Resisting or Obstructing an Officer
720 ILCS 5/31-1 — a Class A misdemeanor, with at least 48 hours in jail or 100 hours of community service
A person commits a Class A misdemeanor who knowingly resists arrest, or obstructs one they know to be a peace officer, firefighter or correctional institution employee in any authorized act within their official capacity.
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.
- On top of any other sentence, the court orders at least 48 consecutive hours of imprisonment or at least 100 hours of community service, and probation is not available to reduce it.
- Where the violation was the proximate cause of an injury to the officer, firefighter or employee, it is a Class 4 felony.
A false name is its own offense. Knowingly giving a false or fictitious name, address or date of birth to a peace officer who has lawfully arrested or detained the person, or who has good cause to believe the person witnessed a crime and asks, is obstructing identification, a Class A misdemeanor.
Sources for this section (2)
- 720 ILCS 5/31-1 — Resisting or obstructing a peace officer, firefighter, or correctional institution employee
- 720 ILCS 5/31-4.5 — Obstructing identification
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Illinois attorney.