The state of Illinois must believe in the effectiveness of license plate covers and sprays. The state's Senate voted last Thursday to ban the sale, advertising or use of any device designed to foil red light cameras and the state's highway speed camera program which begins in July. The measure introduced by Senator Antonio Munoz (D-Springfield) passed by a 56-0 vote. The bill must now be considered in the state House.

Article Excerpt:

SB1119 Engrossed
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 12-610.5 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/12-610.5)
Sec. 12-610.5. Registration plate covers.
(a) In this Section, "registration plate cover" means any tinted, colored, painted, marked, clear, or illuminated object that is designed to:
(1) cover any of the characters of a motor vehicle's registration plate; or
(2) distort a recorded image of any of the characters of a motor vehicle's registration plate recorded by an automated red light enforcement system as defined in Section 1-105.5 of this Code or recorded by an automated traffic control system as defined in Section 15 of the Automated Traffic Control Systems in Highway Construction or Maintenance Zones Act.
(b) It shall be unlawful to operate any motor vehicle that is equipped with registration plate covers.
(c) A person may not sell or offer for sale a registration plate cover.
(d) A person may not advertise for the purpose of promoting the sale of registration plate covers.
(e) A violation of this Section or a similar provision of a local ordinance shall be an offense against laws and ordinances regulating the movement of traffic.
(Source: P.A. 89-245, eff. 1-1-96.)