§ 12-503 — Windshields must be unobstructed and equipped with wipers

(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle with any sign, poster, window application, reflective material, nonreflective material, or tinted film upon the front windshield, except that a nonreflective tinted film may be used along the uppermost portion of the windshield if such material does not extend more than 6 inches down from the top of the windshield. (a-3) No new or used motor vehicle dealer shall permit a driver to drive a motor vehicle offered for sale or lease off the premises where the motor vehicle is being offered for sale or lease, including when the driver is test driving the vehicle, with signs, decals, paperwork, or other material on the front windshield or on the windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver that would obstruct the driver's view in violation of subsection (a) of this Section. For purposes of this subsection (a-3), "test driving" means when a driver, with permission of the new or used vehicle dealer or employee of the new or used vehicle dealer, drives a vehicle owned and held for sale or lease by a new or used vehicle dealer that the driver is considering to purchase or lease. (a-5) No window treatment or tinting shall be applied to the windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver, except: (1) On vehicles where none of the windows to the rear of the driver's seat are treated in a manner that allows less than 30% light transmittance, a nonreflective tinted film that allows at least 50% light transmittance, with a 5% variance observed by any law enforcement official metering the light transmittance, may be used on the vehicle windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver. (2) On vehicles where none of the windows to the rear of the driver's seat are treated in a manner that allows less than 35% light transmittance, a nonreflective tinted film that allows at least 35% light transmittance, with a 5% variance observed by any law enforcement official metering the light transmittance, may be used on the vehicle windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver. (3) (Blank). (4) On vehicles where a nonreflective smoked or tinted glass that was originally installed by the manufacturer on the windows to the rear of the driver's seat, a nonreflective tint that allows at least 50% light transmittance, with a 5% variance observed by a law enforcement official metering the light transmittance, may be used on the vehicle windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver. (a-10) No person shall install or repair any material prohibited by subsection (a) of this Section. (1) Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a person from removing or altering any material prohibited by subsection (a) to make a motor vehicle comply with the requirements of this Section. (2) Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a person from installing window treatment for a person with a medical condition described in subsection (g) of this Section. An installer who installs window treatment for a person with a medical condition described in subsection (g) must obtain a copy of the certified statement or letter written by a physician described in subsection (g) from the person with the medical condition prior to installing the window treatment. The copy of the certified statement or letter must be kept in the installer's permanent records. (b) On motor vehicles where window treatment has not been applied to the windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver, the use of a perforated window screen or other decorative window application on windows to the rear of the driver's seat shall be allowed. (b-5) Any motor vehicle with a window to the rear of the driver's seat treated in this manner shall be equipped with a side mirror on each side of the motor vehicle which are in conformance with Section 12-502. (c) No person shall drive a motor vehicle with any objects placed or suspended between the driver and the rear window, side wings, or side windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver which materially obstructs the driver's view. (c-5) No person shall drive a motor vehicle with any objects placed or suspended between the driver and the front windshield which materially obstruct the driver's view. No motor vehicle, or driver or passenger of such vehicle, shall be stopped or searched by any law enforcement officer solely on the basis of a violation or suspected violation of this subsection. (d) Every motor vehicle, except motorcycles, shall be equipped with a device, controlled by the driver, for cleaning rain, snow, moisture, or other obstructions from the windshield; and no person shall drive a motor vehicle with snow, ice, moisture, or other material on any of the windows or mirrors, which materially obstructs the driver's clear view of the highway. (e) No person shall drive a motor vehicle when the windshield, side, or rear windows are in such defective condition or repair as to materially impair the driver's view to the front, side, or rear. A vehicle equipped with a side mirror on each side of the vehicle which are in conformance with Section 12-502 will be deemed to be in compliance in the event the rear window of the vehicle is materially obscured. (f) Subsections (a), (a-5), (b), and (b-5) of this Section shall not apply to: (1) (Blank). (2) those motor vehicles properly registered in another jurisdiction. (g) Subsections (a) and (a-5) of this Section shall not apply to window treatment, including, but not limited to, a window application, nonreflective material, or tinted film, applied or affixed to a motor vehicle for which distinctive license plates or license plate stickers have been issued pursuant to subsection (k) of Section 3-412 of this Code, and which: (1) is owned and operated by a person afflicted with or suffering from a medical disease, including, but not limited to, systemic or discoid lupus erythematosus, disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis, light sensitivity as a result of a traumatic brain injury, or albinism, which would require that person to be shielded from the direct rays of the sun; or (2) is used in transporting a person when the person resides at the same address as the registered owner of the vehicle and the person is afflicted with or suffering from a medical disease which would require the person to be shielded from the direct rays of the sun, including, but not limited to, systemic or discoid lupus erythematosus, disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis, light sensitivity as a result of a traumatic brain injury, or albinism. The owner must obtain a certified statement or letter written by a physician licensed to practice medicine in Illinois that such person owning and operating or being transported in a motor vehicle is afflicted with or suffers from such disease, including, but not limited to, systemic or discoid lupus erythematosus, disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis, light sensitivity as a result of a traumatic brain injury, or albinism. However, no exemption from the requirements of subsection (a-5) shall be granted for any condition for which protection from the direct rays of the sun can be adequately obtained by the use of sunglasses or other eye protective devices. Such certification must be carried in the motor vehicle at all times. The certification shall be legible and shall contain the date of issuance, the name, address, and signature of the attending physician, and the name, address, and medical condition of the person requiring exemption. The information on the certificate for a window treatment must remain current and shall be renewed every 4 years by the attending physician. The owner shall also submit a copy of the certification to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State may forward notice of certification to law enforcement agencies. (g-5) (Blank). (g-7) Installers shall only install window treatment authorized by subsection (g) on motor vehicles for which distinctive plates or license plate stickers have been issued pursuant to subsection (k) of Section 3-412 of this Code. The distinctive license plates or plate sticker must be on the motor vehicle at the time of window treatment installation. (h) Subsection (a) of this Section shall not apply to motor vehicle stickers or other certificates issued by State or local authorities which are required to be displayed upon motor vehicle windows to evidence compliance with requirements concerning motor vehicles. (i) (Blank). (j) A person found guilty of violating subsection (a), (a-3), (a-5), (a-10), (b), (b-5), or (g-7) of this Section shall be guilty of a petty offense and fined no less than $50 nor more than $500. A second or subsequent violation of subsection (a), (a-3), (a-5), (a-10), (b), (b-5), or (g-7) of this Section shall be treated as a Class C misdemeanor and the violator fined no less than $100 nor more than $500. Any person convicted under subsection (a), (a-5), (b), or (b-5) of this Section shall be ordered to alter any nonconforming windows into compliance with this Section. (k) Except as provided in subsection (a-3) of this Section, nothing in this Section shall create a cause of action on behalf of a buyer against a vehicle dealer or manufacturer who sells a motor vehicle with a window which is in violation of this Section. (l) The Secretary of State shall provide a notice of the requirements of this Section to a new resident applying for vehicle registration in this State pursuant to Section 3-801 of this Code. The Secretary of State may comply with this subsection by posting the requirements of this Section on the Secretary of State's website. (m) A home rule unit may not regulate motor vehicles in a manner inconsistent with this Section. This Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of powers and functions exercised by the State.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 102-111, eff. 1-1-22; 103-32, eff. 1-1-24 .)