(A) Obstruction.
(1) 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 six inches down from the top of the windshield.
(2) 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 division (A)(1) of this section. For purposes of this division (A)(2), "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.
(3) No window treatment or tinting shall be applied to the windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver, except:
(a) 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.
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(4) No person shall install or repair any material prohibited by division (A)(1) of this section.
(a) Nothing in this division shall prohibit a person from removing or altering any material prohibited by division (A)(1) to make a motor vehicle comply with the requirements of this section.
(b) Nothing in this division shall prohibit a person from installing window treatment for a person with a medical condition described in division (E)(2) of this section. An installer who installs window treatment for a person with a medical condition described in division (E)(2) of this section must obtain a copy of the certified statement or letter written by a physician described in division (E)(2) of this section 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) Decorative applications.
(1) 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.
(2) 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 is in conformance with § 75.41.
(C) Suspended objects. No person shall drive a motor vehicle with any objects placed or suspended between the driver and the front windshield, rear window, side wings or side windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver which materially obstructs the driver's view.
(D) Cleaning device. 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) Viewing impairment. 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 is in conformance with § 75.41 will be deemed to be in compliance in the event the rear window of the vehicle is materially obscured.
(F) Exemptions.
(1) Divisions (A) and (B) of this section shall not apply to those motor vehicles properly registered in another state.
(2) Division (A) of this section shall also 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 ILCS Ch. 625, Act 5, § 3-412(k), and which:
(a) 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
(b) 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.
(3) 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 division (A)(3) of this section 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 four 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.
(4) Installers shall only install window treatment authorized by division (F)(2), (3) and (4) of this section on motor vehicles for which distinctive plates or license plate stickers have been issued pursuant to ILCS Ch. 625, Act 5, § 3-412(k). The distinctive license plates or plate sticker must be on the motor vehicle at the time of window treatment installation.
(G) Division (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.
(ILCS Ch. 625, Act 5, § 12-503) (Ord. 2304-95, passed 1-18-95) Penalty, see § 70.99