ILCS » Chapter 625 · Act 5
Illinois Compiled Statutes

625 ILCS 5/12-603.1 (2026)

Driver and passenger required to use safety belts, exceptions and penalty

✓ current as of May 2026
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(625 ILCS 5/12-603.1) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-603.1)
    Sec. 12-603.1. Driver and passenger required to use safety belts, exceptions and penalty.
    (a) Each driver and passenger of a motor vehicle operated on a street or highway in this State shall wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat safety belt. A child less than 8 years of age shall be protected as required pursuant to the Child Passenger Protection Act. Each driver of a motor vehicle transporting a child 8 years of age or more, but less than 16 years of age, shall secure the child in a properly adjusted and fastened seat safety belt as required under the Child Passenger Protection Act. Each driver of a motor vehicle transporting a passenger who is unable, due to infirmity, illness, or age, to properly adjust and fasten a seat safety belt and is not exempted from wearing a seat safety belt under subsection (b) shall secure the passenger in a properly adjusted and fastened seat safety belt as required under this Section.
    (b) Paragraph (a) shall not apply to any of the following:
        1. A driver or passenger frequently stopping and
    
leaving the vehicle or delivering property from the vehicle, if the speed of the vehicle between stops does not exceed 15 miles per hour.
        2. A driver or passenger possessing a written
    
statement from a physician that such person is unable, for medical or physical reasons, to wear a seat safety belt.
        3. A driver or passenger possessing an official
    
certificate or license endorsement issued by the appropriate agency in another state or country indicating that the driver is unable for medical, physical, or other valid reasons to wear a seat safety belt.
        4. A driver operating a motor vehicle in reverse.
        5. A motor vehicle with a model year prior to 1965.
        6. A motorcycle or motor driven cycle.
        7. A moped.
        8. A motor vehicle which is not required to be
    
equipped with seat safety belts under federal law.
        9. A motor vehicle operated by a rural letter carrier
    
of the United States postal service while performing duties as a rural letter carrier.
        10. A driver or passenger of an authorized emergency
    
