Illinois § 16-26 Detention; affirmative defense

Illinois Statutes

§ 16-26 — Detention; affirmative defense

Illinois § 16-26

JurisdictionIllinois

TopicRIGHTS AND REMEDIES

Ch. 720CRIMINAL OFFENSES

Act 720 ILCS 5/Criminal Code of 2012.

Art.Title III - Specific Offenses

This text of Illinois § 16-26 (Detention; affirmative defense) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 16-26 (2026).

Text

(a)Detention. Any merchant who has reasonable grounds to believe that a person has committed retail theft may detain the person, on or off the premises of a retail mercantile establishment, in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable length of time for all or any of the following purposes:

(1)To request identification;

(2)To verify such identification;

(3)To make reasonable inquiry as to whether such person has in his possession unpurchased merchandise and to make reasonable investigation of the ownership of such merchandise;

(4)To inform a peace officer of the detention of the person and surrender that person to the custody of a peace officer;

(5)In the case of a minor, to immediately make a reasonable attempt to inform the parents, guardian or other private person interested in the

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(a) Detention. Any merchant who has reasonable grounds to believe that a person has committed retail theft may detain the person, on or off the premises of a retail mercantile establishment, in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable length of time for all or any of the following purposes: (1) To request identification; (2) To verify such identification; (3) To make reasonable inquiry as to whether such person has in his possession unpurchased merchandise and to make reasonable investigation of the ownership of such merchandise; (4) To inform a peace officer of the detention of the person and surrender that person to the custody of a peace officer; (5) In the case of a minor, to immediately make a reasonable attempt to inform the parents, guardian or other private person interested in the welfare of that minor and, at the merchant's discretion, a peace officer, of this detention and to surrender custody of such minor to such person. A merchant may make a detention as permitted in this Section off the premises of a retail mercantile establishment only if such detention is pursuant to an immediate pursuit of such person. A merchant shall be deemed to have reasonable grounds to make a detention for the purposes of this Section if the merchant detains a person because such person has in his or her possession either a theft detection shielding device or a theft detection device remover. (b) Affirmative defense. A detention as permitted in this Section does not constitute an arrest or an unlawful restraint, as defined in Section 10-3 of this Code, nor shall it render the merchant liable to the person so detained. (c) For the purposes of this Section, "minor" means a person who is less than 19 years of age, is unemancipated, and resides with his or her parent or parents or legal guardian.