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Illinois Compiled Statutes

Information maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.


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625 ILCS 5/12-208

    (625 ILCS 5/12-208) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-208)
    Sec. 12-208. Signal lamps and signal devices.
    (a) Every vehicle other than an antique vehicle displaying an antique plate or an expanded-use antique vehicle displaying expanded-use antique vehicle plates operated in this State shall be equipped with a stop lamp or lamps on the rear of the vehicle which shall display a red or amber light visible from a distance of not less than 500 feet to the rear in normal sunlight and which shall be actuated upon application of the service (foot) brake, and which may but need not be incorporated with other rear lamps. During times when lighted lamps are not required, an antique vehicle or an expanded-use antique vehicle may be equipped with a stop lamp or lamps on the rear of such vehicle of the same type originally installed by the manufacturer as original equipment and in working order. However, at all other times, except as provided in subsection (a-1), such antique vehicle or expanded-use antique vehicle must be equipped with stop lamps meeting the requirements of Section 12-208 of this Act.
    (a-1) A motorcycle or an antique vehicle or an expanded-use antique vehicle, including an antique motorcycle, may display a blue light or lights of up to one inch in diameter as part of the vehicle's rear stop lamp or lamps.
    (b) Every motor vehicle other than an antique vehicle displaying an antique plate or an expanded-use antique vehicle displaying expanded-use antique vehicle plates shall be equipped with an electric turn signal device which shall indicate the intention of the driver to turn to the right or to the left, change lanes, turn a vehicle, or otherwise turn or maneuver a vehicle from a direct course of travel in the form of flashing lights located at and showing to the front and rear of the vehicle on the side of the vehicle toward which the turn is to be made. The lamps showing to the front shall be mounted on the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable and, when signaling, shall emit a white or amber light, or any shade of light between white and amber. The lamps showing to the rear shall be mounted on the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable and, when signaling, shall emit a red or amber light. An antique vehicle or expanded-use antique vehicle shall be equipped with a turn signal device of the same type originally installed by the manufacturer as original equipment and in working order.
    (c) Every trailer and semitrailer shall be equipped with an electric turn signal device which indicates the intention of the driver in the power unit to turn to the right or to the left in the form of flashing red or amber lights located at the rear of the vehicle on the side toward which the turn is to be made and mounted on the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable.
    (d) Turn signal lamps must be visible from a distance of not less than 300 feet in normal sunlight.
    (e) Motorcycles and motor-driven cycles need not be equipped with electric turn signals. Antique vehicles and expanded-use antique vehicles need not be equipped with turn signals unless such were installed by the manufacturer as original equipment.
    (f) (Blank).
    (g) Motorcycles and motor-driven cycles may be equipped with a stop lamp or lamps on the rear of the vehicle that display a red or amber light, visible from a distance of not less than 500 feet to the rear in normal sunlight, that flashes and becomes steady only when the brake is actuated.
    (h) Electric turn signal lamps shall not be flashed or left in the on position other than to indicate the intention of a driver to turn a vehicle left or right, change lanes, or otherwise turn or maneuver a vehicle from a direct course of travel.
(Source: P.A. 102-508, eff. 8-20-21.)

625 ILCS 5/12-209

    (625 ILCS 5/12-209) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-209)
    Sec. 12-209. Additional lighting equipment.
    (a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than 2 side cowl or fender lamps which shall emit an amber or white light without glare.
    (b) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than one running board courtesy lamp on each side thereof which shall emit a white or amber light without glare.
    (c) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with one or more back-up lamps either separately or in combination with other lamps which shall emit a white or amber light without glare; but any such back-up lamp or lamps shall not be lighted when the motor vehicle is in forward motion.
(Source: P.A. 100-707, eff. 1-1-19.)

625 ILCS 5/12-210

    (625 ILCS 5/12-210) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-210)
    Sec. 12-210. Use of head lamps and auxiliary driving lamps. (a) Whenever the driver of any vehicle equipped with an electric driving head lamp, driving head lamps, auxiliary driving lamp or auxiliary driving lamps is within 500 feet of another vehicle approaching from the opposite direction, the driver shall dim or drop such head lamp or head lamps and shall extinguish all auxiliary driving lamps.
    (b) The driver of any vehicle equipped with an electric driving head lamp, head lamps, auxiliary driving lamp or auxiliary driving lamps shall dim or drop such head lamp or head lamps and shall extinguish all auxiliary driving lamps when there is another vehicle traveling in the same direction less than 300 feet to the front of him.
    (c) No vehicle shall have the lighting system modified to allow more than 2 electric head lamps to be lighted while operating in the dimmed or dropped position.
    (d) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit the use of auxiliary driving lamps, commonly referred to as "fog" lamps, when used in conjunction with head lamps, if such auxiliary driving lamps are adjusted and so aimed that the glaring rays are not projected into the eyes of drivers of oncoming vehicles.
(Source: P.A. 85-1144.)

625 ILCS 5/12-211

    (625 ILCS 5/12-211) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-211)
    Sec. 12-211. Number of driving lamps required or permitted.
    (a) At all times specified in Section 12-201, at least 2 lighted driving lamps shall be displayed, one on each side of the front of every motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, except when such vehicle is parked subject to the regulations governing lights on parked vehicles.
    (b) Whenever a motor vehicle equipped with driving lamps as herein required is also equipped with any auxiliary driving lamps or a spot lamp or any other lamp on the front thereof, not more than a total of 4 of any such lamps on the front of a vehicle shall be lighted at any one time when upon a highway.
(Source: P.A. 86-1236.)

625 ILCS 5/12-212

    (625 ILCS 5/12-212) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-212)
    Sec. 12-212. Special restrictions on lamps.
    (a) No person shall drive or move any vehicle or equipment upon any highway with any lamp or device on the vehicle or equipment displaying a red light visible from directly in front of the vehicle or equipment except as otherwise provided in this Act.
    (b) Subject to the restrictions of this Act, flashing lights are prohibited on motor vehicles except as expressly authorized in this Chapter or as a means for indicating a right or left turn, lane change, or a maneuver of a vehicle from a direct course of travel as provided in Section 12-208 or the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care as expressly provided in Sections 11-804 or 12-215.
    (c) Unless otherwise expressly authorized by this Code, all other lighting or combination of lighting on any vehicle shall be prohibited.
    (d) No person shall drive or move any motor vehicle or equipment upon any highway with any lighting or combination of lighting with a smoked or tinted lens or cover.
(Source: P.A. 101-189, eff. 1-1-20; 102-508, eff. 8-20-21.)

625 ILCS 5/12-214

    (625 ILCS 5/12-214) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-214)
    Sec. 12-214. Special lighting equipment on rural mail delivery vehicles.
    If a rural mail delivery vehicle is equipped with special signal lamps, there shall be displayed to the front 2 such alternately flashing amber lamps located at the same level and mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable and to the rear 2 alternately flashing amber lamps located at the same level and mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable. Such lamps shall be of sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight and shall be controlled so that they will only be used to indicate to other traffic that a stop is being made for the purpose of picking up or delivering U. S. mail.
(Source: P.A. 77-37.)

625 ILCS 5/12-214.1

    (625 ILCS 5/12-214.1)
    Sec. 12-214.1. Tow trucks meeting federal motor carrier safety requirements; lighting and signalling equipment. Any tow truck that meets the requirements of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations of the United States Department of Transportation, regarding lighting and signalling equipment required on commercial motor vehicles, shall be deemed to comply with the provisions of this Chapter regarding required lighting and signalling equipment.
(Source: P.A. 89-433, eff. 12-15-95.)