Public Act 0443 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0576 Enrolled LRB104 04442 BDA 14469 b

Public Act 104-0443

AN ACT concerning government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Public Official Safety and Privacy Act.

Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to improve the safety and security of Illinois public officials to ensure they are able to administer their public duties without fear of personal reprisal from individuals affected by the decisions they make in the course of carrying out their public functions.

This Act is not intended to restrain a public official from independently making public his or her own personal information. Additionally, no governmental agency, person, business, or association has any obligation under this Act to protect the privacy of a public official's personal information until the public official makes a written request that his or her personal information not be publicly posted.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to impair free access to decisions and opinions expressed by public officials in the course of carrying out their public functions.

Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Constitutional officers" means the officers established by Section 1 of Article V of the Illinois Constitution.

"Governmental agency" includes all agencies, authorities, boards, commissions, departments, institutions, offices, and any other bodies politic and corporate of the State created by the constitution or statute, whether in the executive, judicial, or legislative branch; all units and corporate outgrowths created by executive order of the Governor or any constitutional officer, by the Supreme Court, or by resolution of the General Assembly; or agencies, authorities, boards, commissions, departments, institutions, offices, and any other bodies politic and corporate of a unit of local government, or school district.

"Home address" includes a public official's permanent residence and any secondary residences affirmatively identified by the public official, but does not include a public official's work address.

"Immediate family" includes a public official's spouse, child, or parent or any individual who is a blood relative of the public official or the public official's spouse and who lives in the same residence as the public official.

"Personal information" means a home address, home telephone number, mobile telephone number, pager number, personal email address, social security number, federal tax identification number, checking and savings account numbers, credit card numbers, marital status, and identity of children under the age of 18.

"Public official" includes:

(1) members or former members of the Illinois General Assembly;

(2) constitutional officers or former constitutional officers;

(3) elected or appointed State's Attorneys;

(4) appointed Public Defenders; and

(5) county clerks and members of a Board of Election Commissioners whose responsibilities include administering and overseeing elections.

"Publicly available content" means any written, printed, or electronic document or record that provides information or that serves as a document or record that provides information or that serves as a document or record maintained, controlled, or in the possession of a governmental agency that may be obtained by any person or entity, from the Internet, from the governmental agency upon request either free of charge or for a fee, or in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

"Publicly post" or "publicly display" means to communicate to another or otherwise make available to the public.

"Written request" means written notice signed by a public official or a representative of the public official's office or the public official's employer requesting a governmental agency, person, business, or association to refrain from posting or displaying publicly available content that includes the official's personal information.

Section 15. Publicly posting or displaying a public official's personal information by governmental agencies.

(a) Governmental agencies shall not publicly post or display publicly available content that includes a public official's personal information, provided that the governmental agency has received a written request in accordance with Section 25 of this Act that it refrain from disclosing the public official's personal information. After a governmental agency has received a written request, that agency shall remove the public official's personal information from publicly available content within 5 business days. After the governmental agency has removed the public official's personal information from publicly available content, the agency shall not publicly post or display the information, and the public official's personal information shall be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act unless the governmental agency has received consent from the public official to make the personal information available to the public.

(b) If a governmental agency fails to comply with a written request to refrain from disclosing personal information, the public official may bring an action seeking injunctive or declaratory relief in any court.

Section 20. Publicly posting a public official's personal information on the Internet by persons, businesses, and associations.

(a) Prohibited Conduct.

(1) All persons, businesses, and associations shall refrain from publicly posting or displaying on the Internet publicly available content that includes a public official's personal information, provided that the public official has made a written request to the person, business, or association that it refrain from disclosing the personal information.

(2) No person, business, or association shall solicit, sell, or trade on the Internet a public official's personal information with the intent to pose an imminent and serious threat to the health and safety of the public official or the public official's immediate family.

(3) This subsection includes, but is not limited to, Internet phone directories, Internet search engines, Internet data aggregators, and Internet service providers.

(b) Required Conduct.

(1) After a person, business, or association has received a written request from a public official to protect the privacy of the public official's personal information, that person, business, or association shall have 72 hours to remove the personal information from the Internet.

(2) After a person, business, or association has received a written request from a public official, that person, business, or association shall ensure that the public official's personal information is not made available on any website or subsidiary website controlled by that person, business, or association.

(3) After receiving a public official's written request, no person, business, or association shall transfer the public official's personal information to any other person, business, or association through any medium.

(c) Redress. A public official whose personal information is made public as a result of a violation of this Act may bring an action seeking injunctive or declaratory relief in any court. If the court grants injunctive or declaratory relief, the person, business, or association responsible for the violation shall be required to pay the public official's costs and reasonable attorney's fees.

Section 25. Procedure for completing a written request.

(a) No governmental agency, person, business, or association shall be found to have violated any provision of this Act if the public official fails to submit a written request calling for the protection of the public official's personal information.

(b) A written request shall be valid if:

(1) The public official sends a written request directly to a governmental agency, person, business, or association; or

(2) The public official sends a written request to the Secretary of State in accordance with the policy and procedures adopted, by rule, by the Secretary of State for public officials to file written requests under this Act. In each quarter of a calendar year, the Secretary of State shall provide a list of all public officials who have submitted a written request under this paragraph to the appropriate officer with ultimate supervisory authority for a governmental agency. The officer shall promptly provide a copy of the list to any and all governmental agencies under his or her supervision. Receipt of the written request list compiled by the Secretary of State by a governmental agency shall constitute a written request to that governmental agency for the purposes of this Act. In each quarter of a calendar year, the Secretary of State shall provide a list of all public officials who have submitted a written request under this paragraph to the registered agent, president, manager, or otherwise highest ranking corporate officer with ultimate supervisory authority for a business or association. The person to which the list is provided shall promptly provide a copy of the list to any and all employees under his or her supervision who are responsible for compliance with this Act. Receipt of the written request list compiled by the Secretary of State by a business or association shall constitute a written request to that business or association for the purposes of this Act.

(c) A representative from the public official's office or the public official's employer may submit a written request on the public official's behalf, provided that the public official gives written consent to the representative and provided that the representative agrees to furnish a copy of that consent when a written request is made. The representative shall submit the written request as provided in subsection (b) of this Section.

(d) A public official's written request shall specify what personal information shall be maintained private. If a public official wishes to identify a secondary residence as a home address as that term is defined in this Act, the designation shall be made in the written request. A public official shall disclose the identity of the public official's immediate family and indicate that the personal information of these family members shall also be excluded to the extent that it could reasonably be expected to reveal the personal information of the public official.

(e) A public official's written request is valid until the public official provides the governmental agency, person, business, or association with written permission to release the private information. A public official's written request expires on death.

(f) A written request made under paragraph (2) of subsection (b) shall be in a form substantially similar to the form for judicial requests for the removal of personal information pursuant to the Judicial Privacy Act.

Section 30. Unlawful publication of personal information. It is unlawful for any person to knowingly publicly post on the Internet the personal information of a public official or of the public official's immediate family if the person knows or reasonably should know that publicly posting the personal information poses an imminent and serious threat to the health and safety of the public official or the public official's immediate family and if the violation is a proximate cause of bodily injury or death of the public official or a member of the public official's immediate family. A person who violates this Section is guilty of a Class 3 felony.

Section 35. Exceptions for employees of governmental agencies. Provided that the employee of a governmental agency has complied with the conditions set forth in Sections 20 and 25 of this Act, it is not a violation of Section 30 if an employee of a governmental agency publishes personal information, in good faith, on the website of the governmental agency in the ordinary course of carrying out public functions.

Section 40. Construction.

(a) This Act and any rules adopted to implement this Act shall be construed broadly to favor the protection of the personal information of public officials.

(b) Nothing in this Act is intended to limit the remedies available under any other law, including the Civil Liability for Doxing Act.

Section 900. The Freedom of Information Act is amended by changing Section 7 as follows:

(5 ILCS 140/7)

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 104-300)

Sec. 7. Exemptions.

(1) When a request is made to inspect or copy a public record that contains information that is exempt from disclosure under this Section, but also contains information that is not exempt from disclosure, the public body may elect to redact the information that is exempt. The public body shall make the remaining information available for inspection and copying. Subject to this requirement, the following shall be exempt from inspection and copying:

(a) Information specifically prohibited from disclosure by federal or State law or rules and regulations implementing federal or State law.

(b) Private information, unless disclosure is required by another provision of this Act, a State or federal law, or a court order.

(b-5) Files, documents, and other data or databases maintained by one or more law enforcement agencies and specifically designed to provide information to one or more law enforcement agencies regarding the physical or mental status of one or more individual subjects.

(c) Personal information contained within public records, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, unless the disclosure is consented to in writing by the individual subjects of the information. "Unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" means the disclosure of information that is highly personal or objectionable to a reasonable person and in which the subject's right to privacy outweighs any legitimate public interest in obtaining the information. The disclosure of information that bears on the public duties of public employees and officials shall not be considered an invasion of personal privacy.

(d) Records in the possession of any public body created in the course of administrative enforcement proceedings, and any law enforcement or correctional agency for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that disclosure would:

(i) interfere with pending or actually and reasonably contemplated law enforcement proceedings conducted by any law enforcement or correctional agency that is the recipient of the request;

(ii) interfere with active administrative enforcement proceedings conducted by the public body that is the recipient of the request;

(iii) create a substantial likelihood that a person will be deprived of a fair trial or an impartial hearing;

(iv) unavoidably disclose the identity of a confidential source, confidential information furnished only by the confidential source, or persons who file complaints with or provide information to administrative, investigative, law enforcement, or penal agencies; except that the identities of witnesses to traffic crashes, traffic crash reports, and rescue reports shall be provided by agencies of local government, except when disclosure would interfere with an active criminal investigation conducted by the agency that is the recipient of the request;

(v) disclose unique or specialized investigative techniques other than those generally used and known or disclose internal documents of correctional agencies related to detection, observation, or investigation of incidents of crime or misconduct, and disclosure would result in demonstrable harm to the agency or public body that is the recipient of the request;

(vi) endanger the life or physical safety of law enforcement personnel or any other person; or

(vii) obstruct an ongoing criminal investigation by the agency that is the recipient of the request.

(d-5) A law enforcement record created for law enforcement purposes and contained in a shared electronic record management system if the law enforcement agency that is the recipient of the request did not create the record, did not participate in or have a role in any of the events which are the subject of the record, and only has access to the record through the shared electronic record management system.

(d-6) Records contained in the Officer Professional Conduct Database under Section 9.2 of the Illinois Police Training Act, except to the extent authorized under that Section. This includes the documents supplied to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board from the Illinois State Police and Illinois State Police Merit Board.

