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Illinois FOIA & OMA Reference

7(1)(b)

FOIA

Private information

Private information (defined in Sec. 2(c-5) -- e.g. SSNs, driver's license numbers, home addresses in some contexts)

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Read the full statute text on /statutes →

Jump to the 40 issues decided under this provision, with a drafting brief ↓

14 upheld (no violation found) · 57 rejected (violation found) · 12 partial violation · 8 closed / insufficient info / other, out of 91 documents.

Not legal advice, and not a per-exemption ruling — this reflects each document's overall disposition. See the FAQ disclaimer.

How the Public Access Counselor has treated 7(1)(b)

Section 7(1)(b) covers 'private information' as defined in Section 2(c-5), such as Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, personal or home telephone numbers, home addresses and account numbers. The PAC treats FOIA exemptions as narrow and requires a public body to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the exemption applies. Private information may be redacted, but it does not by itself justify withholding an entire record.

Across these decisions, the PAC often found violations where public bodies withheld complete termination letters, separation records, arrest and incident reports, license applications or payroll and compensation records based on broad claims of private information or privacy. It distinguished non-exempt details such as employee and contractor names, job titles, wages, bonuses and report narratives from redactable identifiers. In one decision, it found no violation where a dispatch center disclosed caller names but redacted home or personal telephone numbers from 911 recordings.

At a glance: 91 documents from 2012 to 2026(37 binding opinions, 54 determination letters). Most often cited alongside: 7(1)(c) (Personal privacy) (61); 7(1)(a) (Confidential under other federal or State law) (17); 7(1)(f) (Preliminary drafts, notes, and deliberative materials) (15); 7(1)(d)(iv) (Would disclose a confidential source or informant) (10); 7(1)(d) (Law-enforcement/administrative-proceeding records) (8).

Recurring issues

Practical points

Summary drafted from the linked decisions and checked against them; read the decisions themselves before relying on it. Not legal advice.

All 91 documents citing 7(1)(b)

Issues decided under 7(1)(b)

Individual questions the Public Access Bureau decided under this provision, with the rule it applied, grouped by outcome. Extracted automatically from the letters; check each source letter.

40 issues across 32 determination letters:12 violation found · 23 no violation · 3 no determination / resolved · 2 other.

Counts are per issue, not per letter, and come from automated extraction checked against sampled letters. Determination letters are not binding precedent.

Authorities the Bureau cites most on this issue

How to challenge a denial on this issue

AI-generated summary of the decisions listed on this page, with each point linked to the letters it comes from. Determination letters are not binding precedent and this is not legal advice. Open the letter and check the PDF before relying on any point.

When a challenge is strong

When the public body usually wins

Points to put in your letter

Common mistakes

Facts to gather first

  • Whether the redacted or withheld information identifies an individual or a business/entity.
  • Which specific identifiers were redacted or withheld (e.g., home address, personal phone, business phone, name, middle initial, date of birth, full or partial license plate).
  • What the record is and whether it involves public funds, assessments, police reports, or witness statements.
  • Whether the public body cited only section 7(1)(b) and whether it explained who the redaction protects.

These letters are non-binding, outcomes depend on the specific facts and how the public body justifies each redaction, and you should verify the underlying PDFs before relying on them.

Drafting brief for an AI assistant

Copy this into your assistant to help draft a request, appeal, or challenge to a denial that turns on this issue. It carries the rules and decisions, not your facts: add those yourself. Machine-readable version: foia-7-1-b.json.

Violation found (12)

  • Redaction of employee names and airline ticket details

    Rule: Names of public employees and airline ticket numbers are not private information under section 7(1)(b) and were improperly redacted.

    Violation found A school district's credit card statements and bill list · September 19, 2023

  • Withholding annual maintenance assessment rolls in their entirety

    Rule: Annual assessments relate to receipt of public funds and are subject to disclosure; the District did not show the amounts owed were personal financial information.

    Violation found A drainage district's maintenance assessment rolls and collector's books · July 31, 2023

  • Redaction of business addresses of companies and incorporated farming operations

    Rule: Addresses of properties owned by companies or incorporated farming operations are business addresses not within the private information exemption.

