CHAPTER 720, ILCS 5/ - CRIMINAL CODE DIVISION I

720 ILCS 5/12-7.3

Sec. 12-7.3. Stalking.

Illinois Compiled Statute
720 ILCS 5/12-7.3
Offense Description
Stalking
Offense Classification
Class 4 Felony
Statutory Penalties & Sentencing Scope
1 to 3 years IDOC (Probation eligible) · Fine up to $25,000
Supreme Court Rule 551 Mandatory Court Appearance
Under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 551, personal court appearance before a judge is mandatory. The defendant cannot satisfy this charge by mail, electronic payment, or pre-set bail forfeiture.
SAFE-T Act Pretrial Detention Eligibility (725 ILCS 5/110-6.1)
Detention Eligible: The State's Attorney may petition the court for denial of pretrial release under 725 ILCS 5/110-6.1 (Domestic Risk). Standard: Real and present threat to safety of a family or household member.
Secretary of State Driver's License Action
Standard Administrative Protocol: No automatic driver's license suspension or mandatory revocation is triggered by this offense code alone upon citation.
EXECUTIVE SYNOPSIS · ILLINOIS LEGAL STANDARDS Governing Authority: ILGA & Supreme Court Rules

Under Illinois law, 720 ILCS 5/12-7.3 (Stalking) is classified as a Class 4 Felony. Statutory sentencing scope: 1 to 3 years IDOC (Probation eligible) · Fine up to $25,000. Court appearance is mandatory under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 551, and pretrial release is subject to detention eligibility under the SAFE-T Act (725 ILCS 5/110-6.1).

Offense Class & Sentencing Scope Class 4 Felony

1 to 3 years IDOC (Probation eligible) · Fine up to $25,000

Court Appearance Mandate Rule 551 Mandatory Court

Under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 551, personal court appearance before a judge is mandatory. The defendant cannot satisfy this charge by mail, electronic payment, or pre-set bail forfeiture.

Pretrial Fairness Act (SAFE-T Act) Detention Eligible (725 ILCS 5/110-6.1)

Detention Eligible: The State's Attorney may petition the court for denial of pretrial release under 725 ILCS 5/110-6.1 (Domestic Risk). Standard: Real and present threat to safety of a family or household member.

Secretary of State License Sanction Standard Administrative Protocol

No automatic driver's license suspension or mandatory revocation is triggered by this offense code alone upon citation.

Classification Class 4 Felony
Court Appearance Mandatory Court Appearance (Rule 551)
SAFE-T Act Detention Detention Eligible (Domestic Safety Risk)
SOS Reporting Code None Assigned

Associated Offense Codes & Classifications (1)

Offense Description Class Court Mandate SAFE-T Act Reporting Code Official ILGA
Stalking Official ILGA · 720 ILCS 5/12-7.3 -> Class 4 Felony Rule 551 Mandate Detainable — ILGA.gov ->

Illinois General Assembly Statutory Text (Verbatim)

Source: ilga.gov ->

Sec. 12-7.3. Stalking.

(a)

(a) A person commits stalking when he or she knowingly engages in a course of conduct directed at a specific person, and he or she knows or should know that this course of conduct would cause a reasonable person to:

(1)

(1) fear for his or her safety or the safety of a third person; or (2) suffer other emotional distress.

(a-3) A person commits stalking when he or she, knowingly and without lawful justification, on at least 2 separate occasions follows another person or places the person under surveillance or any combination thereof and:

(1)

(1) at any time transmits a threat of immediate or future bodily harm, sexual assault, confinement or restraint and the threat is directed towards that person or a family member of that person; or (2) places that person in reasonable apprehension of immediate or future bodily harm, sexual assault, confinement or restraint to or of that person or a family member of that person. (a-5) A person commits stalking when he or she has previously been convicted of stalking another person and knowingly and without lawful justification on one occasion:

(1)

(1) follows that same person or places that same person under surveillance; and (2) transmits a threat of immediate or future bodily harm, sexual assault, confinement or restraint to that person or a family member of that person. (a-7) A person commits stalking when he or she knowingly makes threats that are a part of a course of conduct and is aware of the threatening nature of his or her speech.

(b)

(b) Sentence. Stalking is a Class 4 felony; a second or subsequent conviction is a Class 3 felony.

