Public Act 095-0353
 
HB0358 Enrolled LRB095 04613 DRH 24670 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 3-609, 3-620, 3-621, 3-622, 3-623, 3-624, 3-625,
3-806.1, 3-806.4, and 3-806.5 as follows:
 
    (625 ILCS 5/3-609)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-609)
    Sec. 3-609. Disabled Veterans' Plates. Any disabled
veteran who has been or declared eligible for funds for the
purchase of a motor vehicle of the first division or for a
motor vehicle of the second division weighing not more than
8,000 pounds by the United States Federal Government because of
his disability, may make application for the registration of
one such vehicle, to the Secretary of State without the payment
of any registration fee. The Secretary may, in his or her
discretion, allow the plates to be issued as vanity or
personalized plates in accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this
Code. Registration shall be for a multi-year period effective
in 1980 and may be issued staggered registration.
    Any disabled veteran of World War I, of World War II, of
the National Emergency between June 25, 1950 and January 31,
1955 or of the period beginning February 1, 1955 and ending on
the day before the first day thereafter in which individuals
(other than individuals liable for induction by reason of prior
deferment) are no longer liable for induction for training and
service into the armed forces under the Military Selective
Service Act of 1967, or of any armed conflict involving the
armed forces of the United States, who has a service-connected
disability of such a nature that it would, if it had been
incurred in World War II, have entitled him to be awarded an
automobile by the United States Federal Government, or who is
receiving compensation from the Veterans Administration for
total service-connected disability, may make application to
the Secretary of State for the registration of one motor
vehicle of the first division without accompanying such
application with the payment of any fee.
    Renewal of such registration must be accompanied with
documentation for eligibility of registration without fee
unless the applicant has a permanent qualifying disability, and
such registration plates may not be issued to any person not
eligible therefor.
    The Illinois Veterans Commission may assist in providing
the documentation of disability.
(Source: P.A. 86-444; 87-895.)
 
    (625 ILCS 5/3-620)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-620)
    Sec. 3-620. The Secretary, upon receipt of an application
made on the form prescribed by the Secretary of State, may
issue special registration plates to United States citizens,
who are present or former members of the United States armed
forces or any of its allies, and who were prisoners of war of
World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the
Vietnamese conflict, or to the widowed spouse of a former
member of the United States armed forces, providing that
widowed spouse was married to the POW at the time of death, and
is a single person at the time of application. The special
plates issued pursuant to this Section shall be affixed only to
passenger vehicles of the first division subject to the
staggered registration system, motorcycles, and vehicles of
the second division having a gross weight of 8,000 pounds or
less and shall be issued without charge. Only one set of plates
may be issued at no fee.
    The design and color of the prisoner of war plates shall be
wholly within the discretion of the Secretary of State. The
Secretary may, in his or her discretion, allow the plates to be
issued as vanity or personalized plates in accordance with
Section 3-405.1 of this Code.
(Source: P.A. 92-545, eff. 6-12-02.)
 
    (625 ILCS 5/3-621)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-621)
    Sec. 3-621. The Secretary, upon receipt of an application,
made in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State, may
issue to members of the Illinois National Guard, and to
Illinois residents who are either former members of the
Illinois National Guard or the surviving spouses of Illinois
National Guard members, special registration plates. The
special plates issued pursuant to this Section shall be affixed
only to passenger vehicles of the first division, motorcycles,
or motor vehicles of the second division weighing not more than
8,000 pounds subject to the staggered registration system.
    The design and color of such plates shall be wholly within
the discretion of the Secretary of State. The Secretary may, in
his or her discretion, allow the plates to be issued as vanity
or personalized plates in accordance with Section 3-405.1 of
this Code.
(Source: P.A. 92-545, eff. 6-12-02; 92-699, 1-1-03; revised
8-23-02.)
 