    Violation found A drainage district's maintenance assessment rolls and collector's books · July 31, 2023

  • Footnotes in documents

    Rule: Footnotes revealing internal recordkeeping locations are not private information or access codes, so they are not exempt under section 7(1)(b).

    Violation found Personnel files of three housing authority employees · June 23, 2023

  • Business information redactions

    Rule: Business information such as business addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses does not identify individuals and is not exempt under section 7(1)(b).

    Violation found Personnel files of three housing authority employees · June 23, 2023

  • Middle initials of employee names

    Rule: Middle initials are not unique identifiers under section 7(1)(b) and do not constitute private information.

    Violation found Personnel files of three housing authority employees · June 23, 2023

  • Withholding license plate numbers under section 7(1)(b)

    Rule: The Department failed to show that license plate numbers are private information attributable to individuals, so the exemption does not apply.

    Violation found Parking ticket data fields from 2015 to 2022 · March 2, 2023

  • Redaction of business phone numbers

    Rule: Phone numbers of businesses are not exempt under section 7(1)(b) because private information is limited to unique identifiers of persons.

    Violation found Police reports and complaints about an individual · May 25, 2023

  • Section 7(1)(b) private information redaction

    Rule: Names and dates of birth are not private information, but home addresses and signatures may be redacted under section 7(1)(b).

    Violation found Police use-of-force reports for 2017 · September 13, 2018

  • Redaction of business addresses and phone numbers under 7(1)(b)

    Rule: Business addresses and telephone numbers are not private information and cannot be redacted under section 7(1)(b).

    Violation found Police records of a past burglary investigation · April 17, 2018

  • Redaction of partial personal license plate number under 7(1)(b)

    Rule: A partial license plate number that cannot be attributed to any person is not private information and cannot be redacted.

    Violation found Police records of a past burglary investigation · April 17, 2018

  • Redaction of business addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses

    Rule: Business addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses are not private information because they do not uniquely identify individuals.

    Violation found Animal research protocol and medical records · July 14, 2015

No violation (23)

  • Withholding employee home zip codes as private information

    Rule: A municipal employee's zip code is a constituent part of a home address and is exempt private information when attributable to an individual.

    No violation Employee salary and zip code data · May 27, 2025

  • Redaction of personal contact information under section 7(1)(b)

    Rule: Personal phone numbers, personal email addresses, and home addresses are private information exempt from disclosure even when used for business purposes.

    No violation Records on business transfer verification and tobacco licensing · April 22, 2025

  • Withholding driver's home address, license number, and birth date

    Rule: Private information such as home address, driver's license number, and date of birth is exempt from disclosure under section 7(1)(b).

    No violation Crash report with driver's personal identifiers · March 27, 2025

  • Redaction of private information from police reports

    Rule: A public body may redact private information such as home addresses and personal telephone numbers under the private information exemption.

    No violation Police reports on child custody incidents · March 17, 2025

  • Redactions in police report under FOIA sections 7(1)(b) and 7(1)(c)

    Rule: Private information like unique identifiers is exempt, and disclosure of details of an investigation that did not result in arrest or charges would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

    No violation Police reports and body camera footage of an incident involving a minor · July 29, 2025

  • Redaction of private information from report and CAD notes

    Rule: Private information including driver's license numbers, personal telephone numbers, and home addresses is exempt from disclosure under section 7(1)(b).

    No violation Police incident reports, CAD notes, 911 audio, and body-camera footage of an arrest · April 10, 2025

  • Redaction of home address and phone number

    Rule: Home addresses and home or personal telephone numbers are private information exempt from disclosure under FOIA, even if the requester needs them for reimbursement.

    No violation A private citizen's contact details in a dog bite incident report · September 25, 2024

  • Redaction of private information under section 7(1)(b)

    Rule: A public body may redact private information, including home telephone numbers, home addresses, driver's license numbers, and dates of birth, under the section 7(1)(b) exemption.

    No violation A police report with redacted personal identifiers · May 1, 2024

  • Redaction of personal email addresses and cell phone numbers

    Rule: Personal email addresses and personal telephone numbers are private information under section 2(c-5) and may be redacted under section 7(1)(b).

    No violation Athletic department correspondence with an NIL group · November 22, 2024

  • Redaction of license plate from audio recording

    Rule: A license plate number is private information exempt from disclosure under section 7(1)(b), so redacting it does not violate FOIA.