(d-7) Information gathered or records created from the use of automatic license plate readers in connection with Section 2-130 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.

(e) Records that relate to or affect the security of correctional institutions and detention facilities.

(e-5) Records requested by persons committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail if those materials are available in the library of the correctional institution or facility or jail where the inmate is confined.

(e-6) Records requested by persons committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail if those materials include records from staff members' personnel files, staff rosters, or other staffing assignment information.

(e-7) Records requested by persons committed to the Department of Corrections or Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health if those materials are available through an administrative request to the Department of Corrections or Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health.

(e-8) Records requested by a person committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail, the disclosure of which would result in the risk of harm to any person or the risk of an escape from a jail or correctional institution or facility.

(e-9) Records requested by a person in a county jail or committed to the Department of Corrections or Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, containing personal information pertaining to the person's victim or the victim's family, including, but not limited to, a victim's home address, home telephone number, work or school address, work telephone number, social security number, or any other identifying information, except as may be relevant to a requester's current or potential case or claim.

(e-10) Law enforcement records of other persons requested by a person committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail, including, but not limited to, arrest and booking records, mug shots, and crime scene photographs, except as these records may be relevant to the requester's current or potential case or claim.

(f) Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations, memoranda, and other records in which opinions are expressed, or policies or actions are formulated, except that a specific record or relevant portion of a record shall not be exempt when the record is publicly cited and identified by the head of the public body. The exemption provided in this paragraph (f) extends to all those records of officers and agencies of the General Assembly that pertain to the preparation of legislative documents.

(g) Trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person or business where the trade secrets or commercial or financial information are furnished under a claim that they are proprietary, privileged, or confidential, and that disclosure of the trade secrets or commercial or financial information would cause competitive harm to the person or business, and only insofar as the claim directly applies to the records requested.

The information included under this exemption includes all trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained by a public body, including a public pension fund, from a private equity fund or a privately held company within the investment portfolio of a private equity fund as a result of either investing or evaluating a potential investment of public funds in a private equity fund. The exemption contained in this item does not apply to the aggregate financial performance information of a private equity fund, nor to the identity of the fund's managers or general partners. The exemption contained in this item does not apply to the identity of a privately held company within the investment portfolio of a private equity fund, unless the disclosure of the identity of a privately held company may cause competitive harm.

Nothing contained in this paragraph (g) shall be construed to prevent a person or business from consenting to disclosure.

(h) Proposals and bids for any contract, grant, or agreement, including information which if it were disclosed would frustrate procurement or give an advantage to any person proposing to enter into a contractor agreement with the body, until an award or final selection is made. Information prepared by or for the body in preparation of a bid solicitation shall be exempt until an award or final selection is made.

(i) Valuable formulae, computer geographic systems, designs, drawings, and research data obtained or produced by any public body when disclosure could reasonably be expected to produce private gain or public loss. The exemption for "computer geographic systems" provided in this paragraph (i) does not extend to requests made by news media as defined in Section 2 of this Act when the requested information is not otherwise exempt and the only purpose of the request is to access and disseminate information regarding the health, safety, welfare, or legal rights of the general public.

(j) The following information pertaining to educational matters:

(i) test questions, scoring keys, and other examination data used to administer an academic examination;

(ii) information received by a primary or secondary school, college, or university under its procedures for the evaluation of faculty members by their academic peers;

(iii) information concerning a school or university's adjudication of student disciplinary cases, but only to the extent that disclosure would unavoidably reveal the identity of the student; and

(iv) course materials or research materials used by faculty members.

(k) Architects' plans, engineers' technical submissions, and other construction related technical documents for projects not constructed or developed in whole or in part with public funds and the same for projects constructed or developed with public funds, including, but not limited to, power generating and distribution stations and other transmission and distribution facilities, water treatment facilities, airport facilities, sport stadiums, convention centers, and all government owned, operated, or occupied buildings, but only to the extent that disclosure would compromise security.

(l) Minutes of meetings of public bodies closed to the public as provided in the Open Meetings Act until the public body makes the minutes available to the public under Section 2.06 of the Open Meetings Act.

(m) Communications between a public body and an attorney or auditor representing the public body that would not be subject to discovery in litigation, and materials prepared or compiled by or for a public body in anticipation of a criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding upon the request of an attorney advising the public body, and materials prepared or compiled with respect to internal audits of public bodies.

(n) Records relating to a public body's adjudication of employee grievances or disciplinary cases; however, this exemption shall not extend to the final outcome of cases in which discipline is imposed.

(o) Administrative or technical information associated with automated data processing operations, including, but not limited to, software, operating protocols, computer program abstracts, file layouts, source listings, object modules, load modules, user guides, documentation pertaining to all logical and physical design of computerized systems, employee manuals, and any other information that, if disclosed, would jeopardize the security of the system or its data or the security of materials exempt under this Section.

(p) Records relating to collective negotiating matters between public bodies and their employees or representatives, except that any final contract or agreement shall be subject to inspection and copying.

(q) Test questions, scoring keys, and other examination data used to determine the qualifications of an applicant for a license or employment.

(r) The records, documents, and information relating to real estate purchase negotiations until those negotiations have been completed or otherwise terminated. With regard to a parcel involved in a pending or actually and reasonably contemplated eminent domain proceeding under the Eminent Domain Act, records, documents, and information relating to that parcel shall be exempt except as may be allowed under discovery rules adopted by the Illinois Supreme Court. The records, documents, and information relating to a real estate sale shall be exempt until a sale is consummated.

(s) Any and all proprietary information and records related to the operation of an intergovernmental risk management association or self-insurance pool or jointly self-administered health and accident cooperative or pool. Insurance or self-insurance (including any intergovernmental risk management association or self-insurance pool) claims, loss or risk management information, records, data, advice, or communications.

(t) Information contained in or related to examination, operating, or condition reports prepared by, on behalf of, or for the use of a public body responsible for the regulation or supervision of financial institutions, insurance companies, or pharmacy benefit managers, unless disclosure is otherwise required by State law.

(u) Information that would disclose or might lead to the disclosure of secret or confidential information, codes, algorithms, programs, or private keys intended to be used to create electronic signatures under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

(v) Vulnerability assessments, security measures, and response policies or plans that are designed to identify, prevent, or respond to potential attacks upon a community's population or systems, facilities, or installations, but only to the extent that disclosure could reasonably be expected to expose the vulnerability or jeopardize the effectiveness of the measures, policies, or plans, or the safety of the personnel who implement them or the public. Information exempt under this item may include such things as details pertaining to the mobilization or deployment of personnel or equipment, to the operation of communication systems or protocols, to cybersecurity vulnerabilities, or to tactical operations.

(w) (Blank).

(x) Maps and other records regarding the location or security of generation, transmission, distribution, storage, gathering, treatment, or switching facilities owned by a utility, by a power generator, or by the Illinois Power Agency.

(y) Information contained in or related to proposals, bids, or negotiations related to electric power procurement under Section 1-75 of the Illinois Power Agency Act and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act that is determined to be confidential and proprietary by the Illinois Power Agency or by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

(z) Information about students exempted from disclosure under Section 10-20.38 or 34-18.29 of the School Code, and information about undergraduate students enrolled at an institution of higher education exempted from disclosure under Section 25 of the Illinois Credit Card Marketing Act of 2009.

(aa) Information the disclosure of which is exempted under the Viatical Settlements Act of 2009.

(bb) Records and information provided to a mortality review team and records maintained by a mortality review team appointed under the Department of Juvenile Justice Mortality Review Team Act.

(cc) Information regarding interments, entombments, or inurnments of human remains that are submitted to the Cemetery Oversight Database under the Cemetery Care Act or the Cemetery Oversight Act, whichever is applicable.

(dd) Correspondence and records (i) that may not be disclosed under Section 11-9 of the Illinois Public Aid Code or (ii) that pertain to appeals under Section 11-8 of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

(ee) The names, addresses, or other personal information of persons who are minors and are also participants and registrants in programs of park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation districts, recreation agencies, and special recreation associations.

(ff) The names, addresses, or other personal information of participants and registrants in programs of park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation districts, recreation agencies, and special recreation associations where such programs are targeted primarily to minors.

(gg) Confidential information described in Section 1-100 of the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal Act of 2012.

(hh) The report submitted to the State Board of Education by the School Security and Standards Task Force under item (8) of subsection (d) of Section 2-3.160 of the School Code and any information contained in that report.

(ii) Records requested by persons committed to or detained by the Department of Human Services under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act or committed to the Department of Corrections under the Sexually Dangerous Persons Act if those materials: (i) are available in the library of the facility where the individual is confined; (ii) include records from staff members' personnel files, staff rosters, or other staffing assignment information; or (iii) are available through an administrative request to the Department of Human Services or the Department of Corrections.

(jj) Confidential information described in Section 5-535 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(kk) The public body's credit card numbers, debit card numbers, bank account numbers, Federal Employer Identification Number, security code numbers, passwords, and similar account information, the disclosure of which could result in identity theft or impression or defrauding of a governmental entity or a person.

(ll) Records concerning the work of the threat assessment team of a school district, including, but not limited to, any threat assessment procedure under the School Safety Drill Act and any information contained in the procedure.

(mm) Information prohibited from being disclosed under subsections (a) and (b) of Section 15 of the Student Confidential Reporting Act.

(nn) Proprietary information submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency under the Drug Take-Back Act.

(oo) Records described in subsection (f) of Section 3-5-1 of the Unified Code of Corrections.

(pp) Any and all information regarding burials, interments, or entombments of human remains as required to be reported to the Department of Natural Resources pursuant either to the Archaeological and Paleontological Resources Protection Act or the Human Remains Protection Act.

(qq) Reports described in subsection (e) of Section 16-15 of the Abortion Care Clinical Training Program Act.

(rr) Information obtained by a certified local health department under the Access to Public Health Data Act.

(ss) For a request directed to a public body that is also a HIPAA-covered entity, all information that is protected health information, including demographic information, that may be contained within or extracted from any record held by the public body in compliance with State and federal medical privacy laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and its regulations, 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164. As used in this paragraph, "HIPAA-covered entity" has the meaning given to the term "covered entity" in 45 CFR 160.103 and "protected health information" has the meaning given to that term in 45 CFR 160.103.

(tt) Proposals or bids submitted by engineering consultants in response to requests for proposal or other competitive bidding requests by the Department of Transportation or the Illinois Toll Highway Authority.

(1.5) Any information exempt from disclosure under the Judicial Privacy Act shall be redacted from public records prior to disclosure under this Act.

