Hidden camera laws in Illinois

The actual statute, in plain English — not a paraphrase of a paraphrase.

The statute

720 ILCS 5/26-4 (Unauthorized Video Recording and Live Video Transmission)

What it prohibits

Knowingly recording or live-transmitting video of another person without consent in a restroom, tanning salon, locker room, changing room, or hotel bedroom; recording someone in their own residence without consent, including from outside; or concealed recording under/through a person’s clothing. Placing a hidden device in these locations with intent to record is covered even before any recording happens.

Penalty

Class 4 felony; Class 3 felony if the victim is under 18 or the offender is a registered sex offender.

This is general public information, not legal advice, verified against the statute text linked below as of this writing — legislatures amend these laws periodically (Florida renamed its own statute in 2024). If this matters for a real situation, read the current text yourself or talk to a lawyer: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=072000050K26-4. Separately, recording audio of a conversation is governed by a different law (wiretap/eavesdropping statutes, which vary by state on whether one party or all parties must consent) — this page covers image/video capture only.

If you've actually found something, the statute matters less than what you do next: read the six steps here.

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Other states

Pennsylvania18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 7507.1 (Invasion of Privacy) OhioOhio Revised Code § 2907.08 (Voyeurism) GeorgiaO.C.G.A. § 16-11-62 (Eavesdropping, Surveillance, or Intercepting Communication Which Invades Privacy) North CarolinaG.S. § 14-202 (Secretly Peeping Into Room Occupied by Another Person) MichiganMCL § 750.539j New JerseyN.J.S.A. § 2C:14-9 (Invasion of Privacy) VirginiaCode of Virginia § 18.2-386.1 (Unlawful Filming, Videotaping or Photographing of Another) WashingtonRCW § 9A.44.115 (Voyeurism)