Harassment and Stalking
720 ILCS 5/12-7.3 — a course of conduct that would make a reasonable person fear or suffer distress, a Class 4 felony
A person commits stalking by knowingly engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that they know or should know would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or someone else's, or to suffer other emotional distress.
Who handles this in Illinois: Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Lawyer Finder; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Illinois directory.
- Following or putting someone under surveillance on at least 2 separate occasions, together with a threat or placing them in reasonable apprehension of harm, is also stalking.
- Stalking is a Class 4 felony, and a second or later conviction is a Class 3 felony.
Harassment by telephone includes calling with intent to abuse, threaten or harass anyone at the number, making it ring repeatedly to harass, and repeated calls made solely to harass. Harassment through electronic communications covers the same kinds of conduct by text, email and other electronic means.
| Harassment by phone or electronic communication | Class |
|---|---|
| Harassment by phone or electronic communicationA first violation | ClassClass B misdemeanor |
| Harassment by phone or electronic communicationA second or later violation | ClassClass A misdemeanor, with at least 14 days in jail or 240 hours of community service |
| Harassment by phone or electronic communicationWith 3 or more prior violations in the last 10 years, or the other circumstances the section lists | ClassClass 4 felony |
Sources for this section (4)
- 720 ILCS 5/12-7.3 — Stalking
- 720 ILCS 5/26.5-2 — Harassment by telephone
- 720 ILCS 5/26.5-3 — Harassment through electronic communications
- 720 ILCS 5/26.5-5 — Sentence
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Illinois attorney.