CHAPTER 720, ILCS 5/ - CRIMINAL CODE DIVISION I

720 ILCS 5/26-4

Sec. 26-4. Unauthorized video recording and live video transmission.

Illinois Compiled Statute
720 ILCS 5/26-4
Offense Description
Unauthorized videotaping
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)
Presumptive Pretrial Release: This offense is non-detainable under 725 ILCS 5/110-6.1. The defendant is entitled to release on personal recognizance with non-monetary conditions unless charged with a subsequent detainable violation.
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 5/26-4 (Unauthorized videotaping) 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 presumptively release-eligible under the SAFE-T Act.

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) Presumptive Pretrial Release

Presumptive Pretrial Release: This offense is non-detainable under 725 ILCS 5/110-6.1. The defendant is entitled to release on personal recognizance with non-monetary conditions unless charged with a subsequent detainable violation.

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 Release Eligible (Conditions Apply)
SOS Reporting Code None Assigned

Associated Offense Codes & Classifications (1)

Offense Description Class Court Mandate SAFE-T Act Reporting Code Official ILGA
Unauthorized videotaping Official ILGA · 720 ILCS 5/26-4 -> Class 4 Felony Rule 551 Mandate Release Eligible — ILGA.gov ->

Illinois General Assembly Statutory Text (Verbatim)

Source: ilga.gov ->

Sec. 26-4. Unauthorized video recording and live video transmission.

(a)

(a) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly make a video record or transmit live video of another person without that person's consent in a restroom, tanning bed, tanning salon, locker room, changing room, or hotel bedroom.

(a-5) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly make a video record or transmit live video of another person in that other person's residence without that person's consent.

(a-6) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly make a video record or transmit live video of another person in that other person's residence without that person's consent when the recording or transmission is made outside that person's residence by use of an audio or video device that records or transmits from a remote location.

(a-10) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly make a video record or transmit live video of another person's intimate parts for the purpose of viewing the body of or the undergarments worn by that other person without that person's consent. For the purposes of this subsection (a-10), "intimate parts" means the fully unclothed, partially unclothed, or transparently clothed genitals, pubic area, anus, or if the person is female, a partially or fully exposed nipple, including exposure through transparent clothing.

(a-15) It is unlawful for any person to place or cause to be placed a device that makes a video record or transmits a live video in a restroom, tanning bed, tanning salon, locker room, changing room, or hotel bedroom with the intent to make a video record or transmit live video of another person without that person's consent.

(a-20) It is unlawful for any person to place or cause to be placed a device that makes a video record or transmits a live video with the intent to make a video record or transmit live video of another person in that other person's residence without that person's consent.

(a-25) It is unlawful for any person to, by any means, knowingly disseminate, or permit to be disseminated, a video record or live video that he or she knows to have been made or transmitted in violation of (a), (a-5), (a-6), (a-10), (a-15), or (a-20).

(b)

(b) Exemptions. The following activities shall be exempt from the provisions of this Section:

(1)

(1) The making of a video record or transmission of live video by law enforcement officers pursuant to a criminal investigation, which is otherwise lawful; (2) The making of a video record or transmission of live video by correctional officials for security reasons or for investigation of alleged misconduct involving a person committed to the Department of Corrections; and (3) The making of a video record or transmission of live video in a locker room by a reporter or news medium, as those terms are defined in Section 8-902 of the Code of Civil Procedure, where the reporter or news medium has been granted access to the locker room by an appropriate authority for the purpose of conducting interviews. (c) The provisions of this Section do not apply to any sound recording or transmission of an oral conversation made as the result of the making of a video record or transmission of live video, and to which Article 14 of this Code applies.

(d)

(d) Sentence.

(1)

(1) A violation of subsection (a-15) or (a-20) is a Class A misdemeanor. (2) A violation of subsection (a), (a-5), (a-6), or (a-10) is a Class 4 felony. (3) A violation of subsection (a-25) is a Class 3 felony. (4) A violation of subsection (a), (a-5), (a-6), (a-10), (a-15) or (a-20) is a Class 3 felony if the victim is a person under 18 years of age or if the violation is committed by an individual who is required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration Act. (5) A violation of subsection (a-25) is a Class 2 felony if the victim is a person under 18 years of age or if the violation is committed by an individual who is required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration Act. (e) For purposes of this Section:

(1)

(1) "Residence" includes a rental dwelling, but does not include stairwells, corridors, laundry facilities, or additional areas in which the general public has access. (2) "Video record" means and includes any videotape, photograph, film, or other electronic or digital recording of a still or moving visual image; and "live video" means and includes any real-time or contemporaneous electronic or digital transmission of a still or moving visual image. (Source: P.A. 102-567, eff. 1-1-22.)

Frequently Asked Questions & Legal Analysis

Authoritative Statutory Guidance
What is the statutory penalty and sentencing range for 720 ILCS 5/26-4 in Illinois?

Under Illinois law, 720 ILCS 5/26-4 (Unauthorized videotaping) 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 5/26-4 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 5/26-4 detainable before trial under the SAFE-T Act?

Presumptive Pretrial Release: Presumptive Pretrial Release: This offense is non-detainable under 725 ILCS 5/110-6.1. The defendant is entitled to release on personal recognizance with non-monetary conditions unless charged with a subsequent detainable violation.

What Secretary of State driver's license sanctions apply to 720 ILCS 5/26-4?

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 5/26-4 (West 2026)
The Bluebook Style (21st ed.) 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/26-4 (2026)
Canonical Web Reference https://ilcsindex.com/statutes/720-ilcs-5-26-4
Cross-Referenced ILCS Codes