(a) Every vehicle in the City subject to the registration plates requirements of the Illinois Vehicle Code shall bear registration plates in the manner required by that Code. It is illegal to park a vehicle on any roadway if the registration plate or other registration material fails to comply with this subsection. Any person who violates this subsection shall be fined the amount set forth in Section 9-100-020 for each offense. Specific requirements for covered vehicles are set forth below:
(1) Registration plates issued for a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, trailer, semi-trailer or truck-tractor shall be attached to the front and rear of the vehicle.
(2) The registration plate issued for a motorcycle, trailer or semi-trailer shall be attached to the rear thereof.
(3) The registration plate issued for a truck- tractor shall be attached to the front thereof.
(4) Every registration plate shall at all times be securely fastened in a horizontal position to the vehicle for which it is issued so as to prevent the plate from swinging and at a height of not less than 12 inches from the ground, measuring from the bottom of such plate, in a place and position to be clearly visible and shall be maintained free from foreign materials and in a condition to be clearly legible.
(5) It is unlawful for any person to operate any motor vehicle that is equipped with registration plate or digital registration plate covers, as defined by Section 3-400 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/3-400, or any other cover, coating, wrapping, material, streaking, distorting, holographic, reflective, or other device that obstructs the visibility or electronic image recording of the registration plate or digital registration plate.
(6) It is unlawful for any person to physically alter any registration plate or digital registration plate with any chemical or reflective substance or coating that obstructs the visibility or electronic image recording of such registration plate or digital registration plate.
(7) It is unlawful for any person, in an effort to hinder a peace officer from obtaining the registration or plate number for the enforcement of a violation of the Illinois Vehicle Code or this Code, to fail to display a registration plate or to modify the original manufacturer's mounting location of the rear registration plate or digital registration plate on any vehicle so as to conceal the registration or plate or to knowingly cause such plate to be obstructed. Modifications prohibited by this subsection include, but are not limited to, the use of an electronic device.
(b) Every registration plate, temporary permit or evidence of temporary registration must bear evidence of proper registration for the current period and be clearly displayed. If the vehicle is subject to registration in the State of Illinois, evidence of registration must be displayed in the manner required by the Secretary of State. It is illegal to park a vehicle on any roadway if the registration plate or other registration material fails to comply with this subsection. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (e) of this section, any person who violates this subsection shall be fined the amount set forth in Section 9-100-020 for each offense.
(c) It is unlawful for any person to advertise for sale, keep for the purpose of sale, offer or expose for sale, or sell, including via the internet, any product advertised as having the capacity to obstruct the visibility or electronic image recording of a registration plate or digital registration plate, including registration plate or digital registration plate covers. Any person violating any of the provisions of this subsection (c) shall be fined not less than $750 nor more than $1,000 for each offense. Each violation of this subsection (c) shall be considered a separate and distinct offense and shall be regarded as being committed on each day on which such person shall continue or permit any such violation. In addition to any fine or other penalty imposed by this Code, the corporation counsel may seek an injunction or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to stop any violation of this subsection (c). In addition to injunctive or other equitable relief, such suit shall also seek a full accounting of the records of all sales to residents or other entities within the City.
(d) The owner of record of any vehicle in violation subsections (a)(5) - (7) of this section shall be subject to an administrative penalty of $500 plus any towing and storage fees applicable under Section 9-92-080. Any such motor vehicle shall be subject to seizure and impoundment pursuant to this section.
Whenever a police officer has probable cause to believe that a vehicle is subject to seizure and impoundment pursuant to this section, the police officer shall provide for the towing of the vehicle to a facility controlled by the City or its agents. Before or at the time the vehicle is towed, the police officer shall notify any person identifying themselves as the owner of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation or the person who is found to be in control of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation, if there is such person, of the fact of the seizure and of the vehicle owner's right to request a vehicle impoundment hearing to be conducted under Section 2-14-132 of this Code by serving such person with a copy of the vehicle impoundment seizure report.
Section 2-14-132 shall apply whenever a non-highway vehicle is seized and impounded pursuant to this section.
(e) Any individual cited for violation of subsection (b) of this section may raise as an affirmative defense that the violation has been corrected prior to adjudication of the citation. The affirmative defense provided in this subsection shall apply to all citations issued within a 30 day period prior to the date of compliance for the same violation, and it shall be limited to only one such defense per a permanent vehicle license plate number of a vehicle registered in the name of an individual defendant as a sole or joint owner.
(Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634; Amend Coun. J. 3-26-96, p. 19161, effective 1-1-97; Amend Coun. J. 2-7-97, p. 38959; Amend Coun. J. 2-7-97, p. 38959, § 9; Amend Coun. J. 12-12-01, p. 75777, § 5.5; Amend Coun. J. 11-13-07, p. 14999, Art. I, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-16, p. 37901, Art. VIII, § 9; Amend Coun. J. 4-21-21, p. 29728, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 10-27-21, p. 40504, Art. I, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-15-23, p. 6700, Art. I, § 2)