    (625 ILCS 5/3-622)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-622)
    Sec. 3-622. The Secretary, upon receipt of an application
made in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State, may
issue to members of the United States Armed Forces Reserves who
reside in Illinois, and to Illinois residents who are either
former members of the United States Armed Forces Reserves or
the surviving spouses of United States Armed Forces Reserve
members who resided in Illinois, special registration plates.
The special plates issued pursuant to this Section shall be
affixed only to passenger vehicles of the first division,
motorcycles, or motor vehicles of the second division weighing
not more than 8,000 pounds subject to the staggered
registration system. The design and color of such plates shall
be wholly within the discretion of the Secretary of State. The
Secretary may, in his or her discretion, allow the plates to be
issued as vanity or personalized plates in accordance with
Section 3-405.1 of this Code.
(Source: P.A. 92-545, eff. 6-12-02; 92-699, eff. 1-1-03;
revised 8-23-02.)
 
    (625 ILCS 5/3-623)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-623)
    Sec. 3-623. Purple Heart Plates. The Secretary, upon
receipt of an application made in the form prescribed by the
Secretary of State, may issue to recipients awarded the Purple
Heart by a branch of the armed forces of the United States who
reside in Illinois, special registration plates. The
Secretary, upon receipt of the proper application
applications, may also issue these special registration plates
to an Illinois resident who is the surviving spouse of a person
who was killed in a foreign war and was awarded the Purple
Heart by a branch of the armed forces of the United States. The
special plates issued pursuant to this Section should be
affixed only to passenger vehicles of the 1st division,
including motorcycles, or motor vehicles of the 2nd division
weighing not more than 8,000 pounds. The Secretary may, in his
or her discretion, allow the plates to be issued as vanity or
personalized plates in accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this
Code.
    The design and color of such plates shall be wholly within
the discretion of the Secretary of State. Appropriate
documentation, as determined by the Secretary, and the
appropriate registration fee shall accompany the application.
However, for an individual who has been issued Purple Heart
plates for a vehicle and who has been approved for benefits
under the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax
Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act, the annual fee for
the registration of the vehicle shall be as provided in Section
3-806.3 of this Code.
(Source: P.A. 93-846, eff. 7-30-04; 94-93, eff. 1-1-06; 94-343,
eff. 1-1-06; revised 10-20-05.)
 
    (625 ILCS 5/3-624)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-624)
    Sec. 3-624. The Secretary, upon receipt of an application
made in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State, may
issue to retired members of the United States Armed Forces who
reside in Illinois, special registration plates. The special
plates issued pursuant to this Section shall be affixed only to
passenger vehicles of the first division, motorcycles, or motor
vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000
pounds and subject to the staggered registration system. The
design and color of such plates shall be wholly within the
discretion of the Secretary of State. The Secretary may, in his
or her discretion, allow the plates to be issued as vanity or
personalized plates in accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this
Code.
(Source: P.A. 92-545, eff. 6-12-02.)
 
    (625 ILCS 5/3-625)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-625)
    Sec. 3-625. Pearl Harbor Plates. The Secretary, upon
receipt of an application made in the form prescribed by the
Secretary of State, may issue special registration plates to
any Illinois resident who, while a member of the armed forces
of the United States, participated in the battle of Pearl
Harbor on December 7, 1941, or to the widowed spouse of any
Illinois resident who, while a member of the armed forces of
the United States, participated in the battle of Pearl Harbor
on December 7, 1941, provided that the widowed spouse was
married to the battle of Pearl Harbor participant at the time
of the participant's death and is a single person at the time
of application. The special plates issued pursuant to this
Section should be affixed only to passenger vehicles of the 1st
division, motorcycles, or motor vehicles of the 2nd division
weighing not more than 8,000 pounds. The Secretary may, in his
or her discretion, allow the plates to be issued as vanity or
personalized plates in accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this
Code.
    The design and color of such plates shall be wholly within
the discretion of the Secretary of State. Appropriate
documentation, as determined by the Secretary, and the
appropriate registration fee shall accompany the application.
(Source: P.A. 92-545, eff. 6-12-02; 92-699, eff. 1-1-03;
revised 8-23-02.)
 
