Public Act 104-0088
 
SB1256 EnrolledLRB104 05740 LNS 15770 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 Section 3-616 as follows:
 
    (625 ILCS 5/3-616)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-616)
    Sec. 3-616. Disability license plates. 
    (a) Upon receiving an application for a certificate of 
registration for a motor vehicle of the first division, a 
motorcycle, an autocycle, or for a motor vehicle of the second 
division weighing no more than 8,000 pounds, accompanied with 
payment of the registration fees required under this Code from 
a person with disabilities or a person who is deaf or hard of 
hearing, the Secretary of State, if so requested, shall issue 
to such person registration plates as provided for in Section 
3-611, provided that the person with disabilities or person 
who is deaf or hard of hearing must not be disqualified from 
obtaining a driver's license under subsection 8 of Section 
6-103 of this Code, and further provided that any person 
making such a request must submit a statement, certified by a 
licensed physician, by a licensed physician assistant, or by a 
licensed advanced practice registered nurse, or by a licensed 
physical therapist, to the effect that such person is a person 
with disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1 of this Code, 
or alternatively provide adequate documentation that such 
person has a Class 1A, Class 2A or Type Four disability under 
the provisions of Section 4A of the Illinois Identification 
Card Act. For purposes of this Section, an Illinois Person 
with a Disability Identification Card issued pursuant to the 
Illinois Identification Card Act indicating that the person 
thereon named has a disability shall be adequate documentation 
of such a disability.
    (b) The Secretary shall issue plates under this Section to 
a parent or legal guardian of a person with disabilities if the 
person with disabilities has a Class 1A or Class 2A disability 
as defined in Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card 
Act or is a person with disabilities as defined by Section 
1-159.1 of this Code, and does not possess a vehicle 
registered in his or her name, provided that the person with 
disabilities relies frequently on the parent or legal guardian 
for transportation. Only one vehicle per family may be 
registered under this subsection, unless the applicant can 
justify in writing the need for one additional set of plates. 
Any person requesting special plates under this subsection 
shall submit such documentation or such physician's, physician 
assistant's, or advanced practice registered nurse's, or 
physical therapist's statement as is required in subsection 
(a) and a statement describing the circumstances qualifying 
for issuance of special plates under this subsection. An 
optometrist may certify a Class 2A Visual Disability, as 
defined in Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card Act, 
for the purpose of qualifying a person with disabilities for 
special plates under this subsection. 
    (c) The Secretary may issue a parking decal or device to a 
person with disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1 without 
regard to qualification of such person with disabilities for a 
driver's license or registration of a vehicle by such person 
with disabilities or such person's immediate family, provided 
such person with disabilities making such a request has been 
issued an Illinois Person with a Disability Identification 
Card indicating that the person named thereon has a Class 1A or 
Class 2A disability, or alternatively, submits a statement 
certified by a licensed physician, or by a licensed physician 
assistant, or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse, 
or a licensed physical therapist as provided in subsection 
(a), to the effect that such person is a person with 
disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1. An optometrist may 
certify a Class 2A Visual Disability as defined in Section 4A 
of the Illinois Identification Card Act for the purpose of 
qualifying a person with disabilities for a parking decal or 
device under this subsection.
    (d) The Secretary shall prescribe by rules and regulations 
procedures to certify or re-certify as necessary the 
eligibility of persons whose disabilities are other than 
permanent for special plates or parking decals or devices 
issued under subsections (a), (b) and (c). Except as provided 
under subsection (f) of this Section, no such special plates, 
decals or devices shall be issued by the Secretary of State to 
or on behalf of any person with disabilities unless such 
person is certified as meeting the definition of a person with 
disabilities pursuant to Section 1-159.1 or meeting the 
requirement of a Type Four disability as provided under 
Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card Act for the 
period of time that the physician, or the physician assistant, 
or the advanced practice registered nurse, or the physical 
therapist as provided in subsection (a), determines the 
applicant will have the disability, but not to exceed 6 months 
from the date of certification or recertification.
    (e) Any person requesting special plates under this 
Section may also apply to have the special plates 
personalized, as provided under Section 3-405.1.
    (f) The Secretary of State, upon application, shall issue 
disability registration plates or a parking decal to 
corporations, school districts, State or municipal agencies, 
limited liability companies, nursing homes, convalescent 
homes, or special education cooperatives which will transport 
persons with disabilities. The Secretary shall prescribe by 
rule a means to certify or re-certify the eligibility of 
organizations to receive disability plates or decals and to 
designate which of the 2 person with disabilities emblems 
shall be placed on qualifying vehicles.
    (g) The Secretary of State, or his designee, may enter 
into agreements with other jurisdictions, including foreign 
jurisdictions, on behalf of this State relating to the 
extension of parking privileges by such jurisdictions to 
residents of this State with disabilities who display a 
special license plate or parking device that contains the 
International symbol of access on his or her motor vehicle, 
and to recognize such plates or devices issued by such other 
jurisdictions. This State shall grant the same parking 
privileges which are granted to residents of this State with 
disabilities to any non-resident whose motor vehicle is 
licensed in another state, district, territory or foreign 
country if such vehicle displays the international symbol of 
access or a distinguishing insignia on license plates or 
parking device issued in accordance with the laws of the 
non-resident's state, district, territory or foreign country.
    (h) Any registration plate or parking decal or device 
issued under this Section to a person with a permanent 
disability, or the parent or guardian thereof, shall require 
certification of that permanent disability every 5 years by 
submitting to the Secretary a statement, certified by a 
licensed medical professional, declaring that such person is a 
person with a disability as provided under Section 1-159.1 of 
this Code. 
(Source: P.A. 103-843, eff. 1-1-25.)