Bill Amendment: IL HB4385 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly

NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List

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Bill Title: MILITARY PLATES-SECOND SET

Status: 2026-06-18 - Sent to the Governor [HB4385 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB4385-House_Amendment_002.html

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Rep. Kevin Schmidt

Filed: 3/26/2026

 

 

 

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AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4385
AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4385 by replacing
everything after the enacting clause with the following:
"Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
changing Sections 3-609, 3-609.1, 3-609.3, 3-620, 3-623, and
3-806.2 and by adding Section 3-609.4 as follows:
(625 ILCS 5/3-609) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-609)
Sec. 3-609. Plates for veterans with disabilities.
(a) Any veteran who holds proof of a service-connected
disability from the United States Department of Veterans
Affairs, and who has obtained certification from a licensed
physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice
registered nurse that the service-connected disability
qualifies the veteran for issuance of registration plates or
digital registration plates or decals to a person with
disabilities in accordance with Section 3-616, may, without

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the payment of any registration fee, make application to the
Secretary of State for up to 2 sets of license plates for
veterans with disabilities displaying the international symbol
of access, for the registration of a one motor vehicle of the
first division, one motorcycle, or one motor vehicle of the
second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds.
(b) Any veteran who holds proof of a service-connected
disability from the United States Department of Veterans
Affairs, and whose degree of disability has been declared to
be 50% or more, but whose disability does not qualify the
veteran for a plate or decal for persons with disabilities
under Section 3-616, may, without the payment of any
registration fee, make application to the Secretary for up to
2 sets of a special registration plates plate or digital
registration plates plate without the international symbol of
access for the registration of a one motor vehicle of the first
division, one motorcycle, or one motor vehicle of the second
division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds.
(c) Renewal of such registration must be accompanied with
documentation for eligibility of registration without fee
unless the applicant has a permanent qualifying disability,
and such registration plates or digital registration plates
may not be issued to any person not eligible therefor. The
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs may assist in
providing the documentation of disability.
(d) The design and color of the plates shall be within the

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discretion of the Secretary, except that the plates issued
under subsection (b) of this Section shall not contain the
international symbol of access. The Secretary may, in his or
her discretion, allow the plates to be issued as vanity or
personalized plates in accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this
Code. Registration shall be for a multi-year period and may be
issued staggered registration.
(e) Any person eligible to receive license plates under
this Section who has been approved for benefits under the
Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities Property Tax
Relief Act, or who has claimed and received a grant under that
Act, shall pay a fee of $24 instead of the fee otherwise
provided in this Code for passenger cars displaying standard
multi-year registration plates or digital registration plates
issued under Section 3-414.1, for motor vehicles registered at
8,000 pounds or less under Section 3-815(a), or for
recreational vehicles registered at 8,000 pounds or less under
Section 3-815(b), for a second set of plates under this
Section.
(f) With respect to the supporting documentation required
to obtain a plate under this Section, the Secretary shall
allow an applicant to redact information on the documentation
that pertains to the nature of the applicant's health issue,
unless that information is necessary to confirm that the
applicant's disability is service-connected or to establish
the degree of the applicant's service-connected disability.

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(Source: P.A. 104-234, eff. 8-15-25.)
(625 ILCS 5/3-609.1) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-609.1)
Sec. 3-609.1. Medal of Honor plates. Any resident of the
State of Illinois who has been awarded the Medal of Honor, or
an Illinois resident who is the surviving spouse of a person
who was awarded the Medal of Honor, may make application for
the registration for up to 2 motor vehicles of a motor vehicle
owned solely or in part by such recipient, to the Secretary of
State without the payment of any registration fee.
Registration shall be for a multi-year period effective from
issuance. The Secretary of State shall furnish at his or her
office at no cost to such Medal of Honor recipients, plates
bearing up to 3 letters designating the recipient's initials
followed by the letters M O H signifying the Medal of Honor.
The plate shall be suitable for attachment to a motor vehicle
or motorcycle registered under this Code.
(Source: P.A. 101-262, eff. 1-1-20.)
(625 ILCS 5/3-609.3)
Sec. 3-609.3. Military series registration plates for
veterans with disabilities. In lieu of receiving registration
plates without the payment of a fee under Section 3-609, any
veteran who holds proof of a 50% or greater service-connected
disability from the United States Department of Veterans
Affairs may apply for a military series registration plate in