(c)

(c) Definitions. For purposes of this Section:

(1)

(1) "Course of conduct" means 2 or more acts, including but not limited to acts in which a defendant directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means follows, monitors, observes, surveils, threatens, or communicates to or about, a person, engages in other non-consensual contact, or interferes with or damages a person's property or pet. A course of conduct may include contact via electronic communications. (2) "Electronic communication" means any transfer of signs, signals, writings, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photoelectric, or photo-optical system. "Electronic communication" includes transmissions by a computer through the Internet to another computer. (3) "Emotional distress" means significant mental suffering, anxiety or alarm. (4) "Family member" means a parent, grandparent, brother, sister, or child, whether by whole blood, half-blood, or adoption and includes a step-grandparent, step-parent, step-brother, step-sister or step-child. "Family member" also means any other person who regularly resides in the household, or who, within the prior 6 months, regularly resided in the household. (5) "Follows another person" means (i) to move in relative proximity to a person as that person moves from place to place or (ii) to remain in relative proximity to a person who is stationary or whose movements are confined to a small area. "Follows another person" does not include a following within the residence of the defendant. (6) "Non-consensual contact" means any contact with the victim that is initiated or continued without the victim's consent, including but not limited to being in the physical presence of the victim; appearing within the sight of the victim; approaching or confronting the victim in a public place or on private property; appearing at the workplace or residence of the victim; entering onto or remaining on property owned, leased, or occupied by the victim; or placing an object on, or delivering an object to, property owned, leased, or occupied by the victim. (7) "Places a person under surveillance" means: (1) remaining present outside the person's school, place of employment, vehicle, other place occupied by the person, or residence other than the residence of the defendant; or (2) placing an electronic tracking device on the person or the person's property. (8) "Reasonable person" means a person in the victim's situation. (9) "Transmits a threat" means a verbal or written threat or a threat implied by a pattern of conduct or a combination of verbal or written statements or conduct. (d) Exemptions.

(1)

(1) This Section does not apply to any individual or organization (i) monitoring or attentive to compliance with public or worker safety laws, wage and hour requirements, or other statutory requirements, or (ii) picketing occurring at the workplace that is otherwise lawful and arises out of a bona fide labor dispute, including any controversy concerning wages, salaries, hours, working conditions or benefits, including health and welfare, sick leave, insurance, and pension or retirement provisions, the making or maintaining of collective bargaining agreements, and the terms to be included in those agreements. (2) This Section does not apply to an exercise of the right to free speech or assembly that is otherwise lawful. (3) Telecommunications carriers, commercial mobile service providers, and providers of information services, including, but not limited to, Internet service providers and hosting service providers, are not liable under this Section, except for willful and wanton misconduct, by virtue of the transmission, storage, or caching of electronic communications or messages of others or by virtue of the provision of other related telecommunications, commercial mobile services, or information services used by others in violation of this Section. (d-5) The incarceration of a person in a penal institution who commits the course of conduct or transmits a threat is not a bar to prosecution under this Section.

(d-10) A defendant who directed the actions of a third party to violate this Section, under the principles of accountability set forth in Article 5 of this Code, is guilty of violating this Section as if the same had been personally done by the defendant, without regard to the mental state of the third party acting at the direction of the defendant.

(Source: P.A. 102-547, eff. 1-1-22.)

Frequently Asked Questions & Legal Analysis

Authoritative Statutory Guidance
What is the statutory penalty and sentencing range for 720 ILCS 5/12-7.3 in Illinois?

Under Illinois law, 720 ILCS 5/12-7.3 (Stalking) is classified as a Class 4 Felony.

Sentencing Scope: 1 to 3 years IDOC (Probation eligible) · Fine up to $25,000

Is a court appearance mandatory for 720 ILCS 5/12-7.3 under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 551?

Mandatory Personal Appearance Required: Under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 551, personal court appearance before a judge is mandatory. The defendant cannot satisfy this charge by mail, electronic payment, or pre-set bail forfeiture.

Is an individual accused of 720 ILCS 5/12-7.3 detainable before trial under the SAFE-T Act?

Detention Eligible: Detention Eligible: The State's Attorney may petition the court for denial of pretrial release under 725 ILCS 5/110-6.1 (Domestic Risk). Standard: Real and present threat to safety of a family or household member.

What Secretary of State driver's license sanctions apply to 720 ILCS 5/12-7.3?

Standard Administrative Protocol: No automatic driver's license suspension or mandatory revocation is triggered by this offense code alone upon citation.

Official Legal Citation Formats

Legal & Academic Reference

Standardized legal citations for briefs, court pleadings, law enforcement documentation, and academic research.

Illinois Supreme Court Citation 720 ILCS 5/12-7.3 (West 2026)
The Bluebook Style (21st ed.) 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/12-7.3 (2026)
Canonical Web Reference https://ilcsindex.com/statutes/720-ilcs-5-12-7.3
Cross-Referenced ILCS Codes