ILCS » Chapter 720 · Act 5
Illinois Compiled Statutes

720 ILCS 5/2-13 (2026)

"Peace officer"

✓ current as of May 2026
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(720 ILCS 5/2-13) (from Ch. 38, par. 2-13)
    Sec. 2-13. "Peace officer". "Peace officer" means (i) any person who by virtue of the person's office or public employment is vested by law with a duty to maintain public order or to make arrests for offenses, whether that duty extends to all offenses or is limited to specific offenses, or (ii) any person who, by statute, is granted and authorized to exercise powers similar to those conferred upon any peace officer employed by a law enforcement agency of this State.
    For purposes of Sections concerning unlawful possession of weapons, for the purposes of assisting an Illinois peace officer in an arrest, or when the commission of any offense under Illinois law is directly observed by the person, and statutes involving the false personation of a peace officer, false personation of a peace officer while carrying a deadly weapon, false personation of a peace officer in attempting or committing a felony, and false personation of a peace officer in attempting or committing a forcible felony, then officers, agents, or employees of the federal government commissioned by federal statute to make arrests for violations of federal criminal laws shall be considered "peace officers" under this Code, including, but not limited to, all criminal investigators of:
        (1) the United States Department of Justice, the
    
Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration and all United States Marshals or Deputy United States Marshals whose duties involve the enforcement of federal criminal laws;
        (1.5) the United States Department of Homeland
    
Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, United States Coast Guard, United States Customs and Border Protection, and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement;
        (2) the United States Department of the Treasury, the
    
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, and the United States Secret Service;
        (3) the United States Internal Revenue Service;
        (4) the United States General Services Administration;
        (5) the United States Postal Service;
        (6) (blank); and
        (7) the United States Department of Defense.
(Source: P.A. 103-822, eff. 1-1-25; 104-30, eff. 7-28-25.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1998–2026 · leading case: Charles F. Finsel v. Thomas Cruppenink, in His Individual & Off. Capacities as Vermilion Cnty. Deputy Sheriff, 326 F.3d 903 (7th Cir. 2003).
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Charles F. Finsel v. Thomas Cruppenink, in His Individual & Off. Capacities as Vermilion Cnty. Deputy Sheriff, 326 F.3d 903 (7th Cir. 2003). “Such activity is entirely consistent with their duties as “peace officers” (720 ILCS 5/2-13 (West 1994) (defining a “peace officer” as one “vested by law with a duty to maintain public order”)), and it comports with the discussion of the community caretaking function of the…”
Roman v. Cook Cnty. Sheriff's Merit Bd., 2014 IL App (1st) 123308 (Ill. App. Ct. 2014). · cites it 2× “In relevant part, section 2-13 of the Criminal Code of 1961 (720 ILCS 5/2-13 (West 2008)) (the Code) defines “peace officer” as follows: “ ‘Peace officer’ means (i) any person who by virtue of his office or public employment is vested by law with a duty to maintain public order…”
Roman v. Cook Cnty. Sheriff's Merit Bd., 2014 IL App (1st) 123308 (Ill. App. Ct. 2014). · cites it 2× “In relevant part, section 2-13 of the Criminal Code of 1961 (720 ILCS 5/2-13 (West 2008)) (the Code) defines "peace officer" as follows: " 'Peace officer' means (i) any person who by virtue of his office or public employment is vested by law with a duty to maintain public order…”
Stimeling v. Peoria Pub. Sch. Dist. 150, 2018 IL App (3d) 170567 (Ill. App. Ct. 2018). “Although section 26-5 of the School Code uses language similar to that describing "peace officers" under the Criminal Code of 2012 ( 720 ILCS 5/2-13 (West 2016) ) and police officers under the Illinois Municipal Code ( 65 ILCS 5/11-1-2 (West 2016) ), Board Policy 5:400…”
People v. Hefner, 2021 IL App (4th) 190888-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2022). · cites it 3× “720 ILCS 5/2-13 (West 2018). For the purposes of the false personation offenses, “peace officer” includes those “officers, agents, or employees of the federal government commissioned by federal statute to make arrests,” including criminal investigators for the DOD.”
People v. Miller, 2026 IL App (1st) 240442-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2026). · cites it 2× “” 720 ILCS 5/2-13 (West 2022). ¶ 32 Here, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, as we must, we find it sufficient to establish defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt of two counts of false personation of a peace officer.”
Stimeling v. Peoria Pub. Sch. Dist. 150, 2018 IL App (3d) 170567 (Ill. App. Ct. 2018). “Although section 26-5 of the School Code uses language similar to that describing “peace officers” under the Criminal Code of 2012 (720 ILCS 5/2-13 (West 2016)) and police officers under the Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/11-1-2 (West 2016)), Board Policy 5:400 explicitly…”
Finsel, Charles F. v. Cruppenink, Thomas (7th Cir. 2003). “Such activity is entirely consistent with their duties as “peace offi- cers” (720 ILCS 5/2-13 (West 1994) (defining a “peace officer” as one “vested by law with a duty to maintain public order”)), and it comports with the discussion of the community caretaking function of the…”
People v. Olson (Ill. App. Ct. 2005). “" 720 ILCS 5/2-13 (West 2002). Further, section 107-4(a)(4) defines "law enforcement agency" for purposes of section 107-4(a-3) as "a municipal police department or county sheriff's office of this State.”
People v. Dale (Ill. App. Ct. 1998). “Such activity is entire­ly consis­tent with their duties as "peace offi­cers" (720 ILCS 5/2-13 (West 1994) (defining a "peace offi­cer" as one "vested by law with a duty to maintain public or­der")), and it comports with the discus­sion of the community caretaking function of…”
— 720 ILCS 5/2-13(7) — 1 case
People v. Hefner, 2021 IL App (4th) 190888-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2022). “720 ILCS 5/2-13 (West 2018). For the purposes of the false personation offenses, “peace officer” includes those “officers, agents, or employees of the federal government commissioned by federal statute to make arrests,” including criminal investigators for the DOD.”
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