New Illinois Laws 2017: TRANSPORTATION AND VEHICLE REGULATION

More than 200 new Illinois laws scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1. Here are the new laws governing Transportation and Vehicle Regulation:

• Illinois Vehicle Code (HB 5723/PA 99-0613): Provides that a person convicted of operating a vehicle without an insurance policy shall be guilty of a petty offense instead of a business offense.

• Transportation-Tech Act (SB 0637/PA 99-0511): Makes changes to Illinois law to comply with federal REAL ID regulations.
• Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code (HB 5651/ PA 99-0644): Allows vehicle owner to select their birthday as the vehicle's registration expiration date.
• Vehicle CD-Rail Signal Crossing (SB 2806/PA 99-0663): Raises the fine for violating railroad crossing laws.

• Illinois Vehicle Code (SB 0629/PA 99-0689): A video recorder may be operated in a contract carrier vehicle (SB 0629/PA 99-0689)
• Requires vehicles to stop before passing or driving past a stopped school bus on a public school highway; Removes highways on public school property from the classification of non-designated highways (SB 2835/PA 99-0740)

• Allows the Secretary of State to issue a version of the Illinois Fire Fighters' Memorial license plates for motorcycles (HB 5649/PA 99-0812).
• Requires Secretary of State to make a Chicago police memorial license plate for motorcycles (SB 2431/PA 99-0815).
• Requires license plates to be clearly visible (SB 0805/PA 99-0896).
• Allows motorcycles rear lights to be blue (HB 4105/PA 99-0598).