persons interested in becoming a Certified Safety Tester (CST) must meet the following requirements:

1)         Be at least eighteen years of age; and

2)         Possess a valid driver's license.

b)        Every applicant must accomplish the following before certification as a CST is awarded:

1)         Pass a written test based on this Part.

2)         If the Station is required to have testing equipment, demonstrate proficiency in the operation and calibration of the equipment at the Station where employed.

3)         Physically inspect an appropriate vehicle.

c)         Only a CST who has been licensed for a minimum of thirty days to test trucks is eligible to make application to take a school bus examination. (Employees of Class D and P school bus OTS are exempt from this subsection.)

d)        Every applicant must accomplish the following before certification as a School Bus CST is awarded:

1)         Pass a written test based on this Part.

2)         Demonstrate proficiency in the operation and calibration of the safety test equipment at the Station where employed.

3)         Physically inspect an appropriate vehicle.

e)         The Station Owner may request retesting of a CST applicant who failed the initial test(s).

1)         A person who failed any part of the initial examination shall wait a period of fifteen days before reapplying.

2)         A person who fails a second time shall wait a period of thirty days before reapplying.

3)         After three failures within one twelve month period, a person is not eligible to take the examinations for a period of one year from the date of the last failure.

f)         A CST shall test a minimum of ten percent of the vehicles safety tested during any calendar year or may be required to successfully pass the written and proficiency examinations to maintain certification.  A CST will be required to pass an exam if he does not test 10% of the vehicles and is either issued warning tickets or citations or has a Vehicle Inspection Report error rate in excess of the statewide average (approximately 10%).

g)         If the OTS where a CST is employed changes testing equipment in a lane, the CST shall be required to demonstrate proficiency in the operation of the new testing equipment.

h)         If a CST leaves the employ of one Official Testing Station and is subsequently hired by another, the latter employer shall request in writing a transfer of the CST's certification.

1)         The CVSS may require the CST to pass the written and proficiency examinations before his Certificate is transferred.

2)         Both tests shall be administered if the lapse in employment at Official Testing Stations exceeds thirty days, if the OTS classifications of the two Stations differ or if the testing equipment differs.

i)          The CST's Certificate remains the property of the CVSS and shall be immediately returned to the CVSS or authorized personnel of the Department if the CST:

1)         Ceases testing vehicles; or

2)         Ceases to be employed by the Official Testing Station; or

3)         Certificate is suspended, cancelled or revoked; or

4)         Fails to maintain his certification; or

5)         Driver's license is expired, cancelled, suspended or revoked.

j)          The testing privileges granted by the CST's Certificate shall be subject to cancellation, suspension or revocation (see Section 451.70(j) for suspension or revocation procedures) by the Department for any violation of this Part (see Section 13-108 of the Illinois Vehicle Inspection Law regarding administrative hearings).

k)         If a CST's Certificate has been suspended for ninety days or more or cancelled, the CVSS will require that the CST pass the written and proficiency examinations prior to recertification.

l)          If an OTS is inoperative for a period of six months or more, all CST Certificates shall be cancelled.  Any former CST shall be required to be reexamined before a Certificate is issued.

m)        Failure of a CST to pass either the proficiency or written portion of any retest shall automatically cancel their Certification.

n)         Refusal of a CST to submit to retesting shall automatically cancel his certification and his Certificate shall be immediately surrendered to Department personnel.

o)         No person shall perform a safety test unless rated as a CST by the CVSS and possess a valid Certificate issued by the CVSS.  The Certificate shall be displayed at the OTS where the CST is employed.

1)         No CST, Station Owner, or Station employee shall authorize duties which are required to be performed by a CST to one who is not a CST.

2)         No person shall test school buses unless they have been rated as a School Bus CST.

3)         The Department will issue a citation/complaint or warning ticket to an OTS employee who is not a CST but who has safety tested vehicle(s) and issued Certificate(s) of Safety in violation of this Part or Section 13-100 et seq. of the Illinois Vehicle Inspection Law.

p)         The CST shall perform the applicable safety test according to the vehicle's type and required test procedures (see Section 451.Appendices A, B, C, D and 92 Ill. Adm. Code 396 and 448 for testing procedures).

q)         Before beginning the safety test, the CST shall remove any old Certificates of Safety affixed to the vehicle.

r)          The CST must verify that the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) which is recorded on the vehicle registration material is identical to the VIN found on the vehicle VIN plate.

s)         The CST shall have sole physical control during the entire safety test procedure for any special category vehicle or school bus being tested.

1)         A CST shall perform the retesting of repaired components requiring use of testing equipment only within the perimeter lines of the lane.

2)         A CST shall not perform any repairs or charge for any repairs made on a vehicle submitted for a safety test without the express consent of the owner or driver.

t)          The CST shall be responsible for all safety test results entered on the Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR).  The CST shall prepare an inspection report for each and every vehicle presented for a test.  The CST shall print his name and write his signature in the proper space on the VIR when the test is completed.

u)         The CST who performed the original safety test or retest of a vehicle shall affix the appropriate Certificate of Safety on the windshield as prescribed in Section 451.140(o).  The Certificate of Safety shall be affixed only if the vehicle tested equals or exceeds all requirements of this Part.

1)         The CST shall complete the reverse side of the Certificate of Safety with the required information using a permanent ink pen.

2)         The CST shall affix to the face of the Certificate of Safety the appropriate numeric decal insert representing both the month of vehicle certification and the Certificate of Safety expiration date.

v)         A CST shall not accept any gratuity from any person for or in connection with an official safety test or for the issuance or giving of a Certificate of Safety.

(Source:  Amended at 17 Ill. Reg. 12839, effective July 27, 1993)