Illinois 50 ILCS 718 caps law enforcement automated license plate reader data retention to 30 days unless tied to an active investigation. Chicago Police operate ALPRs and previously used ShotSpotter, with City Council reviewing each program for civil-liberties impacts.
50 ILCS 718, the Automated License Plate Reader Privacy Act, requires Illinois law enforcement to delete ALPR captures after 30 days unless tied to a specific investigation, hot list, or court order. Public-private sharing is restricted, including a prohibition on selling data to commercial entities or out-of-state ICE-linked databases under the 2024 amendments. Chicago Police deployed mobile and fixed ALPRs and partnered with private camera networks under the Strategic Decision Support Center program. ShotSpotter acoustic-detection contracts ended in 2024 after community opposition. Chicago's 2023 Civilian Office of Police Accountability and the inspector general both audit ALPR use. Suburban Cook County agencies operate independent systems with 30-day default retention.
Retaining ALPR data beyond 30 days without an investigative basis or selling data commercially violates 50 ILCS 718 and exposes agencies to suppression of evidence, civil suits, and state oversight investigations.
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See how Chicago's license plate readers rules stack up against other locations.
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