(725 ILCS 168/15)

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 103-300)

Sec. 15. Exceptions. This Act does not prohibit a law enforcement agency from seeking to obtain location information:

(1) to respond to a call for emergency services concerning the user or possessor of an electronic device;

(2) with the lawful consent of the owner of the electronic device or person in actual or constructive possession of the item being tracked by the electronic device;

(3) to lawfully obtain location information broadly available to the general public without a court order when the location information is posted on a social networking website, or is metadata attached to images and video, or to determine the location of an Internet Protocol (IP) address through a publicly available service;

(4) to obtain location information generated by an electronic device used as a condition of release from a penal institution, as a condition of pre-trial release, probation, conditional discharge, parole, mandatory supervised release, or other sentencing order, or to monitor an individual released under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act or the Sexually Dangerous Persons Act;

(5) to aid in the location of a missing person;

(6) in emergencies as follows:

(A) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, any investigative or law enforcement officer may seek to obtain location information in an emergency situation as defined in this paragraph (6). This paragraph (6) applies only when there was no previous notice of the emergency to the investigative or law enforcement officer sufficient to obtain prior judicial approval, and the officer reasonably believes that an order permitting the obtaining of location information would issue were there prior judicial review. An emergency situation exists when:

(i) the use of the electronic device is necessary for the protection of the investigative or law enforcement officer or a person acting at the direction of law enforcement; or

(ii) the situation involves:

(aa) a clear and present danger of imminent death or great bodily harm to persons resulting from:

(I) the use of force or the threat of the imminent use of force,

(II) a kidnapping or the holding of a hostage by force or the threat of the imminent use of force, or

(III) the occupation by force or the threat of the imminent use of force of any premises, place, vehicle, vessel, or aircraft;

(bb) an abduction investigation;

(cc) conspiratorial activities characteristic of organized crime;

(dd) an immediate threat to national security interest;

(ee) an ongoing attack on a computer comprising a felony; or

(ff) escape under Section 31-6 of the Criminal Code of 2012.

(B) In all emergency cases, an application for an order approving the previous or continuing obtaining of location information must be made within 72 hours of its commencement. In the absence of the order, or upon its denial, any continuing obtaining of location information gathering shall immediately terminate. In order to approve obtaining location information, the judge must make a determination (i) that he or she would have granted an order had the information been before the court prior to the obtaining of the location information and (ii) there was an emergency situation as defined in this paragraph (6).

(C) In the event that an application for approval under this paragraph (6) is denied, the location information obtained under this exception shall be inadmissible in accordance with Section 20 of this Act; or

(7) to obtain location information relating to an electronic device used to track a vehicle or an effect which is owned or leased by that law enforcement agency.

(Source: P.A. 101-460, eff. 8-23-19.)

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 103-300)

Sec. 15. Exceptions. This Act does not prohibit a law enforcement agency from seeking to obtain location information:

(1) to respond to a call for emergency services concerning the user or possessor of an electronic device;

(2) with the lawful consent of the owner of the electronic device or person in actual or constructive possession of the item being tracked by the electronic device;

(3) to lawfully obtain location information broadly available to the general public without a court order when the location information is posted on a social networking website, or is metadata attached to images and video, or to determine the location of an Internet Protocol (IP) address through a publicly available service;

(4) to obtain location information generated by an electronic device used as a condition of release from a penal institution, as a condition of pre-trial release, probation, conditional discharge, parole, mandatory supervised release, or other sentencing order, or to monitor an individual released under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act or the Sexually Dangerous Persons Act;

(5) to aid in the location of a missing person;

(6) in emergencies as follows:

(A) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, any investigative or law enforcement officer may seek to obtain location information in an emergency situation as defined in this paragraph (6). This paragraph (6) applies only when there was no previous notice of the emergency to the investigative or law enforcement officer sufficient to obtain prior judicial approval, and the officer reasonably believes that an order permitting the obtaining of location information would issue were there prior judicial review. An emergency situation exists when:

(i) the use of the electronic device is necessary for the protection of the investigative or law enforcement officer or a person acting at the direction of law enforcement; or

(ii) the situation involves:

(aa) a clear and present danger of imminent death or great bodily harm to persons resulting from:

(I) the use of force or the threat of the imminent use of force,

(II) a kidnapping or the holding of a hostage by force or the threat of the imminent use of force, or

(III) the occupation by force or the threat of the imminent use of force of any premises, place, vehicle, vessel, or aircraft;

(bb) an abduction investigation;

(cc) conspiratorial activities characteristic of organized crime;

(dd) an immediate threat to national security interest;

(ee) an ongoing attack on a computer comprising a felony;

(ff) escape under Section 31-6 of the Criminal Code of 2012; or

(gg) vehicular hijacking.

(B) In all emergency cases, an application for an order approving the previous or continuing obtaining of location information must be made within 72 hours of its commencement. In the absence of the order, or upon its denial, any continuing obtaining of location information gathering shall immediately terminate. In order to approve obtaining location information, the judge must make a determination (i) that he or she would have granted an order had the information been before the court prior to the obtaining of the location information and (ii) there was an emergency situation as defined in this paragraph (6).

(C) In the event that an application for approval under this paragraph (6) is denied, the location information obtained under this exception shall be inadmissible in accordance with Section 20 of this Act; or

(7) to obtain location information relating to an electronic device used to track a vehicle or an effect which is owned or leased by that law enforcement agency.

(Source: P.A. 103-300, eff. 1-1-24.)