(1.6) Any information exempt from disclosure under the Public Official Safety and Privacy Act shall be redacted from public records prior to disclosure under this Act.

(1.7) Any information exempt from disclosure under paragraph (3.5) of Section 9-15 of the Election Code shall be redacted from public records prior to disclosure under this Act.

(2) A public record that is not in the possession of a public body but is in the possession of a party with whom the agency has contracted to perform a governmental function on behalf of the public body, and that directly relates to the governmental function and is not otherwise exempt under this Act, shall be considered a public record of the public body, for purposes of this Act.

(3) This Section does not authorize withholding of information or limit the availability of records to the public, except as stated in this Section or otherwise provided in this Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-38, eff. 6-25-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-694, eff. 1-7-22; 102-752, eff. 5-6-22; 102-753, eff. 1-1-23; 102-776, eff. 1-1-23; 102-791, eff. 5-13-22; 102-982, eff. 7-1-23; 102-1055, eff. 6-10-22; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-423, eff. 1-1-24; 103-446, eff. 8-4-23; 103-462, eff. 8-4-23; 103-540, eff. 1-1-24; 103-554, eff. 1-1-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 103-865, eff. 1-1-25.)

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 104-300)

Sec. 7. Exemptions.

(1) When a request is made to inspect or copy a public record that contains information that is exempt from disclosure under this Section, but also contains information that is not exempt from disclosure, the public body may elect to redact the information that is exempt. The public body shall make the remaining information available for inspection and copying. Subject to this requirement, the following shall be exempt from inspection and copying:

(a) Records created or compiled by a State public defender agency or commission subject to the State Public Defender Act that contain: individual client identity; individual case file information; individual investigation records and other records that are otherwise subject to attorney-client privilege; records that would not be discoverable in litigation; records under Section 2.15; training materials; records related to attorney consultation and representation strategy; or any of the above concerning clients of county public defenders or other defender agencies and firms. This exclusion does not apply to deidentified, aggregated, administrative records, such as general case processing and workload information.

(a-5) Information specifically prohibited from disclosure by federal or State law or rules and regulations implementing federal or State law.

(b) Private information, unless disclosure is required by another provision of this Act, a State or federal law, or a court order.

(b-5) Files, documents, and other data or databases maintained by one or more law enforcement agencies and specifically designed to provide information to one or more law enforcement agencies regarding the physical or mental status of one or more individual subjects.

(c) Personal information contained within public records, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, unless the disclosure is consented to in writing by the individual subjects of the information. "Unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" means the disclosure of information that is highly personal or objectionable to a reasonable person and in which the subject's right to privacy outweighs any legitimate public interest in obtaining the information. The disclosure of information that bears on the public duties of public employees and officials shall not be considered an invasion of personal privacy.

(d) Records in the possession of any public body created in the course of administrative enforcement proceedings, and any law enforcement or correctional agency for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that disclosure would:

(i) interfere with pending or actually and reasonably contemplated law enforcement proceedings conducted by any law enforcement or correctional agency that is the recipient of the request;

(ii) interfere with active administrative enforcement proceedings conducted by the public body that is the recipient of the request;

(iii) create a substantial likelihood that a person will be deprived of a fair trial or an impartial hearing;

(iv) unavoidably disclose the identity of a confidential source, confidential information furnished only by the confidential source, or persons who file complaints with or provide information to administrative, investigative, law enforcement, or penal agencies; except that the identities of witnesses to traffic crashes, traffic crash reports, and rescue reports shall be provided by agencies of local government, except when disclosure would interfere with an active criminal investigation conducted by the agency that is the recipient of the request;

(v) disclose unique or specialized investigative techniques other than those generally used and known or disclose internal documents of correctional agencies related to detection, observation, or investigation of incidents of crime or misconduct, and disclosure would result in demonstrable harm to the agency or public body that is the recipient of the request;

(vi) endanger the life or physical safety of law enforcement personnel or any other person; or

(vii) obstruct an ongoing criminal investigation by the agency that is the recipient of the request.

(d-5) A law enforcement record created for law enforcement purposes and contained in a shared electronic record management system if the law enforcement agency that is the recipient of the request did not create the record, did not participate in or have a role in any of the events which are the subject of the record, and only has access to the record through the shared electronic record management system.

(d-6) Records contained in the Officer Professional Conduct Database under Section 9.2 of the Illinois Police Training Act, except to the extent authorized under that Section. This includes the documents supplied to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board from the Illinois State Police and Illinois State Police Merit Board.

(d-7) Information gathered or records created from the use of automatic license plate readers in connection with Section 2-130 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.

(e) Records that relate to or affect the security of correctional institutions and detention facilities.

(e-5) Records requested by persons committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail if those materials are available in the library of the correctional institution or facility or jail where the inmate is confined.

(e-6) Records requested by persons committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail if those materials include records from staff members' personnel files, staff rosters, or other staffing assignment information.

(e-7) Records requested by persons committed to the Department of Corrections or Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health if those materials are available through an administrative request to the Department of Corrections or Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health.

(e-8) Records requested by a person committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail, the disclosure of which would result in the risk of harm to any person or the risk of an escape from a jail or correctional institution or facility.

(e-9) Records requested by a person in a county jail or committed to the Department of Corrections or Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, containing personal information pertaining to the person's victim or the victim's family, including, but not limited to, a victim's home address, home telephone number, work or school address, work telephone number, social security number, or any other identifying information, except as may be relevant to a requester's current or potential case or claim.

(e-10) Law enforcement records of other persons requested by a person committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail, including, but not limited to, arrest and booking records, mug shots, and crime scene photographs, except as these records may be relevant to the requester's current or potential case or claim.

(f) Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations, memoranda, and other records in which opinions are expressed, or policies or actions are formulated, except that a specific record or relevant portion of a record shall not be exempt when the record is publicly cited and identified by the head of the public body. The exemption provided in this paragraph (f) extends to all those records of officers and agencies of the General Assembly that pertain to the preparation of legislative documents.

(g) Trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person or business where the trade secrets or commercial or financial information are furnished under a claim that they are proprietary, privileged, or confidential, and that disclosure of the trade secrets or commercial or financial information would cause competitive harm to the person or business, and only insofar as the claim directly applies to the records requested.

The information included under this exemption includes all trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained by a public body, including a public pension fund, from a private equity fund or a privately held company within the investment portfolio of a private equity fund as a result of either investing or evaluating a potential investment of public funds in a private equity fund. The exemption contained in this item does not apply to the aggregate financial performance information of a private equity fund, nor to the identity of the fund's managers or general partners. The exemption contained in this item does not apply to the identity of a privately held company within the investment portfolio of a private equity fund, unless the disclosure of the identity of a privately held company may cause competitive harm.

Nothing contained in this paragraph (g) shall be construed to prevent a person or business from consenting to disclosure.

(h) Proposals and bids for any contract, grant, or agreement, including information which if it were disclosed would frustrate procurement or give an advantage to any person proposing to enter into a contractor agreement with the body, until an award or final selection is made. Information prepared by or for the body in preparation of a bid solicitation shall be exempt until an award or final selection is made.

(i) Valuable formulae, computer geographic systems, designs, drawings, and research data obtained or produced by any public body when disclosure could reasonably be expected to produce private gain or public loss. The exemption for "computer geographic systems" provided in this paragraph (i) does not extend to requests made by news media as defined in Section 2 of this Act when the requested information is not otherwise exempt and the only purpose of the request is to access and disseminate information regarding the health, safety, welfare, or legal rights of the general public.

(j) The following information pertaining to educational matters:

(i) test questions, scoring keys, and other examination data used to administer an academic examination;

(ii) information received by a primary or secondary school, college, or university under its procedures for the evaluation of faculty members by their academic peers;

(iii) information concerning a school or university's adjudication of student disciplinary cases, but only to the extent that disclosure would unavoidably reveal the identity of the student; and

(iv) course materials or research materials used by faculty members.

(k) Architects' plans, engineers' technical submissions, and other construction related technical documents for projects not constructed or developed in whole or in part with public funds and the same for projects constructed or developed with public funds, including, but not limited to, power generating and distribution stations and other transmission and distribution facilities, water treatment facilities, airport facilities, sport stadiums, convention centers, and all government owned, operated, or occupied buildings, but only to the extent that disclosure would compromise security.

(l) Minutes of meetings of public bodies closed to the public as provided in the Open Meetings Act until the public body makes the minutes available to the public under Section 2.06 of the Open Meetings Act.

(m) Communications between a public body and an attorney or auditor representing the public body that would not be subject to discovery in litigation, and materials prepared or compiled by or for a public body in anticipation of a criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding upon the request of an attorney advising the public body, and materials prepared or compiled with respect to internal audits of public bodies.

(n) Records relating to a public body's adjudication of employee grievances or disciplinary cases; however, this exemption shall not extend to the final outcome of cases in which discipline is imposed.

(o) Administrative or technical information associated with automated data processing operations, including, but not limited to, software, operating protocols, computer program abstracts, file layouts, source listings, object modules, load modules, user guides, documentation pertaining to all logical and physical design of computerized systems, employee manuals, and any other information that, if disclosed, would jeopardize the security of the system or its data or the security of materials exempt under this Section.

(p) Records relating to collective negotiating matters between public bodies and their employees or representatives, except that any final contract or agreement shall be subject to inspection and copying.

(q) Test questions, scoring keys, and other examination data used to determine the qualifications of an applicant for a license or employment.

(r) The records, documents, and information relating to real estate purchase negotiations until those negotiations have been completed or otherwise terminated. With regard to a parcel involved in a pending or actually and reasonably contemplated eminent domain proceeding under the Eminent Domain Act, records, documents, and information relating to that parcel shall be exempt except as may be allowed under discovery rules adopted by the Illinois Supreme Court. The records, documents, and information relating to a real estate sale shall be exempt until a sale is consummated.

(s) Any and all proprietary information and records related to the operation of an intergovernmental risk management association or self-insurance pool or jointly self-administered health and accident cooperative or pool. Insurance or self-insurance (including any intergovernmental risk management association or self-insurance pool) claims, loss or risk management information, records, data, advice, or communications.

(t) Information contained in or related to examination, operating, or condition reports prepared by, on behalf of, or for the use of a public body responsible for the regulation or supervision of financial institutions, insurance companies, or pharmacy benefit managers, unless disclosure is otherwise required by State law.