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the manner prescribed by the Secretary of State. Upon the
veteran showing proof of the disability, up to 2 sets of a
military series registration plates plate may be issued to the
veteran without fee for the registration of a one motor
vehicle of the first division or one motor vehicle of the
second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds. Any
additional fee collected for the issuance and renewal of the
military series registration plate, as may be specified in the
provision authorizing the issuance of that special plate,
shall not be included in the fee waiver authorized under this
Section.
(Source: P.A. 104-230, eff. 1-1-26.)
(625 ILCS 5/3-609.4 new)
Sec. 3-609.4. Second set of no-fee military plates. A
person eligible to receive special plates under Section 3-609,
3-609.1, 3-609.3, 3-620, or 3-623 is entitled to receive, upon
application to the Secretary of State, a second set of the
special plates under the same terms and conditions as the
first set of special plates.
(625 ILCS 5/3-620) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-620)
Sec. 3-620. The Secretary, upon receipt of an application
made on the form prescribed by the Secretary of State, may
issue special registration plates to United States citizens,
who are present or former members of the United States armed

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forces or any of its allies, and who were prisoners of war of
World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the
Vietnamese conflict, or to the widowed spouse of a former
member of the United States armed forces, providing that
widowed spouse was married to the POW at the time of death, and
is a single person at the time of application. The special
plates issued pursuant to this Section shall be affixed only
to passenger vehicles of the first division subject to the
staggered registration system, motorcycles, and vehicles of
the second division having a gross weight of 8,000 pounds or
less and shall be issued without charge. Only 2 sets one set of
plates may be issued at no fee.
The design and color of the prisoner of war plates shall be
wholly within the discretion of the Secretary of State. The
Secretary may, in his or her discretion, allow the plates to be
issued as vanity or personalized plates in accordance with
Section 3-405.1 of this Code.
(Source: P.A. 95-353, eff. 1-1-08.)
(625 ILCS 5/3-623) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-623)
Sec. 3-623. Purple Heart Plates.
(a) The Secretary, upon receipt of an application made in
the form prescribed by the Secretary of State, may issue to
recipients awarded the Purple Heart by a branch of the armed
forces of the United States who reside in Illinois, special
registration plates. The Secretary, upon receipt of the proper

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application, may also issue these special registration plates
to an Illinois resident who is the surviving spouse of a person
who was awarded the Purple Heart by a branch of the armed
forces of the United States. The special plates issued
pursuant to this Section should be affixed only to passenger
vehicles of the 1st division, including motorcycles, or motor
vehicles of the 2nd division weighing not more than 8,000
pounds. The Secretary may, in his or her discretion, allow the
plates to be issued as vanity or personalized plates in
accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this Code. The Secretary of
State must make a version of the special registration plates
authorized under this Section in a form appropriate for
motorcycles.
(b) The design and color of such plates shall be wholly
within the discretion of the Secretary of State. Appropriate
documentation, as determined by the Secretary, and the
appropriate registration fee shall accompany the application,
except:
(1) a person eligible to be issued Purple Heart plates
may display the plates on up to 2 vehicles one vehicle
without the payment of any registration or registration
renewal fee; and
(2) for an individual who has been issued Purple Heart
plates for an additional vehicle and who has been approved
for benefits under the Senior Citizens and Persons with
Disabilities Property Tax Relief Act, the annual fee for

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the registration of the vehicle shall be as provided in
Section 3-806.3 of this Code.
(Source: P.A. 98-902, eff. 1-1-15; 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)
(625 ILCS 5/3-806.2) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-806.2)
Sec. 3-806.2. Limitations on no-fee plates. Except as
provided in Section 3-609.4, no No individual shall be issued
more than one pair of plates of any category for which no fee
is required. The Secretary of State may issue additional pairs
of plates of any such category upon receiving the required
application and registration fees.
(Source: P.A. 88-517.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2027.".