Bill Text: IL SB1249 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Code or any rule adopted under the Code, a nonresident who is employed as a public safety worker may operate in this State an authorized emergency vehicle if the nonresident possesses the license class required by the nonresident's state of residence to operate similar equipment and the nonresident has completed the Fire Service Vehicle Operator program of the Illinois State Fire Marshal.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-04 - Assigned to Transportation [SB1249 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SB1249-Introduced.html

---

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB1249 Introduced 1/24/2025, by Sen. Donald P. DeWitte SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
625 ILCS 5/6-104 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-104
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Code or any rule adopted under the Code, a nonresident who is employed as a public safety worker may operate in this State an authorized emergency vehicle if the nonresident possesses the license class required by the nonresident's state of residence to operate similar equipment and the nonresident has completed the Fire Service Vehicle Operator program of the Illinois State Fire Marshal.
LRB104 03602 LNS 13626 b
A BILL FOR
SB1249 LRB104 03602 LNS 13626 b
AN ACT concerning transportation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
changing Section 6-104 as follows:
(625 ILCS 5/6-104) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-104)
Sec. 6-104. Classification of Driver - Special
Restrictions.
(a) A driver's license issued under the authority of this
Act shall indicate the classification for which the applicant
therefor has qualified by examination or by such other means
that the Secretary of State shall prescribe. Driver's license
classifications shall be prescribed by rule or regulation
promulgated by the Secretary of State and such may specify
classifications as to operation of motor vehicles of the first
division, or of those of the second division, whether operated
singly or in lawful combination, and whether for-hire or
not-for-hire, and may specify such other classifications as
the Secretary deems necessary.
No person shall operate a motor vehicle unless such person
has a valid license with a proper classification to permit the
operation of such vehicle, except that any person may operate
a moped if such person has a valid current Illinois driver's

SB1249 - 2 - LRB104 03602 LNS 13626 b
license, regardless of classification.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code or any
rule adopted under this Code, a nonresident who is employed as
a public safety worker, as defined in Section 6-117.2, may
operate in this State an authorized emergency vehicle, as
defined in Section 1-105, if the nonresident possesses the
license class required by the nonresident's state of residence
to operate similar equipment and the nonresident has completed
the Fire Service Vehicle Operator program of the Illinois
State Fire Marshal.
(b) No person who is under the age of 21 years or has had
less than 1 year of driving experience shall drive: (1) in
connection with the operation of any school, day camp, summer
camp, or nursery school, any public or private motor vehicle
for transporting children to or from any school, day camp,
summer camp, or nursery school, or (2) any motor vehicle of the
second division when in use for the transportation of persons
for compensation.
(c) No person who is under the age of 18 years shall be
issued a license for the purpose of transporting property for
hire, or for the purpose of transporting persons for
compensation in a motor vehicle of the first division.
(d) No person shall drive: (1) a school bus when
transporting school children unless such person possesses a
valid school bus driver permit or is accompanied and
supervised, for the specific purpose of training prior to

SB1249 - 3 - LRB104 03602 LNS 13626 b
routine operation of a school bus, by a person who has held a
valid school bus driver permit for at least one year; or (2)
any other vehicle owned or operated by or for a public or
private school, or a school operated by a religious
institution, where such vehicle is being used over a regularly
scheduled route for the transportation of persons enrolled as
a student in grade 12 or below, in connection with any activity
of the entities unless such person possesses a valid school
bus driver permit.
(d-5) No person may drive a bus that does not meet the
special requirements for school buses provided in Sections
12-801, 12-802, 12-803, and 12-805 of this Code that has been
chartered for the sole purpose of transporting students
regularly enrolled in grade 12 or below to or from
interscholastic athletic or interscholastic or school
sponsored activities unless the person has a valid and
properly classified commercial driver's license as provided in
subsection (c-1) of Section 6-508 of this Code in addition to
any other permit or license that is required to operate that
bus. This subsection (d-5) does not apply to any bus driver
employed by a public transportation provider authorized to
conduct local or interurban transportation of passengers when
the bus is not traveling a specific school bus route but is on
a regularly scheduled route for the transporting of other fare
paying passengers.
A person may operate a chartered bus described in this

SB1249 - 4 - LRB104 03602 LNS 13626 b
subsection (d-5) if he or she is not disqualified from driving
a chartered bus of that type and if he or she holds a CDL that
is:
(1) issued to him or her by any other state or
jurisdiction in accordance with 49 CFR 383;
(2) not suspended, revoked, or canceled; and
(3) valid under 49 CFR 383, subpart F, for the type of
vehicle being driven.
A person may also operate a chartered bus described in
this subsection (d-5) if he or she holds a valid CDL and a
valid school bus driver permit that was issued on or before
December 31, 2003.
(e) No person shall drive a religious organization bus
unless such person has a valid and properly classified drivers
license or a valid school bus driver permit.
(f) No person shall drive a motor vehicle for the purpose
of providing transportation for the elderly in connection with
the activities of any public or private organization unless
such person has a valid and properly classified driver's
license issued by the Secretary of State.
(g) No person shall drive a bus which meets the special
requirements for school buses provided in Section 12-801,
12-802, 12-803 and 12-805 of this Code for the purpose of
transporting persons 18 years of age or less in connection
with any youth camp licensed under the Youth Camp Act or any
child care facility licensed under the Child Care Act of 1969

SB1249 - 5 - LRB104 03602 LNS 13626 b
unless such person possesses a valid school bus driver permit
or is accompanied and supervised, for the specific purpose of
training prior to routine operation of a school bus, by a
person who has held a valid school bus driver permit for at
least one year; however, a person who has a valid and properly
classified driver's license issued by the Secretary of State
may operate a school bus for the purpose of transporting
persons 18 years of age or less in connection with any such
youth camp or child care facility if the "SCHOOL BUS" signs are
covered or concealed and the stop signal arm and flashing
signal systems are not operable through normal controls.
(h) No person shall operate an autocycle unless he or she
has a valid Class D driver's license.
(Source: P.A. 98-777, eff. 1-1-15.)