    (625 ILCS 5/3-806.1)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-806.1)
    Sec. 3-806.1. Additional fees for vanity license plates. In
addition to the regular registration fee, an applicant for a
vanity license plate, other than a vanity plate in any military
series or a vanity plate issued under Section 3-806.4, shall be
charged $94 for each set of vanity license plates issued to a
motor vehicle of the first division or a motor vehicle of the
second division registered at not more than 8,000 pounds or to
a recreational vehicle and $50 for each set of vanity plates
issued to a motorcycle. In addition to the regular renewal fee,
an applicant for a vanity plate, other than a vanity plate in
any military series or a vanity plate issued under Section
3-806.4, shall be charged $13 for the renewal of each set of
vanity license plates. There shall be no additional fees for a
vanity license plate in any military series of plates or a
vanity plate issued under Section 3-806.4.
(Source: P.A. 91-37, eff. 7-1-99.)
 
    (625 ILCS 5/3-806.4)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-806.4)
    Sec. 3-806.4. Gold Star recipients. Commencing with the
1991 registration year and through the 2006 registration year,
upon proper application, the Secretary of State shall issue one
pair of registration plates to any Illinois resident, who as
the surviving widow or widower, or in the absence thereof, as
the surviving parent, is awarded the Gold Star by the United
States in recognition of spouses or children who served in the
Armed Forces of the United States and lost their lives while in
service whether in peacetime or war. Commencing with the 2007
registration year, upon proper application, the Secretary of
State shall issue one pair of registration plates to any
Illinois resident, who as the surviving widow, widower, or
parent, is awarded the Gold Star by the United States in
recognition of spouses or children who served in the Armed
Forces of the United States and lost their lives while in
service whether in peacetime or war. If the parent no longer
survives, the Secretary of State shall issue the plates to a
surviving sibling, of the person who served in the Armed
Forces, who is an Illinois resident. No more than one set of
plates shall be issued for each Gold Star awarded, and only one
surviving parent, or in the absence of a surviving parent, only
one surviving sibling shall be issued a set of registration
plates, except for those surviving parents who, as recipients
of the Gold Star, have legally separated or divorced, in which
case each surviving parent shall be allowed one set of
registration plates. Registration plates issued under this
Section shall be for first division vehicles and second
division vehicles of 8,000 pounds or less. The Secretary may,
in his or her discretion, allow the plates to be issued as
vanity or personalized plates in accordance with Section
3-405.1 of this Code. Through the 2006 registration year, an
applicant shall be charged a $15 fee for the original issuance
in addition to the appropriate registration fee which shall be
deposited into the Road Fund to help defray the administrative
processing costs. Beginning with the 2007 registration year, an
applicant shall be charged only the appropriate registration
fee.
(Source: P.A. 93-140, eff. 1-1-04; 94-311, eff. 1-1-06; 94-343,
eff. 1-1-06; revised 8-19-05.)
 
    (625 ILCS 5/3-806.5)
    Sec. 3-806.5. Additional fees for personalized license
plates. For registration periods commencing after December 31,
2003, in addition to the regular registration fee, an applicant
for a personalized license plate, other than a personalized
plate in any military series or a personalized plate issued
under Section 3-806.4, shall be charged $47 for each set of
personalized license plates issued to a motor vehicle of the
first division or a motor vehicle of the second division
registered at not more than 8,000 pounds or to a recreational
vehicle and $25 for each set of personalized plates issued to a
motorcycle. In addition to the regular renewal fee, an
applicant for a personalized plate other than a personalized
plate in any military series or a personalized plate issued
under Section 3-806.4, shall be charged $7 for the renewal of
each set of personalized license plates. There shall be no
additional fees charged for a personalized plate in any
military series of plates or a personalized plate issued under
Section 3-806.4. Of the money received by the Secretary of
State as additional fees for personalized license plates, 50%
shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License
Plate Fund and 50% shall be deposited into the General Revenue
Fund.
(Source: P.A. 93-32, eff. 7-1-03.)