    No violation Police dashcam and body-camera footage of a traffic stop · May 6, 2024

  • Redaction of landowner home addresses

    Rule: Home addresses of property owners may be redacted as private information under section 7(1)(b).

    No violation A drainage district's maintenance assessment rolls and collector's books · July 31, 2023

  • Redaction of private information under section 7(1)(b)

    Rule: Private information such as home addresses, phone numbers, signatures, employee IDs, and driver's license numbers is exempt from disclosure under section 7(1)(b).

    No violation Police call records for a residence · October 16, 2022

  • Medical records exempt under section 7(1)(b)

    Rule: Medical records are private information exempt from disclosure under section 7(1)(b), and no exception exists for de-identified medical records.

    No violation Disability claim evaluation records for SURS members · May 4, 2022

  • Employee identification numbers exempt as private information under 7(1)(b)

    Rule: Section 7(1)(b) exempts private information, which includes employee identification numbers.

    No violation Personnel records of police, fire, and water department employees · January 28, 2021

  • Redaction of private information under section 7(1)(b)

    Rule: Private information such as unique identifiers, home addresses, and personal phone numbers is exempt from disclosure and the exemption does not expire based on the age of the records or prior court use.

    No violation Investigative records and photos of a 1992 murder case · November 21, 2024

  • Permissible redaction of private information

    Rule: The City may redact unique identifiers that constitute private information.

    No violation Police incident report for case 2019-48357 · March 11, 2020

  • Redaction of personal phone numbers and home addresses

    Rule: Home addresses and personal phone numbers are private information and exempt from disclosure under section 7(1)(b).

    No violation Police reports and complaints about an individual · May 25, 2023

  • Redaction of personal telephone number

    Rule: A personal telephone number is exempt from disclosure under the personal privacy exemption.

    No violation A village's legal invoice redactions and copying fees · April 8, 2019

  • Redaction of private information under 7(1)(b)

    Rule: Employee identification numbers, home addresses, personal phone numbers, and CPD user identification numbers are private information and properly redacted.

    No violation Police records of a past burglary investigation · April 17, 2018

  • Private information redaction under section 7(1)(b)

    Rule: Social security numbers, driver's license numbers, home addresses, personal telephone numbers, and signatures are private information that may be redacted.

    No violation A transit district's bus driver personnel file · April 13, 2018

  • Withholding fingerprints and DNA as private information

    Rule: Fingerprints and DNA are biometric identifiers and thus exempt private information under section 2(c-5), so the Department properly withheld them.

    No violation A police department's fingerprints and DNA records · March 18, 2016

  • Permissible redactions of unique identifiers and dates of birth

    Rule: The City may redact unique identifiers as private information and dates of birth under FOIA section 7(1)(c).

    No violation Disciplinary records and citizen complaints for three police officers · February 11, 2016

  • Redaction of signatures and personal emergency contact numbers

    Rule: Signatures and personal emergency contact telephone numbers are private information exempt from disclosure.

    No violation Animal research protocol and medical records · July 14, 2015

No determination / resolved (3)

  • Redactions under section 7(1)(b) for private information

    Rule: The requester did not contest the redactions, so the Public Access Bureau did not decide their propriety.

    No determination / resolved Applications, scores, and evaluation notes for cultural districts program · November 22, 2024

  • Redaction of private information under 7(1)(b)

    Rule: The College must redact private information as defined in section 2(c-5) before disclosing the records.

    No determination / resolved Disciplinary reports from a community college · December 2, 2021

  • Permissible redaction of private information

    Rule: Private information such as personal telephone numbers, home addresses, and employee identification numbers may be redacted from otherwise responsive records.

    No determination / resolved An investigation of police officers · June 27, 2018

Other (2)

  • Redaction of private information under section 7(1)(b)

    Rule: The Department properly redacted unique identifiers like driver's license number, home address, and phone number, but improperly redacted witness statements not meeting the definition of private information.

    Other A police report of a DUI arrest and vehicle impoundment · August 21, 2024

  • Redaction of signatures under section 7(1)(b)

    Rule: Signatures are private information that may be redacted from otherwise disclosable records.

    Other Lease agreements for business or remodeling licenses · April 10, 2024