(u) Information that would disclose or might lead to the disclosure of secret or confidential information, codes, algorithms, programs, or private keys intended to be used to create electronic signatures under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

(v) Vulnerability assessments, security measures, and response policies or plans that are designed to identify, prevent, or respond to potential attacks upon a community's population or systems, facilities, or installations, but only to the extent that disclosure could reasonably be expected to expose the vulnerability or jeopardize the effectiveness of the measures, policies, or plans, or the safety of the personnel who implement them or the public. Information exempt under this item may include such things as details pertaining to the mobilization or deployment of personnel or equipment, to the operation of communication systems or protocols, to cybersecurity vulnerabilities, or to tactical operations.

(w) (Blank).

(x) Maps and other records regarding the location or security of generation, transmission, distribution, storage, gathering, treatment, or switching facilities owned by a utility, by a power generator, or by the Illinois Power Agency.

(y) Information contained in or related to proposals, bids, or negotiations related to electric power procurement under Section 1-75 of the Illinois Power Agency Act and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act that is determined to be confidential and proprietary by the Illinois Power Agency or by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

(z) Information about students exempted from disclosure under Section 10-20.38 or 34-18.29 of the School Code, and information about undergraduate students enrolled at an institution of higher education exempted from disclosure under Section 25 of the Illinois Credit Card Marketing Act of 2009.

(aa) Information the disclosure of which is exempted under the Viatical Settlements Act of 2009.

(bb) Records and information provided to a mortality review team and records maintained by a mortality review team appointed under the Department of Juvenile Justice Mortality Review Team Act.

(cc) Information regarding interments, entombments, or inurnments of human remains that are submitted to the Cemetery Oversight Database under the Cemetery Care Act or the Cemetery Oversight Act, whichever is applicable.

(dd) Correspondence and records (i) that may not be disclosed under Section 11-9 of the Illinois Public Aid Code or (ii) that pertain to appeals under Section 11-8 of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

(ee) The names, addresses, or other personal information of persons who are minors and are also participants and registrants in programs of park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation districts, recreation agencies, and special recreation associations.

(ff) The names, addresses, or other personal information of participants and registrants in programs of park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation districts, recreation agencies, and special recreation associations where such programs are targeted primarily to minors.

(gg) Confidential information described in Section 1-100 of the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal Act of 2012.

(hh) The report submitted to the State Board of Education by the School Security and Standards Task Force under item (8) of subsection (d) of Section 2-3.160 of the School Code and any information contained in that report.

(ii) Records requested by persons committed to or detained by the Department of Human Services under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act or committed to the Department of Corrections under the Sexually Dangerous Persons Act if those materials: (i) are available in the library of the facility where the individual is confined; (ii) include records from staff members' personnel files, staff rosters, or other staffing assignment information; or (iii) are available through an administrative request to the Department of Human Services or the Department of Corrections.

(jj) Confidential information described in Section 5-535 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(kk) The public body's credit card numbers, debit card numbers, bank account numbers, Federal Employer Identification Number, security code numbers, passwords, and similar account information, the disclosure of which could result in identity theft or impression or defrauding of a governmental entity or a person.

(ll) Records concerning the work of the threat assessment team of a school district, including, but not limited to, any threat assessment procedure under the School Safety Drill Act and any information contained in the procedure.

(mm) Information prohibited from being disclosed under subsections (a) and (b) of Section 15 of the Student Confidential Reporting Act.

(nn) Proprietary information submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency under the Drug Take-Back Act.

(oo) Records described in subsection (f) of Section 3-5-1 of the Unified Code of Corrections.

(pp) Any and all information regarding burials, interments, or entombments of human remains as required to be reported to the Department of Natural Resources pursuant either to the Archaeological and Paleontological Resources Protection Act or the Human Remains Protection Act.

(qq) Reports described in subsection (e) of Section 16-15 of the Abortion Care Clinical Training Program Act.

(rr) Information obtained by a certified local health department under the Access to Public Health Data Act.

(ss) For a request directed to a public body that is also a HIPAA-covered entity, all information that is protected health information, including demographic information, that may be contained within or extracted from any record held by the public body in compliance with State and federal medical privacy laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and its regulations, 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164. As used in this paragraph, "HIPAA-covered entity" has the meaning given to the term "covered entity" in 45 CFR 160.103 and "protected health information" has the meaning given to that term in 45 CFR 160.103.

(tt) Proposals or bids submitted by engineering consultants in response to requests for proposal or other competitive bidding requests by the Department of Transportation or the Illinois Toll Highway Authority.

(1.5) Any information exempt from disclosure under the Judicial Privacy Act shall be redacted from public records prior to disclosure under this Act.

(1.6) Any information exempt from disclosure under the Public Official Safety and Privacy Act shall be redacted from public records prior to disclosure under this Act.

(1.7) Any information exempt from disclosure under paragraph (3.5) of Section 9-15 of the Election Code shall be redacted from public records prior to disclosure under this Act.

(2) A public record that is not in the possession of a public body but is in the possession of a party with whom the agency has contracted to perform a governmental function on behalf of the public body, and that directly relates to the governmental function and is not otherwise exempt under this Act, shall be considered a public record of the public body, for purposes of this Act.

(3) This Section does not authorize withholding of information or limit the availability of records to the public, except as stated in this Section or otherwise provided in this Act.

(Source: P.A. 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-423, eff. 1-1-24; 103-446, eff. 8-4-23; 103-462, eff. 8-4-23; 103-540, eff. 1-1-24; 103-554, eff. 1-1-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 103-865, eff. 1-1-25; 104-300, eff. 1-1-27.)

Section 905. The Election Code is amended by changing Sections 9-8.10 and 9-15 and by adding Section 10-10.3 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/9-8.10)

Sec. 9-8.10. Use of political committee and other reporting organization funds.

(a) A political committee shall not make expenditures:

(1) In violation of any law of the United States or of this State.

(2) Clearly in excess of the fair market value of the services, materials, facilities, or other things of value received in exchange.

(3) For satisfaction or repayment of any debts other than loans made to the committee or to the public official or candidate on behalf of the committee or repayment of goods and services purchased by the committee under a credit agreement. Nothing in this Section authorizes the use of campaign funds to repay personal loans. The repayments shall be made by check written to the person who made the loan or credit agreement. The terms and conditions of any loan or credit agreement to a committee shall be set forth in a written agreement, including but not limited to the method and amount of repayment, that shall be executed by the chair or treasurer of the committee at the time of the loan or credit agreement. The loan or agreement shall also set forth the rate of interest for the loan, if any, which may not substantially exceed the prevailing market interest rate at the time the agreement is executed.

(4) For the satisfaction or repayment of any debts or for the payment of any expenses relating to a personal residence. Campaign funds may not be used as collateral for home mortgages. The provisions of this paragraph do not apply to expenditures by a political committee for expenses related to: (i) a public official's or candidate's personal security services or security enhancements to a public official's or candidate's primary residence, including, but not limited to, security systems, cameras, walls, fences, or other physical structures, if the security services or security enhancements are reasonably necessary due to risks arising from the public official's or candidate's political or governmental duties; or (ii) cybersecurity measures or tools used to protect and secure a public official's or candidate's personal, political, and government devices, Internet networks, or other technology, if the cybersecurity measures or tools are reasonably necessary due to risks arising from the public official's or candidate's political or governmental duties.

(5) For clothing or personal laundry expenses, except clothing items rented by the public official or candidate for his or her own use exclusively for a specific campaign-related event, provided that committees may purchase costumes, novelty items, or other accessories worn primarily to advertise the candidacy.

(6) For the travel expenses of any person unless the travel is necessary for fulfillment of political, governmental, or public policy duties, activities, or purposes.

(7) For membership or club dues charged by organizations, clubs, or facilities that are primarily engaged in providing health, exercise, or recreational services; provided, however, that funds received under this Article may be used to rent the clubs or facilities for a specific campaign-related event.

(8) In payment for anything of value or for reimbursement of any expenditure for which any person has been reimbursed by the State or any person. For purposes of this item (8), a per diem allowance is not a reimbursement.

(9) For the lease or purchase of or installment payment for a motor vehicle unless the political committee can demonstrate the vehicle will be used primarily for campaign purposes or for the performance of governmental duties. Nothing in this paragraph prohibits a political committee from using political funds to make expenditures related to vehicles not purchased or leased by a political committee, provided the expenditure relates to the use of the vehicle for primarily campaign purposes or the performance of governmental duties. Persons using vehicles not purchased or leased by a political committee may be reimbursed for actual mileage for the use of the vehicle for campaign purposes or for the performance of governmental duties. The mileage reimbursements shall be made at a rate not to exceed the standard mileage rate method for computation of business expenses under the Internal Revenue Code.

(10) Directly for an individual's tuition or other educational expenses, except for governmental or political purposes directly related to a candidate's or public official's duties and responsibilities.

(11) For payments to a public official or candidate or his or her family member unless for compensation for services actually rendered by that person. The provisions of this item (11) do not apply to expenditures by a political committee for expenses related to providing childcare for a minor child or care for a dependent family member if the care is reasonably necessary for the public official or candidate to fulfill political or governmental duties. The provisions of this item (11) do not apply to expenditures by a political committee in an aggregate amount not exceeding the amount of funds reported to and certified by the State Board or county clerk as available as of June 30, 1998, in the semi-annual report of contributions and expenditures filed by the political committee for the period concluding June 30, 1998.

(b) The Board shall have the authority to investigate, upon receipt of a verified complaint, violations of the provisions of this Section. The Board may levy a fine on any person who knowingly makes expenditures in violation of this Section and on any person who knowingly makes a malicious and false accusation of a violation of this Section. The Board may act under this subsection only upon the affirmative vote of at least 5 of its members. The fine shall not exceed $500 for each expenditure of $500 or less and shall not exceed the amount of the expenditure plus $500 for each expenditure greater than $500. The Board shall also have the authority to render rulings and issue opinions relating to compliance with this Section.

(c) Nothing in this Section prohibits the expenditure of funds of a political committee controlled by an officeholder or by a candidate to defray the customary and reasonable expenses of an officeholder in connection with the performance of governmental and public service functions.

(d) Nothing in this Section prohibits the funds of a political committee which is controlled by a person convicted of a violation of any of the offenses listed in subsection (a) of Section 10 of the Public Corruption Profit Forfeiture Act from being forfeited to the State under Section 15 of the Public Corruption Profit Forfeiture Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21.)

