a) Definitions. For
the purposes of this Section, the following terms shall have the meanings set
forth in this subsection (a):
"Active duty" - means active duty under an executive
order of the President of the United States, an Act of the Congress of the
United States, or an order of the governorof any U.S. state or
territory.
"Armed Forces" - means any of the Armed Forces of the
United States, including a member of any reserve component or National Guard
unit called to active duty.
"DVA" - means the Illinois Department of Veterans'
Affairs.
"Veteran" -means a person who has
served on active duty in the Armed Forces and was discharged or separated under
honorable conditions. [15 ILCS
335/5(b) ]
b) Effective July 1, 2015, for each original
or renewal driver's license or identification card (ID) application, the
Secretary shall inquire as to whether the applicant is an honorably discharged
veteran. If the applicant is an honorably discharged veteran, the applicant
shall be informed that he or she is entitled to have the designation "Veteran"
on the face of his or her driver's license or ID card.
c) The Secretary shall issue an original,
renewal, corrected or duplicate driver's license or ID with the "Veteran"
designation to applicants who present a DD214, Certification of Military
Service (NA Form 13038), Department of Defense Form DD-2 (retired), an
identification card issued under the federal Veterans Identification Card Act
of 2015, or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs summary of benefits letter or
other official Department of Defense discharge document that indicates the
applicant was honorably discharged. The applicant shall pay the statutory fee
required by IVC Section 6-118, to have a "Veteran" designation added to a
duplicate or corrected driver's license, and by Section 12 of the Illinois
Identification Card Act [15 ILCS 335] to have the designation added to a
duplicate or corrected ID.
d) On a
nightly basis, the Secretary shall provide DVA with an electronic file of the
applicants who were issued a driver's license or ID card with the "Veteran"
designation during that business day. The file shall contain the full name,
address, driver's license or ID card number, date of birth, gender and full
social security number of the applicant. DVA shall compare that file to its
records to determine if the applicant is a honorably discharged veteran. DVA
shall notify the Secretary if it determines, after due diligence, that it
cannot verify an applicant's veteran status.
e) Upon being notified by DVA that it cannot
verify the applicant is an honorably discharged veteran, the Secretary shall
notify the applicant in writing that he or she has 30 days to appear in person
at a DVA office and provide proof of his or her status as an honorably
discharged veteran to DVA. If, within that 30 day period, DVA notifies the
Secretary that, upon further review, it has determined that the applicant is an
honorably discharged veteran, the Secretary will take no further action
regarding the matter.
f) If the
Secretary does not receive notification from DVA within the 30 day period
specified in subsection (e) confirming the applicant's status as an honorably
discharged veteran, the Secretary shall cite the applicant to appear at a
Secretary of State facility within 15 days after the date of the citation to
surrender the driver's license or ID card with the "Veteran" designation and be
issued a new card without the "Veteran" designation. If the applicant does not
appear pursuant to the citation, the applicant's driver's license or ID card
shall be canceled.
g) An applicant
whose driver's license or ID has been cancelled pursuant to this Section may
apply for a driver's license or ID without the "Veteran" designation.
