Public Act 099-0040

SB0621 Enrolled LRB099 03337 RJF 23345 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 12-215 and by adding Section 1-220 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/1-220 new)

Sec. 1-220. Volunteer EMS provider. An Emergency Medical

Services (EMS) Volunteer Ambulance provider who, on the

effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General

Assembly, has a valid memorandum of understanding with a

municipality with a population of more than 1,000,000 to

provide voluntary assistance to and for the benefit of the

residents of that municipality.

(625 ILCS 5/12-215) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-215)

Sec. 12-215. Oscillating, rotating or flashing lights on

motor vehicles. Except as otherwise provided in this Code:

(a) The use of red or white oscillating, rotating or

flashing lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited

except on:

1. Law enforcement vehicles of State, Federal or local

authorities;

2. A vehicle operated by a police officer or county

coroner and designated or authorized by local authorities,

in writing, as a law enforcement vehicle; however, such

designation or authorization must be carried in the

vehicle;

2.1. A vehicle operated by a fire chief who has

completed an emergency vehicle operation training course

approved by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and

designated or authorized by local authorities, in writing,

as a fire department, fire protection district, or township

fire department vehicle; however, the designation or

authorization must be carried in the vehicle, and the

lights may be visible or activated only when responding to

a bona fide emergency;

3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or

federal firefighting vehicles;

4. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as

ambulances or rescue vehicles; furthermore, such lights

shall not be lighted except when responding to an emergency

call for and while actually conveying the sick or injured;

4.5. Vehicles which are occasionally used as rescue

vehicles that have been authorized for use as rescue

vehicles by a volunteer EMS provider, provided that the

operator of the vehicle has successfully completed an

emergency vehicle operation training course recognized by

the Department of Public Health; furthermore, the lights

shall not be lighted except when responding to an emergency

call for the sick or injured;

5. Tow trucks licensed in a state that requires such

lights; furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted on

any such tow truck while the tow truck is operating in the

State of Illinois;

6. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management

Agency, vehicles of the Office of the Illinois State Fire

Marshal, vehicles of the Illinois Department of Public

Health, vehicles of the Illinois Department of

Corrections, and vehicles of the Illinois Department of

Juvenile Justice;

7. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency

management services agency as defined in the Illinois

Emergency Management Agency Act;

8. School buses operating alternately flashing head

lamps as permitted under Section 12-805 of this Code;

9. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively as

organ transplant vehicles when used in combination with

blue oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights;

furthermore, these lights shall be lighted only when the

transportation is declared an emergency by a member of the

transplant team or a representative of the organ

procurement organization;

10. Vehicles of the Illinois Department of Natural

Resources that are used for mine rescue and explosives

emergency response; and

11. Vehicles of the Illinois Department of

Transportation identified as Emergency Traffic Patrol; the

lights shall not be lighted except when responding to an

emergency call or when parked or stationary while engaged

in motor vehicle assistance or at the scene of the

emergency; and

12. Vehicles of the Illinois State Toll Highway

Authority identified as Highway Emergency Lane Patrol; the

lights shall not be lighted except when responding to an

emergency call or when parked or stationary while engaged

in motor vehicle assistance or at the scene of the

emergency.

(b) The use of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing

lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:

1. Second division vehicles designed and used for

towing or hoisting vehicles; furthermore, such lights

shall not be lighted except as required in this paragraph

1; such lights shall be lighted when such vehicles are

actually being used at the scene of an accident or

disablement; if the towing vehicle is equipped with a flat

bed that supports all wheels of the vehicle being

transported, the lights shall not be lighted while the

vehicle is engaged in towing on a highway; if the towing

vehicle is not equipped with a flat bed that supports all

wheels of a vehicle being transported, the lights shall be

lighted while the towing vehicle is engaged in towing on a

highway during all times when the use of headlights is

required under Section 12-201 of this Code; in addition,

these vehicles may use white oscillating, rotating, or

flashing lights in combination with amber oscillating,

rotating, or flashing lights as provided in this paragraph;

2. Motor vehicles or equipment of the State of

Illinois, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, local

authorities and contractors; furthermore, such lights

shall not be lighted except while such vehicles are engaged

in maintenance or construction operations within the

limits of construction projects;

3. Vehicles or equipment used by engineering or survey

crews; furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except

while such vehicles are actually engaged in work on a

highway;

4. Vehicles of public utilities, municipalities, or

other construction, maintenance or automotive service

vehicles except that such lights shall be lighted only as a

means for indicating the presence of a vehicular traffic

hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking

or passing while such vehicles are engaged in maintenance,

service or construction on a highway;

5. Oversized vehicle or load; however, such lights

shall only be lighted when moving under permit issued by

the Department under Section 15-301 of this Code;

6. The front and rear of motorized equipment owned and

operated by the State of Illinois or any political

subdivision thereof, which is designed and used for removal

of snow and ice from highways;

6.1. The front and rear of motorized equipment or

vehicles that (i) are not owned by the State of Illinois or

any political subdivision of the State, (ii) are designed

and used for removal of snow and ice from highways and

parking lots, and (iii) are equipped with a snow plow that

is 12 feet in width; these lights may not be lighted except

when the motorized equipment or vehicle is actually being

used for those purposes on behalf of a unit of government;

7. Fleet safety vehicles registered in another state,

furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except as

provided for in Section 12-212 of this Code;

8. Such other vehicles as may be authorized by local

authorities;

9. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local

authorities when used in combination with red oscillating,

rotating or flashing lights;

9.5. Propane delivery trucks;

10. Vehicles used for collecting or delivering mail for

the United States Postal Service provided that such lights

shall not be lighted except when such vehicles are actually

being used for such purposes;

10.5. Vehicles of the Office of the Illinois State Fire

Marshal, provided that such lights shall not be lighted

except for when such vehicles are engaged in work for the

Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal;

11. Any vehicle displaying a slow-moving vehicle

emblem as provided in Section 12-205.1;

12. All trucks equipped with self-compactors or

roll-off hoists and roll-on containers for garbage or

refuse hauling. Such lights shall not be lighted except

when such vehicles are actually being used for such

purposes;

13. Vehicles used by a security company, alarm

responder, control agency, or the Illinois Department of

Corrections;

14. Security vehicles of the Department of Human

Services; however, the lights shall not be lighted except

when being used for security related purposes under the

direction of the superintendent of the facility where the

vehicle is located; and

15. Vehicles of union representatives, except that the

lights shall be lighted only while the vehicle is within

the limits of a construction project.