vehicle, except this exception does not apply to vehicles of the fire department; vehicles of the Office of the State Fire Marshal; or ambulances, unless the delivery of life-saving measures prohibits the use of a seat safety belt.
        11. A back seat passenger of a taxicab.
    (c) Failure to wear a seat safety belt in violation of this Section shall not be considered evidence of negligence, shall not limit the liability of an insurer, and shall not diminish any recovery for damages arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or operation of a motor vehicle.
    (d) A violation of this Section shall be a petty offense and subject to a fine not to exceed $25.
    (e) (Blank).
    (f) A law enforcement officer may not search or inspect a motor vehicle, its contents, the driver, or a passenger solely because of a violation of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 97-16, eff. 1-1-12; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11; 98-451, eff. 8-16-13.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 27 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1994–2024 · leading case: Bachman v. Gen. Motors Corp., 776 N.E.2d 262 (Ill. App. Ct. 2002).
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Bachman v. Gen. Motors Corp., 776 N.E.2d 262 (Ill. App. Ct. 2002). · cites it 4× “elle's Seat Belt Use and the Condition of her Seat Belt Following the Collision Plaintiffs next argue that the trial court erred by granting defendants' motion in limine to allow McKenna to testify that (1) Danielle was wearing her seat belt during the collision; and (2) his…”
prod.liab.rep. (Cch) P 13,983 Kenneth Depaepe v. Gen. Motors Corp., 33 F.3d 737 (7th Cir. 1994). · cites it 3× “The district court granted the motion in part, holding pursuant to 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(c), that GM was precluded from introducing evidence of DePaepe’s .”
People v. Nash, 947 N.E.2d 350 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). · cites it 3× “No person shall operate a motor vehicle designed to be used on a public highway unless the vehicle is covered by a liability insurance policy (625 ILCS 5/7-601(a), 3-707(a) (West 2008)), and every operator of such a motor vehicle shall carry within the vehicle evidence of…”
Vill. of Mundelein v. Franco, 740 N.E.2d 801 (Ill. App. Ct. 2000). · cites it 3× “1(e) of the Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/12-603.1 (West 1998)), was intended to be exclusive.”
People v. Sutton, 2020 IL App (1st) 181616 (Ill. App. Ct. 2020). · cites it 2× “See generally 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(a) (West 2016) (requiring each driver and passenger in a moving vehicle operating on Illinois roadways to “wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat safety belt”).”
People v. West, 2017 IL App (3d) 130802 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017). · cites it 2× “¶2 FACTS ¶3 Illinois State Trooper Jarrod Johnson stopped defendant for speeding (625 ILCS 5/11­ 601(b) (West 2012)) and not wearing a seat belt (625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(a) (West 2012)) while he was traveling eastbound on Interstate 80.”
People v. Edwards, 673 N.E.2d 752 (Ill. App. Ct. 1996). · cites it 6× “Justice LYTTON delivered the opinion of the court: The defendant, David Edwards, was charged with driving without a seat belt (625 ILCS 5/12-603.1 (West 1994)), driving under the influence of alcohol (625 ILCS 5/11-501(a)(2) (West 1994)), driving with a blood-alcohol…”
People v. Veal, 2017 IL App (1st) 150500 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017). · cites it 2× “See 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(a) (West 2014) (generally requiring rear-seat passengers to wear safety belts).”
People v. Veal, 2017 IL App (1st) 150500 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017). · cites it 2× “See 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(a) (West 2014) (generally requiring rear-seat passengers to wear safety belts).”
Malik v. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., 59 F. Supp. 3d 686 (D.N.J. 2014). · cites it 2× “The statute (as it was at the time of the accident) requires those riding in the front seat of a vehicle to wear a safety belt, and prohibits the introduction of evidence of seatbelt non-use “in violation of this Section.”
People v. McLaurin, 889 N.E.2d 1124 (Ill. App. Ct. 2008). “1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code provides: "(a) Each driver and front seat passenger of a motor vehicle operated on a street or highway in this State shall wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat safety belt * * *. (f) A law enforcement officer may not search or inspect a motor…”
People v. Huff, 721 N.E.2d 1219 (Ill. App. Ct. 1999). “Presiding Justice COOK delivered the opinion of the court: On September 15, 1996, defendant Samuel Huff was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident (625 ILCS 5/11-601(a) (West 1996)), failure to wear seat belt (625 ILCS 5/12-603.1 (West 1996)), and driving…”
Show all 27 citing cases →
— 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(a) — 10 cases
People v. Nash, 947 N.E.2d 350 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). “No person shall operate a motor vehicle designed to be used on a public highway unless the vehicle is covered by a liability insurance policy (625 ILCS 5/7-601(a), 3-707(a) (West 2008)), and every operator of such a motor vehicle shall carry within the vehicle evidence of…”
People v. Sutton, 2020 IL App (1st) 181616 (Ill. App. Ct. 2020). “See generally 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(a) (West 2016) (requiring each driver and passenger in a moving vehicle operating on Illinois roadways to “wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat safety belt”).”
People v. West, 2017 IL App (3d) 130802 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017). “¶2 FACTS ¶3 Illinois State Trooper Jarrod Johnson stopped defendant for speeding (625 ILCS 5/11­ 601(b) (West 2012)) and not wearing a seat belt (625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(a) (West 2012)) while he was traveling eastbound on Interstate 80.”
People v. McLaurin, 889 N.E.2d 1124 (Ill. App. Ct. 2008). “1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code provides: "(a) Each driver and front seat passenger of a motor vehicle operated on a street or highway in this State shall wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat safety belt * * *. (f) A law enforcement officer may not search or inspect a motor…”
People v. West, 2017 IL App (3d) 130802 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017).
— 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(b)(9) — 1 case
State v. Ellsworth, 908 S.W.2d 375 (Mo. Ct. App. 1995).
— 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(c) — 5 cases
Bachman v. Gen. Motors Corp., 776 N.E.2d 262 (Ill. App. Ct. 2002). “elle's Seat Belt Use and the Condition of her Seat Belt Following the Collision Plaintiffs next argue that the trial court erred by granting defendants' motion in limine to allow McKenna to testify that (1) Danielle was wearing her seat belt during the collision; and (2) his…”
prod.liab.rep. (Cch) P 13,983 Kenneth Depaepe v. Gen. Motors Corp., 33 F.3d 737 (7th Cir. 1994). “The district court granted the motion in part, holding pursuant to 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(c), that GM was precluded from introducing evidence of DePaepe’s .”
Malik v. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., 59 F. Supp. 3d 686 (D.N.J. 2014). “The statute (as it was at the time of the accident) requires those riding in the front seat of a vehicle to wear a safety belt, and prohibits the introduction of evidence of seatbelt non-use “in violation of this Section.”
Bachman v. Gen. Motors Corp. (Ill. App. Ct. 2002).
Swanson v. Piramal Glass-USA Inc. (C.D. Ill. 2021).
— 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(d) — 2 cases
People v. Veal, 2017 IL App (1st) 150500 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017). “See 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(a) (West 2014) (generally requiring rear-seat passengers to wear safety belts).”
People v. Veal, 2017 IL App (1st) 150500 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017). “See 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(a) (West 2014) (generally requiring rear-seat passengers to wear safety belts).”
— 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(e) — 3 cases
Vill. of Mundelein v. Franco, 740 N.E.2d 801 (Ill. App. Ct. 2000). “1(e) of the Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/12-603.1 (West 1998)), was intended to be exclusive.”
prod.liab.rep. (Cch) P 13,983 Kenneth Depaepe v. Gen. Motors Corp., 33 F.3d 737 (7th Cir. 1994). “The district court granted the motion in part, holding pursuant to 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(c), that GM was precluded from introducing evidence of DePaepe’s .”
People v. Edwards, 673 N.E.2d 752 (Ill. App. Ct. 1996). “Justice LYTTON delivered the opinion of the court: The defendant, David Edwards, was charged with driving without a seat belt (625 ILCS 5/12-603.1 (West 1994)), driving under the influence of alcohol (625 ILCS 5/11-501(a)(2) (West 1994)), driving with a blood-alcohol…”
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