(10 ILCS 5/9-15) (from Ch. 46, par. 9-15)

Sec. 9-15. It shall be the duty of the Board:

(1) to develop prescribed forms for filing statements of organization and required reports;

(1.5) to develop a standardized form for requesting the redaction of the home addresses of officers of political committees in accordance with paragraph (3.5);

(2) to prepare, publish, and furnish to the appropriate persons a manual of instructions setting forth recommended uniform methods of bookkeeping and reporting under this Article;

(3) to prescribe suitable rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Article. Such rules and regulations shall be published and made available to the public;

(3.5) to redact the home addresses of all current and past officers of political committees upon the written request of the supported candidate or the current chair of the political committee, using the standardized form developed for that purpose by the Board under paragraph (1.5);

(4) to send by first-class first class mail, after the general primary election in even numbered years, to the chair of each regularly constituted State central committee, county central committee and, in counties with a population of more than 3,000,000, to the committeepersons of each township and ward organization of each political party notice of their obligations under this Article, along with a form for filing the statement of organization;

(5) to promptly make all reports and statements filed under this Article available for public inspection and copying no later than 2 business days after their receipt and to permit copying of any such report or statement at the expense of the person requesting the copy, except that, if the redaction of home addresses of officers of a political committee has been requested in accordance with paragraph (3.5), then that information shall be redacted from a filed statement before that statement is provided for public inspection or copying;

(6) to develop a filing, coding, and cross-indexing system consistent with the purposes of this Article;

(7) to compile and maintain a list of all statements or parts of statements pertaining to each candidate;

(8) to prepare and publish such reports as the Board may deem appropriate;

(9) to annually notify each political committee that has filed a statement of organization with the Board of the filing dates for each quarterly report, provided that such notification shall be made by first-class mail unless the political committee opts to receive notification electronically via email; and

(10) to promptly send, by first-class first class mail directed only to the officers of a political committee, and by certified mail to the address of the political committee, written notice of any fine or penalty assessed or imposed against the political committee under this Article.

(Source: P.A. 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)

(10 ILCS 5/10-10.3 new)

Sec. 10-10.3. Removal of a public official's address information from the certificate of nomination or nomination papers.

(a) As used in this Section, "home address" and "public official" have the meanings given in Section 10 of the Public Official Safety and Privacy Act.

(b) Upon expiration of the period for filing an objection to a public official's certificate of nomination or nomination papers, a public official who is a candidate may file a written request with the State Board of Elections, election authority, or local election official with whom the certificate of nomination or nomination papers are required to be filed for redaction of the public official's home address information from the public official's certificate of nomination or nomination papers. After receipt of the public official's written request, the State Board of Elections, election authority, or local election official with whom the certificate of nomination or nomination papers are required to be filed shall redact or cause redaction of the public official's home address from the public official's certificate of nomination or nomination papers within 5 business days.

(c) Prior to expiration of the period for filing an objection to a public official's certificate of nomination or nomination papers, the home address information from the certificate of nomination or nomination papers of a public official who is a candidate shall be available for public inspection. After redaction of a public official's home address information under subsection (b), the home address information is available only for in camera inspection by the court reviewing an objection to the public official's certificate of nomination or nomination papers.

Section 910. The Illinois Identification Card Act is amended by changing Sections 4 and 5 as follows:

(15 ILCS 335/4) (from Ch. 124, par. 24)

Sec. 4. Identification card.

(a) In accordance with the requirements of this Section, the Secretary of State shall issue a standard Illinois Identification Card, as well as a mobile Illinois Identification Card, to any natural person who is a resident of the State of Illinois who applies for such a card, or renewal thereof. No identification card shall be issued to any person who holds a valid foreign state identification card, license, or permit unless the person first surrenders to the Secretary of State the valid foreign state identification card, license, or permit. The card shall be prepared and supplied by the Secretary of State and shall include a photograph and signature or mark of the applicant. However, the Secretary of State may provide by rule for the issuance of Illinois Identification Cards without photographs if the applicant has a bona fide religious objection to being photographed or to the display of his or her photograph. The Illinois Identification Card may be used for identification purposes in any lawful situation only by the person to whom it was issued. As used in this Act, "photograph" means any color photograph or digitally produced and captured image of an applicant for an identification card. As used in this Act, "signature" means the name of a person as written by that person and captured in a manner acceptable to the Secretary of State.

(a-5) If an applicant for an identification card has a current driver's license or instruction permit issued by the Secretary of State, the Secretary may require the applicant to utilize the same residence address and name on the identification card, driver's license, and instruction permit records maintained by the Secretary. The Secretary may promulgate rules to implement this provision.

(a-10) If the applicant is a judicial officer as defined in Section 1-10 of the Judicial Privacy Act, a public official as defined in Section 10 of the Public Official Safety and Privacy Act, or a peace officer, the applicant may elect to have his or her office or work address listed on the card instead of the applicant's residence or mailing address. The Secretary may promulgate rules to implement this provision. For the purposes of this subsection (a-10), "peace officer" means any person who by virtue of his or her office or public employment is vested by law with a duty to maintain public order or to make arrests for a violation of any penal statute of this State, whether that duty extends to all violations or is limited to specific violations.

(a-15) The Secretary of State may provide for an expedited process for the issuance of an Illinois Identification Card. The Secretary shall charge an additional fee for the expedited issuance of an Illinois Identification Card, to be set by rule, not to exceed $75. All fees collected by the Secretary for expedited Illinois Identification Card service shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special Services Fund. The Secretary may adopt rules regarding the eligibility, process, and fee for an expedited Illinois Identification Card. If the Secretary of State determines that the volume of expedited identification card requests received on a given day exceeds the ability of the Secretary to process those requests in an expedited manner, the Secretary may decline to provide expedited services, and the additional fee for the expedited service shall be refunded to the applicant.

(a-20) The Secretary of State shall issue a standard Illinois Identification Card to a person committed to the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility located in Illinois, or a county jail or county department of corrections as follows: if the person has a social security number,

(1) A committed person who has previously held an Illinois Identification Card or an Illinois driver's license shall submit an Identification Card verification form to the Secretary of State, including a photograph taken by the correctional facility, proof of residency upon discharge, and a social security number, if the committed person has a social security number. If the committed person does not have a social security number and is eligible for a social security number, the Secretary of State shall not issue a standard Illinois Identification Card until the committed person obtains a social security number. If the committed person's photograph and demographic information matches an existing Illinois Identification Card or Illinois driver's license and the Secretary of State verifies the applicant's social security number with the Social Security Administration, the Secretary of State shall issue the committed person a standard Illinois Identification Card. If the photograph or demographic information matches an existing Illinois Identification Card or Illinois driver's license in another person's name or identity, a standard Illinois Identification Card shall not be issued until the committed person submits a certified birth certificate and social security card to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State verifies the identity of the committed person. If the Secretary of State cannot find a match to an existing Illinois Identification Card or Illinois driver's license, the committed person may apply for a standard Illinois Identification card as described in paragraph (2).

(2) A committed person who has not previously held an Illinois Identification Card or Illinois driver's license or for whom a match cannot be found as described in paragraph (1) shall submit an Illinois Identification Card verification form, including a photograph taken by the correctional facility, a certified birth certificate, proof of residency upon discharge, and a social security number, if the committed has a social security number. If the committed person does not have a social security number and is eligible for a social security number, the Secretary of State shall not issue a standard Illinois Identification Card until the committed person obtains a social security number. If the Secretary of State verifies the applicant's social security number with the Social Security Administration, the Secretary of State shall issue the committed person a standard Illinois Identification Card.

The Illinois Identification Card verification form described in this subsection shall be prescribed by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State and correctional facilities in this State shall establish a secure method to transfer the form.

(a-25) The Secretary of State shall issue a limited-term Illinois Identification Card valid for 90 days to a committed person upon release on parole, mandatory supervised release, aftercare release, final discharge, or pardon from the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility located in Illinois, or a county jail or county department of corrections, if the released person does not obtain a standard Illinois Identification Card as described in subsection (a-20) prior to release but does present a Secretary of State prescribed Identification Card verification form completed by the correctional facility, verifying the released person's date of birth, social security number, if the person has a social security number, and his or her Illinois residence address. The verification form must have been completed no more than 30 days prior to the date of application for the Illinois Identification Card.

Prior to the expiration of the 90-day period of the limited-term Illinois Identification Card, if the released person submits to the Secretary of State a certified copy of his or her birth certificate and his or her social security card, if the person has a social security number, or other documents authorized by the Secretary, a standard Illinois Identification Card shall be issued. A limited-term Illinois Identification Card may not be renewed.

This subsection shall not apply to a released person who was unable to obtain a standard Illinois Identification Card because his or her photograph or demographic information matched an existing Illinois Identification Card or Illinois driver's license in another person's name or identity or to a released person who does not have a social security number and is eligible for a social security number.

(a-30) The Secretary of State shall issue a standard Illinois Identification Card to a person upon conditional release or absolute discharge from the custody of the Department of Human Services, if the person presents a certified copy of his or her birth certificate, social security card, if the person has a social security number, or other documents authorized by the Secretary, and a document proving his or her Illinois residence address. The Secretary of State shall issue a standard Illinois Identification Card to a person prior to his or her conditional release or absolute discharge if personnel from the Department of Human Services bring the person to a Secretary of State location with the required documents. Documents proving residence address may include any official document of the Department of Human Services showing the person's address after release and a Secretary of State prescribed verification form, which may be executed by personnel of the Department of Human Services.

(a-35) The Secretary of State shall issue a limited-term Illinois Identification Card valid for 90 days to a person upon conditional release or absolute discharge from the custody of the Department of Human Services, if the person is unable to present a certified copy of his or her birth certificate and social security card, if the person has a social security number, or other documents authorized by the Secretary, but does present a Secretary of State prescribed verification form completed by the Department of Human Services, verifying the person's date of birth and social security number, if the person has a social security number, and a document proving his or her Illinois residence address. The verification form must have been completed no more than 30 days prior to the date of application for the Illinois Identification Card. The Secretary of State shall issue a limited-term Illinois Identification Card to a person no sooner than 14 days prior to his or her conditional release or absolute discharge if personnel from the Department of Human Services bring the person to a Secretary of State location with the required documents. Documents proving residence address shall include any official document of the Department of Human Services showing the person's address after release and a Secretary of State prescribed verification form, which may be executed by personnel of the Department of Human Services.

(b) The Secretary of State shall issue a special Illinois Identification Card, which shall be known as an Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card, to any natural person who is a resident of the State of Illinois, who is a person with a disability as defined in Section 4A of this Act, who applies for such card, or renewal thereof. No Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card shall be issued to any person who holds a valid foreign state identification card, license, or permit unless the person first surrenders to the Secretary of State the valid foreign state identification card, license, or permit. The Secretary of State shall charge no fee to issue such card. The card shall be prepared and supplied by the Secretary of State, and shall include a photograph and signature or mark of the applicant, a designation indicating that the card is an Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card, and shall include a comprehensible designation of the type and classification of the applicant's disability as set out in Section 4A of this Act. However, the Secretary of State may provide by rule for the issuance of Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Cards without photographs if the applicant has a bona fide religious objection to being photographed or to the display of his or her photograph. If the applicant so requests, the card shall include a description of the applicant's disability and any information about the applicant's disability or medical history which the Secretary determines would be helpful to the applicant in securing emergency medical care. If a mark is used in lieu of a signature, such mark shall be affixed to the card in the presence of 2 two witnesses who attest to the authenticity of the mark. The Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card may be used for identification purposes in any lawful situation by the person to whom it was issued.

The Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card may be used as adequate documentation of disability in lieu of a physician's determination of disability, a determination of disability from a physician assistant, a determination of disability from an advanced practice registered nurse, or any other documentation of disability whenever any State law requires that a person with a disability provide such documentation of disability, however an Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card shall not qualify the cardholder to participate in any program or to receive any benefit which is not available to all persons with like disabilities. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, an Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card, or evidence that the Secretary of State has issued an Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card, shall not be used by any person other than the person named on such card to prove that the person named on such card is a person with a disability or for any other purpose unless the card is used for the benefit of the person named on such card, and the person named on such card consents to such use at the time the card is so used.

An optometrist's determination of a visual disability under Section 4A of this Act is acceptable as documentation for the purpose of issuing an Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card.

When medical information is contained on an Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card, the Office of the Secretary of State shall not be liable for any actions taken based upon that medical information.

(c) The Secretary of State shall provide that each original or renewal Illinois Identification Card or Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card issued to a person under the age of 21 shall be of a distinct nature from those Illinois Identification Cards or Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Cards issued to individuals 21 years of age or older. The color designated for Illinois Identification Cards or Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Cards for persons under the age of 21 shall be at the discretion of the Secretary of State.

(c-1) Each original or renewal Illinois Identification Card or Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card issued to a person under the age of 21 shall display the date upon which the person becomes 18 years of age and the date upon which the person becomes 21 years of age.

(c-3) The General Assembly recognizes the need to identify military veterans living in this State for the purpose of ensuring that they receive all of the services and benefits to which they are legally entitled, including healthcare, education assistance, and job placement. To assist the State in identifying these veterans and delivering these vital services and benefits, the Secretary of State is authorized to issue Illinois Identification Cards and Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Cards with the word "veteran" appearing on the face of the cards. This authorization is predicated on the unique status of veterans. The Secretary may not issue any other identification card which identifies an occupation, status, affiliation, hobby, or other unique characteristics of the identification card holder which is unrelated to the purpose of the identification card.

(c-5) Beginning on or before July 1, 2015, the Secretary of State shall designate a space on each original or renewal identification card where, at the request of the applicant, the word "veteran" shall be placed. The veteran designation shall be available to a person identified as a veteran under subsection (b) of Section 5 of this Act who was discharged or separated under honorable conditions.

(d) The Secretary of State may issue a Senior Citizen discount card, to any natural person who is a resident of the State of Illinois who is 60 years of age or older and who applies for such a card or renewal thereof. The Secretary of State shall charge no fee to issue such card. The card shall be issued in every county and applications shall be made available at, but not limited to, nutrition sites, senior citizen centers and Area Agencies on Aging. The applicant, upon receipt of such card and prior to its use for any purpose, shall have affixed thereon in the space provided therefor his signature or mark.

(e) The Secretary of State, in his or her discretion, may designate on each Illinois Identification Card or Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card a space where the card holder may place a sticker or decal, issued by the Secretary of State, of uniform size as the Secretary may specify, that shall indicate in appropriate language that the card holder has renewed his or her Illinois Identification Card or Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card.

(f)(1) The Secretary of State may issue a mobile identification card to an individual who is otherwise eligible to hold a physical credential in addition to, and not instead of, an identification card if the Secretary of State has issued an identification card to the person. The data elements that are used to build an electronic credential must match the individual's current Department record.

(2) The Secretary may enter into agreements or contract with an agency of the State, another state, the United States, or a third party to facilitate the issuance, use, and verification of a mobile identification card issued by the Secretary or another state.

(3) Any mobile identification card issued by the Secretary shall be in accordance with the most recent AAMVA standards.

(4) The Secretary shall design the mobile identification card in a manner that allows the credential holder to maintain physical possession of the device on which the mobile identification card is accessed during verification.

(g) The verification process shall be implemented to require:

(1) the relying parties to authenticate electronic credentials in accordance with applicable AAMVA standards prior to acceptance of the electronic credential;

(2) the Secretary to ensure that electronic credential data is subject to all jurisdictional data security and privacy protection laws and regulations; and

(3) the relying parties to request only electronic credential data elements that are necessary to complete the transaction for which data is being requested.

(h) Privacy and tracking of data shall be restricted by implementing the following requirements:

(1) the relying parties shall retain only electronic credential data elements for which the relying party explicitly obtained consent from the electronic credential holder and shall inform the electronic credential holder of the use and retention period of the electronic data elements;

(2) the Secretary shall use an electronic credential system that is designed to maximize the privacy of the credential holder in accordance with State and federal law and shall not track or compile information without the credential holder's consent; and

(3) the Department shall only compile and disclose information regarding the use of the credential as required by State or federal law.

(i)(1) The electronic credential holder shall be required to have the holder's their physical credential on the holder's their person for all purposes for which an identification card is required. No person, public entity, private entity, or agency shall establish a policy that requires an electronic credential instead of a physical credential.

(2) Electronic credential systems shall be designed so that there is no requirement for the electronic credential holder to display or relinquish possession of the credential holder's mobile device to relying parties for the acceptance of an electronic credential.

(3) When required by law and upon request by law enforcement, a credential holder must provide the credential holder's physical credential.

(4) Any law or regulation that requires an individual to surrender the individual's their physical credential to law enforcement does not apply to the device on which an electronic credential has been provisioned.

(j) A person may be required to produce when so requested a physical identification card to a law enforcement officer, a representative of a State or federal department or agency, or a private entity and is subject to all applicable laws and consequences for failure to produce such an identification card.

(k) The Secretary of State shall adopt such rules as are necessary to implement a mobile identification card.

(l) The display of a mobile identification card shall not serve as consent or authorization for a law enforcement officer, or any other person, to search, view, or access any other data or application on the mobile device. If a person presents the person's mobile device to a law enforcement officer for purposes of displaying a mobile identification card, the law enforcement officer shall promptly return the mobile device to the person once the officer has had an opportunity to verify the identity of the person. Except for willful and wanton misconduct, any law enforcement officer, court, or officer of the court presented with the device shall be immune from any liability resulting from damage to the mobile device.

(m) The fee to install the application to display a mobile identification card as defined in this subsection shall not exceed $6.

(n) As used in this Section:

"AAMVA" means the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

"Credential" means a driver's license, learner's permit, or identification card.

"Credential holder" means the individual to whom a mobile driver's license or a mobile identification card is issued.

"Data element" means a distinct component of a customer's information that is found on the Department's customer record.

"Department" means the Secretary of State Department of Driver Services.

"Electronic credential" means an electronic extension of the departmental issued physical credential that conveys identity and complies with AAMVA's mobile driver license Implementation guidelines and the ISO/IEC 18013-5 standard.

"Electronic credential system" means a digital process that includes a method for provisioning electronic credentials, requesting and transmitting electronic credential data elements, and performing tasks to maintain the system.

"Full profile" means all the information provided on an identification card.

"ISO" means the International Organization for Standardization, which creates uniform processes and procedures.

"Limited profile" means a portion of the information provided on an Identification Card.

"Mobile identification card" means a data file that is available on any mobile device that has connectivity to the Internet through an application that allows the mobile device to download the data file from the Secretary of State, that contains all the data elements visible on the face and back of an identification card, and that displays the current status of the identification card. "Mobile identification card" does not include a copy, photograph, or image of an Illinois Identification Card that is not downloaded through the application on a mobile device.

"Physical credential" means a Department-issued Department issued document that conveys identity in accordance with the Illinois Identification Card Act.

"Provision" means the initial loading of an electronic credential onto a device.

"Relying party" means the entity to which the credential holder presents the electronic credential.

"Verification process" means a method of authenticating the electronic credential through the use of secured encryption communication.

(o) (f) Upon providing the required documentation, at the request of the applicant, the identification card may reflect Gold Star Family designation. The Secretary shall designate a space on each original or renewal of an identification card for such designation. This designation shall be available to a person eligible for Gold Star license plates under subsection (f) of Section 6-106 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.

(Source: P.A. 102-299, eff. 8-6-21; 103-210, eff. 7-1-24; 103-345, eff. 1-1-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 103-782, eff. 8-6-24; 103-824, eff. 1-1-25; 103-933, eff. 1-1-25; revised 11-26-24.)

(15 ILCS 335/5)

Sec. 5. Applications.

(a) Any natural person who is a resident of the State of Illinois may file an application for an identification card, or for the renewal thereof, in a manner prescribed by the Secretary. Each original application shall be completed by the applicant in full and shall set forth the legal name, residence address and zip code, social security number, if the person has a social security number, birth date, sex and a brief description of the applicant. The applicant shall be photographed, unless the Secretary of State has provided by rule for the issuance of identification cards without photographs and the applicant is deemed eligible for an identification card without a photograph under the terms and conditions imposed by the Secretary of State, and he or she shall also submit any other information as the Secretary may deem necessary or such documentation as the Secretary may require to determine the identity of the applicant. In addition to the residence address, the Secretary may allow the applicant to provide a mailing address. If the applicant is an employee of the Department of Children and Family Services with a job title of "Child Protection Specialist Trainee", "Child Protection Specialist", "Child Protection Advanced Specialist", "Child Welfare Specialist Trainee", "Child Welfare Specialist", or "Child Welfare Advanced Specialist", or a judicial officer as defined in Section 1-10 of the Judicial Privacy Act, or a public official as defined in Section 10 of the Public Official Safety and Privacy Act, or a peace officer, the applicant may elect to have his or her office or work address in lieu of the applicant's residence or mailing address. An applicant for an Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card must also submit with each original or renewal application, on forms prescribed by the Secretary, such documentation as the Secretary may require, establishing that the applicant is a "person with a disability" as defined in Section 4A of this Act, and setting forth the applicant's type and class of disability as set forth in Section 4A of this Act. For the purposes of this subsection (a), "peace officer" means any person who by virtue of his or her office or public employment is vested by law with a duty to maintain public order or to make arrests for a violation of any penal statute of this State, whether that duty extends to all violations or is limited to specific violations.

