§ 6-500 — Definitions of words and phrases

Notwithstanding the definitions set forth elsewhere in this Code, for purposes of the Uniform Commercial Driver's License Act (UCDLA), the words and phrases listed below have the meanings ascribed to them as follows: (1) Alcohol. "Alcohol" means any substance containing any form of alcohol, including but not limited to ethanol, methanol, propanol, and isopropanol. (2) Alcohol concentration. "Alcohol concentration" means: (A) the number of grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath; or (B) the number of grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood; or (C) the number of grams of alcohol per 67 milliliters of urine. Alcohol tests administered within 2 hours of the driver being "stopped or detained" shall be considered that driver's "alcohol concentration" for the purposes of enforcing this UCDLA. (3) (Blank). (4) (Blank). (5) (Blank). (5.3) CDLIS driver record. "CDLIS driver record" means the electronic record of the individual CDL driver's status and history stored by the State-of-Record as part of the Commercial Driver's License Information System, or CDLIS, established under 49 U.S.C. 31309. (5.5) CDLIS motor vehicle record. "CDLIS motor vehicle record" or "CDLIS MVR" means a report generated from the CDLIS driver record meeting the requirements for access to CDLIS information and provided by states to users authorized in 49 C.F.R. 384.225(e)(3) and (4), subject to the provisions of the Driver Privacy Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. 2721-2725. (5.7) Commercial driver's license downgrade. "Commercial driver's license downgrade" or "CDL downgrade" means either: (A) a state allows the driver to change his or her self-certification to interstate, but operating exclusively in transportation or operation excepted from 49 C.F.R. Part 391, as provided in 49 C.F.R. 390.3(f), 391.2, 391.68, or 398.3; (B) a state allows the driver to change his or her self-certification to intrastate only, if the driver qualifies under that state's physical qualification requirements for intrastate only; (C) a state allows the driver to change his or her certification to intrastate, but operating exclusively in transportation or operations excepted from all or part of the state driver qualification requirements; or (D) a state removes the CDL privilege from the driver license. (6) Commercial Motor Vehicle. (A) "Commercial motor vehicle" or "CMV" means a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce, except those referred to in subdivision (B), designed to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle: (i) has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater, inclusive of any towed unit with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds), whichever is greater; or (i-5) has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 11,794 or more kilograms (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater; or (ii) is designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver; or (iii) is of any size and is used in transporting hazardous materials as defined in 49 C.F.R. 383.5. (B) Pursuant to the interpretation of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 by the Federal Highway Administration, the definition of "commercial motor vehicle" does not include: (i) recreational vehicles, when operated primarily for personal use; (ii) vehicles owned by or operated under the direction of the United States Department of Defense or the United States Coast Guard only when operated by non-civilian personnel. This includes any operator on active military duty; members of the Reserves; National Guard; personnel on part-time training; and National Guard military technicians (civilians who are required to wear military uniforms and are subject to the Code of Military Justice); or (iii) firefighting, police, and other emergency equipment (including, without limitation, equipment owned or operated by a HazMat or technical rescue team authorized by a county board under Section 5-1127 of the Counties Code), with audible and visual signals, owned or operated by or for a governmental entity, which is necessary to the preservation of life or property or the execution of emergency governmental functions which are normally not subject to general traffic rules and regulations. (7) Controlled Substance. "Controlled substance" shall have the same meaning as defined in Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, and shall also include cannabis as defined in Section 3 of the Cannabis Control Act and methamphetamine as defined in Section 10 of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act. (8) Conviction. "Conviction" means an unvacated adjudication of guilt or a determination that a person has violated or failed to comply with the law in a court of original jurisdiction or by an authorized administrative tribunal; an unvacated revocation of pretrial release; a plea of guilty or nolo contendere accepted by the court; or the payment of a fine or court cost regardless of whether the imposition of sentence is deferred and ultimately a judgment dismissing the underlying charge is entered. (8.5) Day. "Day" means calendar day. (9) (Blank). (10) (Blank). (11) (Blank). (12) (Blank). (13) Driver. "Driver" means any person who drives, operates, or is in physical control of a commercial motor vehicle, any person who is required to hold a CDL, or any person who is a holder of a CDL while operating a non-commercial motor vehicle. (13.5) Driver applicant. "Driver applicant" means an individual who applies to a state or other jurisdiction to obtain, transfer, upgrade, or renew a CDL or to obtain or renew a CLP. (13.6) Drug and alcohol clearinghouse. "Drug and alcohol clearinghouse" means a database system established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that permits the access and retrieval of a drug and alcohol testing violation or violations precluding an applicant or employee from occupying safety-sensitive positions involving the operation of a commercial motor vehicle. (13.8) Electronic device. "Electronic