(c) The use of blue oscillating, rotating or flashing

lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:

1. Rescue squad vehicles not owned by a fire department

and vehicles owned or operated by a:

voluntary firefighter;

paid firefighter;

part-paid firefighter;

call firefighter;

member of the board of trustees of a fire

protection district;

paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad;

paid or unpaid member of a voluntary ambulance

unit; or

paid or unpaid members of a local or county

emergency management services agency as defined in the

Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, designated

or authorized by local authorities, in writing, and

carrying that designation or authorization in the

vehicle.

However, such lights are not to be lighted except when

responding to a bona fide emergency or when parked or

stationary at the scene of a fire, rescue call, ambulance

call, or motor vehicle accident.

Any person using these lights in accordance with this

subdivision (c)1 must carry on his or her person an

identification card or letter identifying the bona fide

member of a fire department, fire protection district,

rescue squad, ambulance unit, or emergency management

services agency that owns or operates that vehicle. The

card or letter must include:

(A) the name of the fire department, fire

protection district, rescue squad, ambulance unit, or

emergency management services agency;

(B) the member's position within the fire

department, fire protection district, rescue squad,

ambulance unit, or emergency management services

agency;

(C) the member's term of service; and

(D) the name of a person within the fire

department, fire protection district, rescue squad,

ambulance unit, or emergency management services

agency to contact to verify the information provided.

2. Police department vehicles in cities having a

population of 500,000 or more inhabitants.

3. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local

authorities when used in combination with red oscillating,

rotating or flashing lights.

4. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or

federal firefighting vehicles when used in combination

with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.

5. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as

ambulances or rescue vehicles when used in combination with

red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights; furthermore,

such lights shall not be lighted except when responding to

an emergency call.

6. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively as

organ transport vehicles when used in combination with red

oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights; furthermore,

these lights shall only be lighted when the transportation

is declared an emergency by a member of the transplant team

or a representative of the organ procurement organization.

7. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management

Agency, vehicles of the Office of the Illinois State Fire

Marshal, vehicles of the Illinois Department of Public

Health, vehicles of the Illinois Department of

Corrections, and vehicles of the Illinois Department of

Juvenile Justice, when used in combination with red

oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.

8. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency

management services agency as defined in the Illinois

Emergency Management Agency Act, when used in combination

with red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.

9. Vehicles of the Illinois Department of Natural

Resources that are used for mine rescue and explosives

emergency response, when used in combination with red

oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.

(c-1) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or

flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and

notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a

voluntary firefighter, a voluntary member of a rescue squad, or

a member of a voluntary ambulance unit may be equipped with

flashing white headlights and blue grill lights, which may be

used only in responding to an emergency call or when parked or

stationary at the scene of a fire, rescue call, ambulance call,

or motor vehicle accident.

(c-2) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or

flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and

notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a paid or

unpaid member of a local or county emergency management

services agency as defined in the Illinois Emergency Management

Agency Act, may be equipped with white oscillating, rotating,

or flashing lights to be used in combination with blue

oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights, if authorization by

local authorities is in writing and carried in the vehicle.

(d) The use of a combination of amber and white

oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or

unlighted, is prohibited except on second division vehicles

designed and used for towing or hoisting vehicles or motor

vehicles or equipment of the State of Illinois, local

authorities, contractors, and union representatives;

furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted on second

division vehicles designed and used for towing or hoisting

vehicles or vehicles of the State of Illinois, local

authorities, and contractors except while such vehicles are

engaged in a tow operation, highway maintenance, or

construction operations within the limits of highway

construction projects, and shall not be lighted on the vehicles

of union representatives except when those vehicles are within

the limits of a construction project.

(e) All oscillating, rotating or flashing lights referred

to in this Section shall be of sufficient intensity, when

illuminated, to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.

(f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a manufacturer

of oscillating, rotating or flashing lights or his

representative or authorized vendor from temporarily mounting

such lights on a vehicle for demonstration purposes only. If

the lights are not covered while the vehicle is operated upon a

highway, the vehicle shall display signage indicating that the

vehicle is out of service or not an emergency vehicle. The

signage shall be displayed on all sides of the vehicle in

letters at least 2 inches tall and one-half inch wide. A

vehicle authorized to have oscillating, rotating, or flashing

lights mounted for demonstration purposes may not activate the

lights while the vehicle is operated upon a highway.

(g) Any person violating the provisions of subsections (a),

(b), (c) or (d) of this Section who without lawful authority

stops or detains or attempts to stop or detain another person

shall be guilty of a Class 2 felony.

(h) Except as provided in subsection (g) above, any person

violating the provisions of subsections (a) or (c) of this

Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

(Source: P.A. 97-39, eff. 1-1-12; 97-149, eff. 7-14-11; 97-813,

eff. 7-13-12; 97-1173, eff. 1-1-14; 98-80, eff. 7-15-13;

98-123, eff. 1-1-14; 98-468, eff. 8-16-13; 98-756, eff.

7-16-14; 98-873, eff. 1-1-15; revised 10-6-14.)