A. When the county sheriff does not know the identity of the registered owner or other legally entitled person, he will cause the motor vehicle registration records of the state of Illinois to be searched by a directed communication to the secretary of state for the purpose of obtaining the required ownership information. The county sheriff shall cause the stolen motor vehicle files of the Illinois state police to be searched by a directed communication to the Illinois state police for the stolen or wanted information on the vehicle. When the Illinois state police files are searched with negative results, the information contained in the national crime information center (NCIC) files will be searched by the Illinois state police. The information determined from these records searches will be used by the sheriff's department in sending a notification by certified mail to the owner or legally entitled person advising where the vehicle is held, requesting a disposition be made and setting forth public sale information. Notification shall be sent no later than ten (10) business days after the date the county sheriff impounds or authorizes the impounding of a vehicle; provided, that if the county sheriff is unable to determine the identity of the registered owner or other person legally entitled to ownership of the impounded vehicle within a ten (10) business day period after impoundment, then notification shall be sent no later than two (2) days after the date the identity of the registered owner or other person legally entitled to ownership of the impounded vehicle is determined. Exceptions to a notification by certified mail to the registered owner and other legally entitled persons are set forth in subsection 4-3-5B of this chapter. (Ord., 7-11-1989; amd. 2004 Code)
B. When the registered owner or other person legally entitled to the possession of a motor vehicle or other vehicle cannot be identified from the registration files of the state of Illinois or from the registration files of a foreign state, if applicable, the county sheriff shall notify the Illinois state police for the purpose of identifying the vehicle's owner or other person legally entitled to the possession of the vehicle. The information obtained by the Illinois state police will be immediately forwarded to the county sheriff for notification of owner as herein set forth. (Ord., 7-11-1989)