device" includes, but is not limited to, a cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, pager, computer, or any other device used to input, write, send, receive, or read text. (14) Employee. "Employee" means a person who is employed as a commercial motor vehicle driver. A person who is self-employed as a commercial motor vehicle driver must comply with the requirements of this UCDLA pertaining to employees. An owner-operator on a long-term lease shall be considered an employee. (15) Employer. "Employer" means a person (including the United States, a State or a local authority) who owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle or assigns employees to operate such a vehicle. A person who is self-employed as a commercial motor vehicle driver must comply with the requirements of this UCDLA. (15.1) Endorsement. "Endorsement" means an authorization to an individual's CLP or CDL required to permit the individual to operate certain types of commercial motor vehicles. (15.2) Entry-level driver training. "Entry-level driver training" means the training an entry-level driver receives from an entity listed on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Training Provider Registry prior to: (i) taking the CDL skills test required to receive the Class A or Class B CDL for the first time; (ii) taking the CDL skills test required to upgrade to a Class A or Class B CDL; or (iii) taking the CDL skills test required to obtain a passenger or school bus endorsement for the first time or the CDL knowledge test required to obtain a hazardous materials endorsement for the first time. (15.3) Excepted interstate. "Excepted interstate" means a person who operates or expects to operate in interstate commerce, but engages exclusively in transportation or operations excepted under 49 C.F.R. 390.3(f), 391.2, 391.68, or 398.3 from all or part of the qualification requirements of 49 C.F.R. Part 391 and is not required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate by 49 C.F.R. 391.45. (15.5) Excepted intrastate. "Excepted intrastate" means a person who operates in intrastate commerce but engages exclusively in transportation or operations excepted from all or parts of the state driver qualification requirements. (16) (Blank). (16.5) Fatality. "Fatality" means the death of a person as a result of a motor vehicle crash. (16.7) Foreign commercial driver. "Foreign commercial driver" means a person licensed to operate a commercial motor vehicle by an authority outside the United States, or a citizen of a foreign country who operates a commercial motor vehicle in the United States. (17) Foreign jurisdiction. "Foreign jurisdiction" means a sovereign jurisdiction that does not fall within the definition of "State". (18) (Blank). (19) (Blank). (20) Hazardous materials. "Hazardous material" means any material that has been designated under 49 U.S.C. 5103 and is required to be placarded under subpart F of 49 C.F.R. part 172 or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 C.F.R. part 73. (20.5) Imminent Hazard. "Imminent hazard" means the existence of any condition of a vehicle, employee, or commercial motor vehicle operations that substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death if not discontinued immediately; or a condition relating to hazardous material that presents a substantial likelihood that death, serious illness, severe personal injury, or a substantial endangerment to health, property, or the environment may occur before the reasonably foreseeable completion date of a formal proceeding begun to lessen the risk of that death, illness, injury or endangerment. (20.6) Issuance. "Issuance" means initial issuance, transfer, renewal, or upgrade of a CLP or CDL and non-domiciled CLP or CDL. (20.7) Issue. "Issue" means initial issuance, transfer, renewal, or upgrade of a CLP or CDL and non-domiciled CLP or non-domiciled CDL. (21) Long-term lease. "Long-term lease" means a lease of a commercial motor vehicle by the owner-lessor to a lessee, for a period of more than 29 days. (21.01) Manual transmission. "Manual transmission" means a transmission utilizing a driver-operated clutch that is activated by a pedal or lever and a gear-shift mechanism operated either by hand or foot including those known as a stick shift, stick, straight drive, or standard transmission. All other transmissions, whether semi-automatic or automatic, shall be considered automatic for the purposes of the standardized restriction code. (21.1) Medical examiner. "Medical examiner" means an individual certified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners in accordance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, 49 CFR 390.101 et seq. (21.2) Medical examiner's certificate. "Medical examiner's certificate" means either (1) prior to June 22, 2021, a document prescribed or approved by the Secretary of State that is issued by a medical examiner to a driver to medically qualify him or her to drive; or (2) beginning June 22, 2021, an electronic submission of results of an examination conducted by a medical examiner listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration of a driver to medically qualify him or her to drive. (21.5) Medical variance. "Medical variance" means a driver has received one of the following from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration which allows the driver to be issued a medical certificate: (1) an exemption letter permitting operation of a commercial motor vehicle pursuant to 49 C.F.R. Part 381, Subpart C or 49 C.F.R. 391.64; or (2) a skill performance evaluation (SPE) certificate permitting operation of a commercial motor vehicle pursuant to 49 C.F.R. 391.49. (21.7) Mobile telephone. "Mobile telephone" means a mobile communication device that falls under or uses any commercial mobile radio service, as defined in regulations of the Federal Communications Commission, 47 CFR 20.3. It does not include two-way or citizens band radio services. (22) Motor Vehicle. "Motor vehicle" means every vehicle which is self-propelled, and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from over head trolley wires but not operated upon rails, except vehicles moved solely by human power and motorized wheel chairs. (22.2) Motor vehicle record. "Motor vehicle record" means a report of the driving status and history of a driver generated from the driver record provided to users, such as drivers or employers, and is subject to the provisions of the Driver Privacy Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. 