Illinois License Plate Reader Laws (2026)

Illinois has no single, comprehensive license plate reader (ALPR) statute. It has two separate regimes: a Vehicle Code section that limits how ALPR information may be shared, and an Expressway Camera Act that governs state and Illinois Tollway cameras. Neither one contains a general retention period for local police readers.

Information reviewed September 30, 2026.

For related pages, see the Illinois entry in the state comparison, the ALPR laws hub, Are Flock cameras legal?, What are Flock cameras?, and our Illinois surveillance camera laws guide.

Does Illinois have a license plate reader law?

Yes, but it is narrower than many readers expect. The main provision is 625 ILCS 5/2-130 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, added by P.A. 103-540, effective January 1, 2024. It is about who may receive ALPR information, not about when a reader may be installed or how long the data may be kept.

A separate statute, the Expressway Camera Act, 605 ILCS 140/5, applies to cameras run by the Illinois State Police, the Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. The two regimes should be read separately. Section 140/10 of the Expressway Camera Act addresses which law controls and does not supersede section 2-130.

Who does section 2-130 cover?

The definition reaches beyond police. Under section 2-130(a), "ALPR" includes "a device that is owned or operated by a person or an entity other than a law enforcement agency to the extent that data collected by the reader is shared with a law enforcement agency."

That means a privately owned camera can fall within the section once its data is shared with police. The section also defines "ALPR systems" to include multi-agency or vendor agreements that share ALPR information collected in Illinois. The provisions are written in terms of an "ALPR user."

What sharing does Illinois prohibit?

Subsection (b) is the core rule. It says an "ALPR user shall not sell, share, allow access to, or transfer ALPR information to any state or local jurisdiction for the purpose of investigating or enforcing a law that" either:

• denies or interferes with a person's right to choose or obtain reproductive health care services or any lawful health care services as defined by the Lawful Health Care Activity Act; or
• permits the detention or investigation of a person based on the person's immigration status.

Subsection (c) adds a paperwork step for out-of-state agencies. A written declaration of affirmation, stating that the information will not be used in violation of subsection (b), must be executed. The statute continues: "If a written declaration of affirmation is not executed, the law enforcement agency shall not share the ALPR information with the out-of-state law enforcement agency."

The text as reviewed speaks of an "out-of-state law enforcement agency" and of a "state or local jurisdiction." It does not, by its terms, name federal agencies, so this page does not say how the section applies to a federal request.

A separate law does name federal immigration agencies, although it never mentions plate readers. Under the Illinois TRUST Act, 5 ILCS 805/15(h), "[u]nless presented with a federal criminal warrant, or otherwise required by federal law," a law enforcement agency or official may not "permit immigration agents use of agency facilities or equipment, including any agency electronic databases not available to the public, for investigative interviews or other investigative or immigration enforcement purpose," or "enter into or maintain any agreement regarding direct access to any electronic database or other data-sharing platform maintained by any law enforcement agency, or otherwise provide such direct access to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States Customs and Border Protection or any other federal entity enforcing civil immigration violations." Subsection (i) keeps officers free to cooperate with federal and other agencies in criminal investigations, including those of Homeland Security Investigations. No decision applying these provisions to ALPR data was found.

What does section 2-130 not say?

Subsection (d) provides that "ALPR information shall be held confidentially to the fullest extent permitted by law."

The current text contains no numeric retention period, no audit requirement, and no penalty or remedy clause. Some summaries attribute 90-day retention or audit rules to this section; those rules are not in the text reviewed on September 30, 2026. The Vehicle Code's general penalty section, 625 ILCS 5/16-104, makes a violation of any Code provision that carries no other penalty a petty offense for a first or second conviction. No decision applying it to section 2-130 was found, so this page does not say how it applies.

What do the expressway cameras rules say?

The Expressway Camera Act sets up a camera program on expressways and State highways in 25 named counties plus Lake Shore Drive. Images, "including, but not limited to, images of license plates collected by state-operated cameras and cameras operated by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, may be used by any law enforcement agency conducting an active law enforcement investigation subject to the limitations in this subsection."