(a-5) Upon the first issuance of a request for proposals for a digital driver's license and identification card issuance and facial recognition system issued after January 1, 2020 (the effective date of Public Act 101-513), and upon implementation of a new or revised system procured pursuant to that request for proposals, the Secretary shall permit applicants to choose between "male", "female", or "non-binary" when designating the applicant's sex on the identification card application form. The sex designated by the applicant shall be displayed on the identification card issued to the applicant.

(b) Beginning on or before July 1, 2015, for each original or renewal identification card application under this Act, the Secretary shall inquire as to whether the applicant is a veteran for purposes of issuing an identification card with a veteran designation under subsection (c-5) of Section 4 of this Act. The acceptable forms of proof shall include, but are not limited to, Department of Defense form DD-214, Department of Defense form DD-256 for applicants who did not receive a form DD-214 upon the completion of initial basic training, Department of Defense form DD-2 (Retired), an identification card issued under the federal Veterans Identification Card Act of 2015, or a United States Department of Veterans Affairs summary of benefits letter. If the document cannot be stamped, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs shall provide a certificate to the veteran to provide to the Secretary of State. The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs shall advise the Secretary as to what other forms of proof of a person's status as a veteran are acceptable.

For each applicant who is issued an identification card with a veteran designation, the Secretary shall provide the Department of Veterans' Affairs with the applicant's name, address, date of birth, gender, and such other demographic information as agreed to by the Secretary and the Department. The Department may take steps necessary to confirm the applicant is a veteran. If after due diligence, including writing to the applicant at the address provided by the Secretary, the Department is unable to verify the applicant's veteran status, the Department shall inform the Secretary, who shall notify the applicant that he or she must confirm status as a veteran, or the identification card will be canceled cancelled.

For purposes of this subsection (b):

"Armed forces" means any of the Armed Forces of the United States, including a member of any reserve component or National Guard unit.

"Veteran" means a person who has served in the armed forces and was discharged or separated under honorable conditions.

(b-1) An applicant who is eligible for Gold Star license plates under Section 3-664 of the Illinois Vehicle Code may apply for an identification card with space for a designation as a Gold Star Family. The Secretary may waive any fee for this application. If the Secretary does not waive the fee, any fee charged to the applicant must be deposited into the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund. The Secretary is authorized to issue rules to implement this subsection.

(c) All applicants for REAL ID compliant standard Illinois Identification Cards and Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Cards shall provide proof of lawful status in the United States as defined in 6 CFR 37.3, as amended. Applicants who are unable to provide the Secretary with proof of lawful status are ineligible for REAL ID compliant identification cards under this Act.

(d) The Secretary of State may accept, as proof of date of birth and written signature for any applicant for a standard identification card who does not have a social security number or documentation issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security authorizing the applicant's presence in this country, any passport validly issued to the applicant from the applicant's country of citizenship or a consular identification document validly issued to the applicant by a consulate of that country as defined in Section 5 of the Consular Identification Document Act. Any such documents must be either unexpired or presented by an applicant within 2 years of its expiration date.

(Source: P.A. 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 103-210, eff. 7-1-24; 103-888, eff. 8-9-24; 103-933, eff. 1-1-25; revised 12-1-24.)

Section 915. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Sections 3-405, 6-106, and 6-110 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/3-405) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-405)

Sec. 3-405. Application for registration.

(a) Every owner of a vehicle subject to registration under this Code shall make application to the Secretary of State for the registration of such vehicle upon the appropriate form or forms furnished by the Secretary. Every such original application shall bear the signature of the owner written with pen and ink and contain:

1. The name, domicile address, as defined in Section 1-115.5 of this Code, (except as otherwise provided in this paragraph 1), mail address of the owner or business address of the owner if a firm, association, or corporation, and, if available, email address of the owner. If the mailing address is a post office box number, the address listed on the driver license record may be used to verify residence. A police officer, a deputy sheriff, an elected sheriff, a law enforcement officer for the Illinois State Police, a fire investigator, a state's attorney, an assistant state's attorney, a state's attorney special investigator, or a judicial officer, or a public official may elect to furnish the address of the headquarters of the governmental entity, police district, or business address where he or she works instead of his or her domicile address, in which case that address shall be deemed to be his or her domicile address for all purposes under this Chapter 3. The spouse and children of a person who may elect under this paragraph 1 to furnish the address of the headquarters of the government entity, police district, or business address where the person works instead of the person's domicile address may, if they reside with that person, also elect to furnish the address of the headquarters of the government entity, police district, or business address where the person works as their domicile address, in which case that address shall be deemed to be their domicile address for all purposes under this Chapter 3. In this paragraph 1: (A) "police officer" has the meaning ascribed to "policeman" in Section 10-3-1 of the Illinois Municipal Code; (B) "deputy sheriff" means a deputy sheriff appointed under Section 3-6008 of the Counties Code; (C) "elected sheriff" means a sheriff commissioned pursuant to Section 3-6001 of the Counties Code; (D) "fire investigator" means a person classified as a peace officer under the Peace Officer Fire Investigation Act; (E) "state's attorney", "assistant state's attorney", and "state's attorney special investigator" mean a state's attorney, assistant state's attorney, and state's attorney special investigator commissioned or appointed under Division 3-9 of the Counties Code; and (F) "judicial officer" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1-10 of the Judicial Privacy Act; and (G) "public official" has the meaning given in Section 10 of the Public Official Safety and Privacy Act.

2. A description of the vehicle, including such information as is required in an application for a certificate of title, determined under such standard rating as may be prescribed by the Secretary.

3. (Blank).

3.5. A space for a voluntary disclosure of a condition that impedes effective communication under Section 3-405.5.

4. Such further information as may reasonably be required by the Secretary to enable him to determine whether the vehicle is lawfully entitled to registration and the owner entitled to a certificate of title.

5. An affirmation by the applicant that all information set forth is true and correct. If the application is for the registration of a motor vehicle, the applicant also shall affirm that the motor vehicle is insured as required by this Code, that such insurance will be maintained throughout the period for which the motor vehicle shall be registered, and that neither the owner, nor any person operating the motor vehicle with the owner's permission, shall operate the motor vehicle unless the required insurance is in effect. If the person signing the affirmation is not the sole owner of the vehicle, such person shall be deemed to have affirmed on behalf of all the owners of the vehicle. If the person signing the affirmation is not an owner of the vehicle, such person shall be deemed to have affirmed on behalf of the owner or owners of the vehicle. The lack of signature on the application shall not in any manner exempt the owner or owners from any provisions, requirements or penalties of this Code.

(b) When such application refers to a new vehicle purchased from a dealer the application shall be accompanied by a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin from the dealer, and a statement showing any lien retained by the dealer.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 102-1069, eff. 7-1-23.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-106) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-106)

Sec. 6-106. Application for license or instruction permit.

(a) Every application for any permit or license authorized to be issued under this Code shall be made upon a form furnished by the Secretary of State. Every application shall be accompanied by the proper fee and payment of such fee shall entitle the applicant to not more than 3 attempts to pass the examination within a period of one year after the date of application.

(b) Every application shall state the legal name, zip code, date of birth, sex, and residence address of the applicant; briefly describe the applicant; state whether the applicant has theretofore been licensed as a driver, and, if so, when and by what state or country, and whether any such license has ever been canceled cancelled, suspended, revoked or refused, and, if so, the date and reason for such cancellation, suspension, revocation or refusal; shall include an affirmation by the applicant that all information set forth is true and correct; and shall bear the applicant's signature. In addition to the residence address, the Secretary may allow the applicant to provide a mailing address. In the case of an applicant who is a judicial officer, public official, or peace officer, the Secretary may allow the applicant to provide an office or work address in lieu of a residence or mailing address. The application form may also require the statement of such additional relevant information as the Secretary of State shall deem necessary to determine the applicant's competency and eligibility. The Secretary of State may, in his discretion, by rule or regulation, provide that an application for a drivers license or permit may include a suitable photograph of the applicant in the form prescribed by the Secretary, and he may further provide that each drivers license shall include a photograph of the driver. The Secretary of State may utilize a photograph process or system most suitable to deter alteration or improper reproduction of a drivers license and to prevent substitution of another photo thereon. For the purposes of this subsection (b): ,

"Peace peace officer" means any person who by virtue of his or her office or public employment is vested by law with a duty to maintain public order or to make arrests for a violation of any penal statute of this State, whether that duty extends to all violations or is limited to specific violations.

"Public official" has the meaning given in Section 10 of the Public Official Safety and Privacy Act.

(b-1) Every application shall state the social security number of the applicant; except if the applicant is applying for a standard driver's license and, on the date of application, is ineligible for a social security number, then:

(1) if the applicant has documentation, issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security, authorizing the applicant's presence in this country, the applicant shall provide such documentation instead of a social security number; and

(2) if the applicant does not have documentation described in paragraph (1), the applicant shall provide, instead of a social security number, the following:

(A) documentation establishing that the applicant has resided in this State for a period in excess of one year;

(B) a passport validly issued to the applicant from the applicant's country of citizenship or a consular identification document validly issued to the applicant by a consulate of that country as defined in Section 5 of the Consular Identification Document Act, as long as such documents are either unexpired or presented by an applicant within 2 years of its expiration date; and

(C) a social security card, if the applicant has a social security number.

(b-3) Upon the first issuance of a request for proposals for a digital driver's license and identification card issuance and facial recognition system issued after January 1, 2020 (the effective date of Public Act 101-513), and upon implementation of a new or revised system procured pursuant to that request for proposals, the Secretary shall permit applicants to choose between "male", "female" or "non-binary" when designating the applicant's sex on the driver's license application form. The sex designated by the applicant shall be displayed on the driver's license issued to the applicant.

(b-5) Every applicant for a REAL ID compliant driver's license or permit shall provide proof of lawful status in the United States as defined in 6 CFR 37.3, as amended.

(c) The application form shall include a notice to the applicant of the registration obligations of sex offenders under the Sex Offender Registration Act. The notice shall be provided in a form and manner prescribed by the Secretary of State. For purposes of this subsection (c), "sex offender" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2 of the Sex Offender Registration Act.

(d) Any male United States citizen or immigrant who applies for any permit or license authorized to be issued under this Code or for a renewal of any permit or license, and who is at least 18 years of age but less than 26 years of age, must be registered in compliance with the requirements of the federal Military Selective Service Act. The Secretary of State must forward in an electronic format the necessary personal information regarding the applicants identified in this subsection (d) to the Selective Service System. The applicant's signature on the application serves as an indication that the applicant either has already registered with the Selective Service System or that he is authorizing the Secretary to forward to the Selective Service System the necessary information for registration. The Secretary must notify the applicant at the time of application that his signature constitutes consent to registration with the Selective Service System, if he is not already registered.

