Sangamon Sun

A new bill that recently passed the Illinois House of Representatives would do away with the registration fee currently required of Illinois families seeking a Gold Star license plate.

Gold Star families are families who have lost a loved one in military service. Illinois plates indicating that status are available to surviving spouses, parents, siblings and children of such a service member, according to the Illinois Secretary of State web site. The current registration fee for the plates is $151.

“I feel that’s the least that we can do for our Gold Star Families,” the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur), said in the House following the passage of House Bill 20.

Scherer said she appreciated the bipartisan support for the bill, which passed 91-0, with 27 not voting.

The text of HB20 specifically addresses only the registration fee associated with the plates, which is paid annually or when registering a car for the first time. The state also charges a $150 title fee for any newly acquired vehicle or a first-time issuance, which is not addressed by the bill.

However, the waiving of the registration fee would apply to both initial and subsequent annual renewals. The plates are only available for first division and second division vehicles under 8,000 pounds, according to the bill text.