Illinois Cracks โdown on License Plate tampering, toll evasion with New โขLaw
Springfield, IL – Illinois drivers face stricter penalties for concealing or altering vehicle registration plates and evading tolls under Public Actโข 104-0125, signed into law today. The legislation, an amendmentโข to existing vehicle code, elevates certain offenses to class Aโ misdemeanors and expands prohibitionsโข on devices used to obscureโฃ license plates.
Theโ new law โฃbuilds upon previous regulations, specifically Section 27.1 of the Toll Highway Act concerning toll evasion, and addressesโ emerging methods of circumventing registration and toll payment.It explicitly prohibits the use of any manual, electronic, or mechanical device intended to hideโข or obscure a registration plate, as well as the alteration or manipulationโฃ of registrationโฃ stickers, plates, or digital registration. Any person found to be operating a vehicle with โฃaltered evidence ofโค registration or equipped with an obscuring device will be subject to legalโ action.
The legislation clarifies display requirements forโ registration stickers, differentiating between standard vehicles and truck-tractors.Standard vehicle stickers must โbe displayed on the upper right corner of the rear registration plate, while truck-tractor stickers go on theโ upper right corner of the front โplate. Affixing unauthorized objects – medallions,insignias,stickers,or tape – to โany registration evidence is also prohibited.
A violation of the provisions regarding plate tampering or obscuring devices is now classified as a Class A misdemeanor in Illinois. This change aims to deter drivers from attempting โขto avoid โtoll fees or conceal vehicle identification, enhancing public safety and ensuring compliance with state regulations. The law took effect January 1, 2025, as originally outlined in P.A. 103-706.