The listed offenses are vehicular hijacking, aggravated vehicular hijacking, terrorism, motor vehicle theft, and forcible felonies, including firearm offenses. Images may also be used to detect expressway hazards and for highway safety. The Act does not allow use for petty offenses or unlisted offenses unless safety-related, and it does not allow the cameras to be used to monitor individuals or groups discriminatorily.

Is there a deletion deadline?

Yes, for one category. The Act says: "All images from the cameras that are exported through a law enforcement database shall be deleted from that law enforcement database within 120 days, unless the images are relevant to an ongoing investigation or pending criminal trial."

That rule applies to exports into law enforcement databases. The text reviewed does not state a retention period for the State Police's own camera storage.

Is there public reporting?

By August 1 each year, the State Police, the Department of Transportation and the Tollway must issue a joint report to the General Assembly on program operations. It covers installation and maintenance cost by county, the number of inquiries for the listed offenses, and the number of incidents in which law enforcement searched the stored data for those offenses.

When does the Act end?

The Act is scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2028. The repeal section, 605 ILCS 140/90, carries the source line "P.A. 104-10, eff. 6-16-25; 104-18, eff. 6-30-25." Both of those acts moved the repeal date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2028. P.A. 104-18 also added Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties, limited the 120-day deletion rule to images exported through a law enforcement database, moved the report date to August 1, and added section 140/10. No later act changing the date was found, though that search was not exhaustive. Check the Illinois General Assembly site for later changes.

Can the public get Illinois ALPR data?

Illinois FOIA carves ALPR records out in two places, both of which reduce what a request is likely to return.

• 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(d-7) exempts "information gathered or records created from the use of automatic license plate readers in connection with Section 2-130 of the Illinois Vehicle Code."
• 5 ILCS 140/7.5(fff) covers "[i]mages from cameras under the Expressway Camera Act and all automated license plate reader (ALPR) information used and collected by the Illinois State Police." It states: "This subsection (fff) is inoperative on and after July 1, 2028." The ILGA page shows several versions of Section 7.5 from different Public Acts that had not been combined; the quoted text is the version from P.A. 104-18, and some other versions still print an older July 1, 2025 date.

Separately, the Toll Highway Act, 605 ILCS 10/19.1(g), exempts from FOIA "[p]ersonally identifiable information generated through the Authority's toll collection process that reveals the date, time, location or direction of travel by an electronic toll collection system user." Its relevance to plate reader cameras on the Tollway runs through the Expressway Camera Act, section 140/10 of which states that it supersedes Section 19.1.

This page did not verify whether contracts, policies or council records are covered by these exemptions.

Red-light and speed cameras have their own rule. The recorded images those systems take must include at least one image "clearly identifying the registration plate or digital registration plate number of the motor vehicle," and 625 ILCS 5/11-208.6(g) says they "are confidential and shall be made available only to the alleged violator and governmental and law enforcement agencies for purposes of adjudicating a violation of this Section, for statistical purposes, or for other governmental purposes." The automated speed enforcement section, 625 ILCS 5/11-208.8(i), uses the same words. Neither section refers to plate readers, and "other governmental purposes" is not defined in them.

What have courts said about Illinois ALPRs?

The one decision in the research file is Scholl v. Illinois State Police, No. 24-cv-4435 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 31, 2025). The court granted the defendants' motion to dismiss and denied a preliminary injunction. It dismissed the Governor, the Attorney General and the Illinois State Police on sovereign-immunity grounds, held that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge warrantless searches of the stored database, and ruled only on whether collecting the plate images was a search.

On the Fourth Amendment question, the court held that "Illinois's use of ALPRs, as alleged in the complaint, is not so intrusive as to invade that expectation. It is not a search under the Fourth Amendment." The claim concerned the expressway camera program as pleaded. The plaintiffs were given until April 30, 2025 to seek leave to amend.

