Stalking No Contact Orders in Illinois
Guide last updated: April 17, 2026. Hazard class: safety. Civic education by a Concerned Parent.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For confidential help: National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233; Stalking Resource Center 1-800-787-2444.
The short version
A Stalking No Contact Order (SNCO) is a civil court order designed to protect victims of stalking by someone who is not a family or household member — typical of stranger, acquaintance, neighbor, or coworker stalking. If you are being stalked by a current or former spouse, partner, or family member, the Order of Protection under the Domestic Violence Act is the right tool. SNCOs provide similar protections: stay-away orders, no-contact provisions, and enforcement through criminal penalties for violation.
What stalking means under Illinois law
The Stalking No Contact Order Act (740 ILCS 21) defines stalking as a pattern of conduct — two or more acts — that would cause a reasonable person to:
- Fear for their safety or the safety of a third person, OR
- Suffer other emotional distress
The conduct can include:
- Following the person
- Monitoring, observing, surveilling, or threatening the person
- Communicating with the person directly or indirectly
- Interfering with the person's property
- Contacting the person through social media, text, phone
- Sending unwanted gifts
- Showing up at their home, work, school, or other locations
- Following them online or tracking their movements
When SNCO applies (vs Order of Protection)
- Order of Protection — for family or household members: spouses, former spouses, people in a dating or engagement relationship, people with a child in common, people who share or shared a residence, other family members
- Stalking No Contact Order — for stalking by someone NOT in a family/household relationship: strangers, casual acquaintances, coworkers, neighbors, online stalkers, etc.
If you're unsure which applies, advocates at the courthouse or legal aid can help determine.
What an SNCO can do
- Prohibit the stalker from having any contact (in person, phone, text, email, social media, third parties)
- Prohibit the stalker from being within a specified distance of your home, workplace, school
- Prohibit the stalker from being on any premises you own or occupy
- Order the stalker to stay away from other specified locations
- Prohibit interference with your property
- Surrender of firearms
- Other relief the court finds necessary
Types of orders
Emergency SNCO
Obtained same-day, without the respondent present. Lasts up to 21 days. Based on your testimony about immediate danger.
Interim SNCO
Between emergency and plenary. Lasts up to 30 days. Allows time to serve the respondent and prepare for hearing.
Plenary SNCO
Final order after full hearing where respondent has notice and opportunity to appear. Lasts up to 2 years. Can be extended.
How to file
Where
Circuit court in your county. In Cook County, the Civil Division handles SNCOs. Some counties have dedicated domestic violence courtrooms that handle both OPs and SNCOs.
What to bring
- Identification (if available)
- Evidence of stalking: screenshots of messages, call logs, photos, video, witness information
- Any police reports already filed
- Respondent's full name, address, physical description (for service)
- Any prior communications you've had with respondent
Fees
No filing fee for an SNCO.
Confidentiality
Your home address can be kept confidential. The court has specific procedures to redact or seal sensitive information.
Documenting stalking
Stalking cases depend on documentation. Start now:
- Save everything — every text, voicemail, email, social media message, gift, letter. Take screenshots. Preserve metadata.
- Keep a log — date, time, what happened, witnesses, your response. Be specific.
- Report to police — even minor incidents. Police reports create contemporaneous documentation.
- Tell trusted people — family, friends, employer, neighbors can be witnesses and offer support.
- Photos and video — of damaged property, unwanted gifts, the stalker in areas they shouldn't be
- Safety plan — change routines, vary routes, consider self-defense training, update locks and windows
Cyberstalking and online harassment
Online stalking qualifies for SNCO. Evidence includes:
- Screenshots with URLs and timestamps visible
- Saved communications (download full email headers when possible)
- Social media account URLs and usernames (before they're deleted)
- IP address information (if you can obtain through subpoena or other process)
- Records of blocked and circumvented attempts
Separate from SNCO, some online harassment may support:
- Criminal charges under Illinois stalking, cyberstalking, harassment by electronic communication statutes
- Civil suits for defamation, IIED, invasion of privacy
- Action by the platform (many have anti-stalking policies)
Workplace stalking
If you're being stalked by a coworker or former coworker:
- Report to employer — they have obligations to maintain a safe workplace
- Request stalker not contact you at work
- SNCO can specify workplace stay-away
- If the stalker is an employer or in a position of power, workplace harassment or retaliation claims may also apply
Enforcement
Violation of an SNCO is:
- A criminal offense (Class A misdemeanor on first offense; felony on second or subsequent)
- Contempt of court
- Grounds for arrest without a warrant if witnessed by police
If the stalker violates the order, call 911 immediately. Bring a copy of the order when making the report. Document each violation for subsequent contempt proceedings.
Free help
- Stalking Resource Center — 1-800-787-2444
- National Domestic Violence Hotline — 1-800-799-7233
- RAINN (sexual assault) — 1-800-656-4673
- Life Span Center for Legal Services and Advocacy
- Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation
- Legal Aid Chicago — Violence Against Women — 312-341-1070
- Courthouse advocates — at your local courthouse, often bilingual, free