IL Drone Surveillance Act
Illinois Freedom From Drone Surveillance Act
Illinois · 725 ILCS 167
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- January 1, 2014
- Applies to
- Illinois state and local law enforcement
- Enforced by
- Illinois courts (suppression); Attorney General
Illinois requires police to obtain a search warrant before using a drone to gather information, subject to narrow exceptions (terrorism, search-and-rescue, crime-scene reconstruction). The 2023 Drones as First Responders amendments (HB 3902) added regulated exceptions for crowd surveillance and emergency response.
Who is protected: Illinois residents subject to police drone surveillance
Legal detail
725 ILCS 167 et seq. (Freedom From Drone Surveillance Act), originally P.A. 98-0569; amended by P.A. 103-0398 (HB 3902, 2023).
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Illinois |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | August 16, 2013 |
| Citation | 725 ILCS 167 |
| Private right of action | Yes, individuals can sue |
| Penalties | Inadmissibility of evidence; civil liability for unauthorized use |
| Topics | consumer data privacy · police and surveillance AI |
| Statute | Illinois Compiled Statutes — Freedom From Drone Surveillance Act (725 ILCS 167) |
More AI rules in Illinois
- Illinois Children's Social Media Safety Act — algorithmic recommendations ban for minors · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Illinois SB 3114 — Transparency in Downcoding Act · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- AI Safety Measures Act (frontier model audits) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Algorithmic rent price-fixing ban · Expired
- Illinois HB 3851 — deepfake cyberbullying in schools (2026) · In effect
- Illinois data center tax-incentive pause (DCEO, July 2026) · In effect
Related consumer data privacy rules elsewhere
- Vermont Data Broker Law (H.211) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Chatrie v. United States (Fourth Amendment protection for location… · Blocked / in litigation
- House Bill 2512 — Banning surveillance pricing by rideshare companies · Proposed / pending
- Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act) (H.R. 7757) · Proposed / pending
- Maine LD 61 (employer surveillance disclosure & prohibition) · In effect
- Washington SHB 1672 (employee monitoring notice, ADS restrictions, emotion AI ban) · In effect
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction. Every entry must carry a verifiable source.