2721-2725. (22.5) Non-CMV. "Non-CMV" means a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles not defined by the term "commercial motor vehicle" or "CMV" in this Section. (22.7) Non-excepted interstate. "Non-excepted interstate" means a person who operates or expects to operate in interstate commerce, is subject to and meets the qualification requirements under 49 C.F.R. Part 391, and is required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate by 49 C.F.R. 391.45. (22.8) Non-excepted intrastate. "Non-excepted intrastate" means a person who operates only in intrastate commerce and is subject to State driver qualification requirements. (23) Non-domiciled CLP or Non-domiciled CDL. "Non-domiciled CLP" or "Non-domiciled CDL" means a CLP or CDL, respectively, issued by a state or other jurisdiction under either of the following two conditions: (i) to an individual domiciled in a foreign country meeting the requirements of Part 383.23(b)(1) of 49 C.F.R. of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (ii) to an individual domiciled in another state meeting the requirements of Part 383.23(b)(2) of 49 C.F.R. of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (24) (Blank). (25) (Blank). (25.5) Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing Violation. "Railroad-highway grade crossing violation" means a violation, while operating a commercial motor vehicle, of any of the following: (A) Section 11-1201, 11-1202, or 11-1425 of this Code. (B) Any other similar law or local ordinance of any state relating to railroad-highway grade crossing. (25.7) School Bus. "School bus" means a commercial motor vehicle used to transport pre-primary, primary, or secondary school students from home to school, from school to home, or to and from school-sponsored events. "School bus" does not include a bus used as a common carrier. (26) Serious Traffic Violation. "Serious traffic violation" means: (A) a conviction when operating a commercial motor vehicle, or when operating a non-CMV while holding a CLP or CDL, of: (i) a violation relating to excessive speeding, involving a single speeding charge of 15 miles per hour or more above the legal speed limit; or (ii) a violation relating to reckless driving; or (iii) a violation of any State law or local ordinance relating to motor vehicle traffic control (other than parking violations) arising in connection with a fatal traffic crash; or (iv) a violation of Section 6-501, relating to having multiple driver's licenses; or (v) a violation of paragraph (a) of Section 6-507, relating to the requirement to have a valid CLP or CDL; or (vi) a violation relating to improper or erratic traffic lane changes; or (vii) a violation relating to following another vehicle too closely; or (viii) a violation relating to texting while driving; or (ix) a violation relating to the use of a hand-held mobile telephone while driving; or (B) any other similar violation of a law or local ordinance of any state relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation, which the Secretary of State determines by administrative rule to be serious. (27) State. "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia and any province or territory of Canada. (28) (Blank). (29) (Blank). (30) (Blank). (31) (Blank). (32) Texting. "Texting" means manually entering alphanumeric text into, or reading text from, an electronic device. (1) Texting includes, but is not limited to, short message service, emailing, instant messaging, a command or request to access a World Wide Web page, pressing more than a single button to initiate or terminate a voice communication using a mobile telephone, or engaging in any other form of electronic text retrieval or entry for present or future communication. (2) Texting does not include: (i) inputting, selecting, or reading information on a global positioning system or navigation system; or (ii) pressing a single button to initiate or terminate a voice communication using a mobile telephone; or (iii) using a device capable of performing multiple functions (for example, a fleet management system, dispatching device, smart phone, citizens band radio, or music player) for a purpose that is not otherwise prohibited by Part 392 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. (32.3) Third party skills test examiner. "Third party skills test examiner" means a person employed by a third party tester who is authorized by the State to administer the CDL skills tests specified in 49 C.F.R. Part 383, subparts G and H. (32.5) Third party tester. "Third party tester" means a person (including, but not limited to, another state, a motor carrier, a private driver training facility or other private institution, or a department, agency, or instrumentality of a local government) authorized by the State to employ skills test examiners to administer the CDL skills tests specified in 49 C.F.R. Part 383, subparts G and H. (32.7) United States. "United States" means the 50 states and the District of Columbia. (33) Use a hand-held mobile telephone. "Use a hand-held mobile telephone" means: (1) using at least one hand to hold a mobile telephone to conduct a voice communication; (2) dialing or answering a mobile telephone by pressing more than a single button; or (3) reaching for a mobile telephone in a manner that requires a driver to maneuver so that he or she is no longer in a seated driving position, restrained by a seat belt that is installed in accordance with 49 CFR 393.93 and adjusted in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer's instructions.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 102-982, eff. 7-1-23; 102-1104, eff. 1-1-23; 103-179, eff. 6-30-23.)