An appeal was noticed May 15, 2025 as No. 25-1847 in the Seventh Circuit. A Courthouse News report published September 29, 2026 indicates the appeal was argued that day. No appellate decision had been found when this page was reviewed, so it states none. Check the Seventh Circuit docket for the current status.

The district ruling was issued before the Supreme Court's June 29, 2026 decision in Chatrie v. United States, which concerned cell-phone location data rather than license plate readers.

What are Illinois cities doing?

Local practice varies, and these records are city or agency actions, not statewide rules. The list below comes from audited news and government sources and is not complete.

• Evanston: listed as ended August 26, 2025, per a city bulletin.
• Oak Park: listed as ended August 5, 2025, per Oak Park reporting.
• Berwyn: listed as paused September 22, 2026, per the Landmark.

Check your own village or city for its current status.

Is a new Illinois ALPR bill pending?

HB 5151, titled the Automated License Plate Recognition System Act (104th General Assembly, sponsor Rep. Nicolle Grasse), would amend 5 ILCS 140/7. The ILGA bill status page showed it re-referred to the Rules Committee on April 17, 2026, with later entries on September 4, 2026 adding only co-sponsors. It had not passed either chamber as of September 30, 2026. It is not law, and this page does not describe its contents because the bill text was not reviewed.

How can you check your local system?

Start with the statutes above, then ask the operating agency what it keeps.

• Ask whether the city or department has a written ALPR policy, and whether it shares data with agencies outside Illinois.
• Ask whether an out-of-state agency has executed the written declaration section 2-130(c) requires.
• Look for city council or village board agendas and minutes about the contract.
• For expressway cameras, look for the joint annual report to the General Assembly.

Expect the FOIA exemptions above to limit what comes back for plate-read records themselves.

Frequently asked questions

This guide provides general legal information as reviewed on September 30, 2026. It is not legal advice. Consult a lawyer licensed in Illinois about a particular situation.

Last updated: September 30, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an Illinois license plate reader law?

Yes. 625 ILCS 5/2-130 limits sharing of ALPR information, and the Expressway Camera Act (605 ILCS 140/5) governs state and Tollway expressway cameras. Neither is a full code for local police readers.

Can Illinois police share plate reader data with another state?

Section 2-130(c) requires a written declaration of affirmation from the out-of-state law enforcement agency. Without it, the agency shall not share the ALPR information.

Can plate reader data be used for immigration enforcement in Illinois?

Section 2-130(b) says an ALPR user shall not sell, share, allow access to, or transfer ALPR information to any state or local jurisdiction to investigate or enforce a law that permits detention or investigation based on immigration status. The text reviewed does not name federal agencies.

How long can Illinois keep ALPR data?

Section 2-130 states no retention period. The Expressway Camera Act requires images exported through a law enforcement database to be deleted from that database within 120 days, unless relevant to an ongoing investigation or pending criminal trial.

Does Illinois require ALPR audits or set a penalty?

The text of section 2-130 reviewed on September 30, 2026 contains no audit requirement and no penalty clause. The Vehicle Code's general penalty section (625 ILCS 5/16-104) makes a person's violation of a Code provision with no other penalty a petty offense, but no decision applying it to section 2-130 was found. The Expressway Camera Act requires a joint annual report to the General Assembly by August 1.

Are Illinois plate reader records public?

Two FOIA exemptions apply: 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(d-7) and 5 ILCS 140/7.5(fff). The second is inoperative on and after July 1, 2028.

Did a court decide Illinois plate readers are constitutional?

A federal district court held in March 2025 that collecting plate images under the Illinois expressway camera program, as alleged in that complaint, was not a search under the Fourth Amendment. It held the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge searches of the stored database and did not decide that question. The Seventh Circuit appeal was argued September 29, 2026, and no decision had been found.

When does the Expressway Camera Act end?

It is scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2028, according to the section header, unless a later act changes that date.