(e) Beginning on or before July 1, 2015, for each original or renewal driver's license application under this Code, the Secretary shall inquire as to whether the applicant is a veteran for purposes of issuing a driver's license with a veteran designation under subsection (e-5) of Section 6-110 of this Code. The acceptable forms of proof shall include, but are not limited to, Department of Defense form DD-214, Department of Defense form DD-256 for applicants who did not receive a form DD-214 upon the completion of initial basic training, Department of Defense form DD-2 (Retired), an identification card issued under the federal Veterans Identification Card Act of 2015, or a United States Department of Veterans Affairs summary of benefits letter. If the document cannot be stamped, the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs shall provide a certificate to the veteran to provide to the Secretary of State. The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs shall advise the Secretary as to what other forms of proof of a person's status as a veteran are acceptable.

For each applicant who is issued a driver's license with a veteran designation, the Secretary shall provide the Department of Veterans Affairs with the applicant's name, address, date of birth, gender and such other demographic information as agreed to by the Secretary and the Department. The Department may take steps necessary to confirm the applicant is a veteran. If after due diligence, including writing to the applicant at the address provided by the Secretary, the Department is unable to verify the applicant's veteran status, the Department shall inform the Secretary, who shall notify the applicant that he or she must confirm status as a veteran, or the driver's license will be canceled cancelled.

For purposes of this subsection (e):

"Armed forces" means any of the Armed Forces of the United States, including a member of any reserve component or National Guard unit.

"Veteran" means a person who has served in the armed forces and was discharged or separated under honorable conditions.

(f) An applicant who is eligible for Gold Star license plates under Section 3-664 of this Code may apply for an original or renewal driver's license with space for a designation as a Gold Star Family. The Secretary may waive any fee for this application. If the Secretary does not waive the fee, any fee charged to the applicant must be deposited into the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund. The Secretary is authorized to issue rules to implement this subsection.

(Source: P.A. 103-210, eff. 7-1-24; 103-933, eff. 1-1-25; 104-234, eff. 8-15-25.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-110)

Sec. 6-110. Licenses issued to drivers.

(a) The Secretary of State shall issue to every qualifying applicant a driver's license as applied for, which license shall bear a distinguishing number assigned to the licensee, the legal name, signature, zip code, date of birth, residence address, and a brief description of the licensee.

Licenses issued shall also indicate the classification and the restrictions under Section 6-104 of this Code. The Secretary may adopt rules to establish informational restrictions that can be placed on the driver's license regarding specific conditions of the licensee.

A driver's license issued may, in the discretion of the Secretary, include a suitable photograph of a type prescribed by the Secretary.

(a-1) If the licensee is less than 18 years of age, unless one of the exceptions in subsection (a-2) apply, the license shall, as a matter of law, be invalid for the operation of any motor vehicle during the following times:

(A) Between 11:00 p.m. Friday and 6:00 a.m. Saturday;

(B) Between 11:00 p.m. Saturday and 6:00 a.m. on Sunday; and

(C) Between 10:00 p.m. on Sunday to Thursday, inclusive, and 6:00 a.m. on the following day.

(a-2) The driver's license of a person under the age of 18 shall not be invalid as described in subsection (a-1) of this Section if the licensee under the age of 18 was:

(1) accompanied by the licensee's parent or guardian or other person in custody or control of the minor;

(2) on an errand at the direction of the minor's parent or guardian, without any detour or stop;

(3) in a motor vehicle involved in interstate travel;

(4) going to or returning home from an employment activity, without any detour or stop;

(5) involved in an emergency;

(6) going to or returning home from, without any detour or stop, an official school, religious, or other recreational activity supervised by adults and sponsored by a government or governmental agency, a civic organization, or another similar entity that takes responsibility for the licensee, without any detour or stop;

(7) exercising First Amendment rights protected by the United States Constitution, such as the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, and the right of assembly; or

(8) married or had been married or is an emancipated minor under the Emancipation of Minors Act.

(a-2.5) The driver's license of a person who is 17 years of age and has been licensed for at least 12 months is not invalid as described in subsection (a-1) of this Section while the licensee is participating as an assigned driver in a Safe Rides program that meets the following criteria:

(1) the program is sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America or another national public service organization; and

(2) the sponsoring organization carries liability insurance covering the program.

(a-3) If a graduated driver's license holder over the age of 18 committed an offense against traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles or any violation of Section 6-107 or Section 12-603.1 of this Code in the 6 months prior to the graduated driver's license holder's 18th birthday, and was subsequently convicted of the offense, the provisions of subsection (a-1) shall continue to apply until such time as a period of 6 consecutive months has elapsed without an additional violation and subsequent conviction of an offense against traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles or Section 6-107 or Section 12-603.1 of this Code.

(a-4) If an applicant for a driver's license or instruction permit has a current identification card issued by the Secretary of State, the Secretary may require the applicant to utilize the same residence address and name on the identification card, driver's license, and instruction permit records maintained by the Secretary. The Secretary may promulgate rules to implement this provision.

(a-5) If an applicant for a driver's license is an employee of the Department of Children and Family Services with a job title of "Child Protection Specialist Trainee", "Child Protection Specialist", "Child Protection Advanced Specialist", "Child Welfare Specialist Trainee", "Child Welfare Specialist", or "Child Welfare Advanced Specialist" or a judicial officer, public official, or a peace officer, the applicant may elect to have his or her office or work address listed on the license instead of the applicant's residence or mailing address. The Secretary of State shall adopt rules to implement this subsection (a-5).

As used in For the purposes of this subsection (a-5): ,

"Peace peace officer" means any person who by virtue of his or her office or public employment is vested by law with a duty to maintain public order or to make arrests for a violation of any penal statute of this State, whether that duty extends to all violations or is limited to specific violations.

"Public official" has the meaning given in Section 10 of the Public Official Safety and Privacy Act.

(b) Until the Secretary of State establishes a First Person Consent organ and tissue donor registry under Section 6-117 of this Code, the Secretary of State shall provide a format on the reverse of each driver's license issued which the licensee may use to execute a document of gift conforming to the provisions of the Illinois Anatomical Gift Act. The format shall allow the licensee to indicate the gift intended, whether specific organs, any organ, or the entire body, and shall accommodate the signatures of the donor and 2 witnesses. The Secretary shall also inform each applicant or licensee of this format, describe the procedure for its execution, and may offer the necessary witnesses; provided that in so doing, the Secretary shall advise the applicant or licensee that he or she is under no compulsion to execute a document of gift. A brochure explaining this method of executing an anatomical gift document shall be given to each applicant or licensee. The brochure shall advise the applicant or licensee that he or she is under no compulsion to execute a document of gift, and that he or she may wish to consult with family, friends, or clergy before doing so. The Secretary of State may undertake additional efforts, including education and awareness activities, to promote organ and tissue donation.

(c) The Secretary of State shall designate on each driver's license issued a space where the licensee may place a sticker or decal of the uniform size as the Secretary may specify, which sticker or decal may indicate in appropriate language that the owner of the license carries an Emergency Medical Information Card.

The sticker may be provided by any person, hospital, school, medical group, or association interested in assisting in implementing the Emergency Medical Information Card, but shall meet the specifications as the Secretary may by rule or regulation require.

(d) The Secretary of State shall designate on each driver's license issued a space where the licensee may indicate his blood type and RH factor.

(e) The Secretary of State shall provide that each original or renewal driver's license issued to a licensee under 21 years of age shall be of a distinct nature from those driver's licenses issued to individuals 21 years of age and older. The color designated for driver's licenses for licensees under 21 years of age shall be at the discretion of the Secretary of State.

(e-1) The Secretary shall provide that each driver's license issued to a person under the age of 21 displays the date upon which the person becomes 18 years of age and the date upon which the person becomes 21 years of age.

(e-3) The General Assembly recognizes the need to identify military veterans living in this State for the purpose of ensuring that they receive all of the services and benefits to which they are legally entitled, including health care healthcare, education assistance, and job placement. To assist the State in identifying these veterans and delivering these vital services and benefits, the Secretary of State is authorized to issue drivers' licenses with the word "veteran" appearing on the face of the licenses. This authorization is predicated on the unique status of veterans. The Secretary may not issue any other driver's license which identifies an occupation, status, affiliation, hobby, or other unique characteristics of the license holder which is unrelated to the purpose of the driver's license.

(e-5) Beginning on or before July 1, 2015, the Secretary of State shall designate a space on each original or renewal driver's license where, at the request of the applicant, the word "veteran" shall be placed. The veteran designation shall be available to a person identified as a veteran under subsection (e) of Section 6-106 of this Code who was discharged or separated under honorable conditions.

(e-7) Upon providing the required documentation, at the request of the applicant, the driver's license may reflect Gold Star Family designation. The Secretary shall designate a space on each original or renewal driver's license for such designation. This designation shall be available to a person eligible for Gold Star license plates under subsection (f) of Section 6-106 of this Code.

(f) The Secretary of State shall inform all Illinois licensed commercial motor vehicle operators of the requirements of the Uniform Commercial Driver License Act, Article V of this Chapter, and shall make provisions to insure that all drivers, seeking to obtain a commercial driver's license, be afforded an opportunity prior to April 1, 1992, to obtain the license. The Secretary is authorized to extend driver's license expiration dates, and assign specific times, dates and locations where these commercial driver's tests shall be conducted. Any applicant, regardless of the current expiration date of the applicant's driver's license, may be subject to any assignment by the Secretary. Failure to comply with the Secretary's assignment may result in the applicant's forfeiture of an opportunity to receive a commercial driver's license prior to April 1, 1992.

(g) The Secretary of State shall designate on a driver's license issued, a space where the licensee may indicate that he or she has drafted a living will in accordance with the Illinois Living Will Act or a durable power of attorney for health care in accordance with the Illinois Power of Attorney Act.

(g-1) The Secretary of State, in his or her discretion, may designate on each driver's license issued a space where the licensee may place a sticker or decal, issued by the Secretary of State, of uniform size as the Secretary may specify, that shall indicate in appropriate language that the owner of the license has renewed his or her driver's license.

(h) A person who acts in good faith in accordance with the terms of this Section is not liable for damages in any civil action or subject to prosecution in any criminal proceeding for his or her act.

(i) The Secretary shall designate a space on each original or renewal of a driver's license, at the request of the applicant, for a designation as a Gold Star Family. This designation shall be available to a person eligible for Gold Star license plates under subsection (f) of Section 6-106 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 103-888, eff. 8-9-24; 103-933, eff. 1-1-25; revised 11-26-24.)

Section 995. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other Public Act.

Section 997. Severability. The provisions of this Act are severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.

Section 999 Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.