HB4997 Summary

• Amends Illinois Vehicle Code to permit all-terrain vehicles and recreational off-highway vehicles on rural roads under local government or Department of Transportation jurisdiction if public safety is not jeopardized.

• Requires municipalities, townships, counties, and the Department to consider traffic volume, speed, and character before authorizing non-highway vehicles and must post appropriate signs where permitted.

• Mandates that all units of government with jurisdiction over a roadway must agree before non-highway vehicles can operate on multi-jurisdictional roads.

• Limits home rule powers by prohibiting local governments from regulating all-terrain vehicles and recreational off-highway vehicles on rural roads more restrictively than state regulation.

• Permits all-terrain vehicles and recreational off-highway vehicles to cross state highways at intersections controlled by traffic lights or 4-way stop signs where speed limits are 35 mph or less on rural roads.