7(1)(k)

FOIA

Architectural/engineering security-sensitive construction documents

Read the full statute text on /statutes →

Jump to the 3 issues decided under this provision, with a drafting brief ↓

5 upheld (no violation found) · 0 rejected (violation found) · 1 closed / insufficient info / other, out of 6 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)(k)

Section 7(1)(k) of FOIA exempts construction-related technical documents such as engineering submissions, facility plans, blueprints and building plans. The decisions address records submitted to local governments or held by public bodies that detail the design, layout or technical specifications of buildings and infrastructure, where release could raise security concerns.

In these decisions, the Public Access Counselor consistently found no violation where public bodies withheld such requested records in full after review of the requests and records. That included engineers’ technical submissions for a private solar project submitted to a county land use department, detailed facility plans held by a water reclamation district, blueprints for a privately funded condominium building, and building plans for privately funded commercial warehouses.

At a glance: 6 documents from 2025(2 binding opinions, 4 determination letters). Most often cited alongside: 7(1)(a) (Confidential under other federal or State law) (1); 7(1)(c) (Personal privacy) (1); 7(1)(d) (Law-enforcement/administrative-proceeding records) (1); 7(1)(f) (Preliminary drafts, notes, and deliberative materials) (1); 7(1)(g) (Trade secrets and confidential commercial/financial information) (1).

Recurring issues

Requesters sought engineers’ technical submissions included in a private solar developer’s application to a county land use department. (Construction documents for a solar facility permit)
Requesters sought detailed technical facility plans held by a water reclamation district with infrastructure security implications. (Engineering plans for water reclamation facilities)
Requesters sought blueprints for a privately funded condominium building held by a village. (Blueprints for condominium units)
Requesters sought building plans and permit records for privately funded commercial warehouse projects. (Building permits and inspection records for commercial structures)

Practical points

A public body may withhold qualifying engineering submissions, facility plans, blueprints, or building plans in their entirety under section 7(1)(k).
A requester seeking technical construction documents for a privately funded project should expect that the public body may withhold them as construction-related technical documents.

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

All 6 documents citing 7(1)(k)

Issues decided under 7(1)(k)

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.

3 issues across 3 determination letters:3 no violation.

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

Southern Illinoisan v. Illinois Department of Public Health, 218 Ill. 2d 390, 844 N.E.2d 1 (2006) cited 1 times

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-k.json.

TOPIC: 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(k) - Architectural/engineering security-sensitive construction documents
SOURCE: Illinois Attorney General Public Access Bureau decisions compiled at https://illinoisfoia.org/exemptions/7-1-k/
NOTE: Determination letters are not binding precedent; they show how the Bureau applies the law. Verify every decision against the source PDF before citing it.

NO VIOLATION (3):
- Denial of building plans under FOIA section 7(1)(k) for privately funded projects
  Rule: Section 7(1)(k) exempts building plans for projects constructed entirely with private funds, regardless of whether disclosure would compromise security.
  Decision: Building permits and inspection records for commercial structures (non-binding determination letter, May 19, 2022) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-69505/
- Withholding blueprints under section 7(1)(k) private funds exemption
  Rule: Section 7(1)(k) exempts construction-related technical documents for projects paid for entirely with private funds, so the Village properly withheld the blueprints.
  Decision: Blueprints for condominium units (non-binding determination letter, December 18, 2015) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-38780/
- Withholding mechanical drawings of Division M under section 7(1)(k)
  Rule: Technical construction documents for public facilities are exempt from disclosure only to the extent that disclosure would compromise security.
  Decision: Engineering plans for water reclamation facilities (non-binding determination letter, March 4, 2016) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-34937/

MOST-CITED AUTHORITIES: Southern Illinoisan v. Illinois Department of Public Health, 218 Ill. 2d 390, 844 N.E.2d 1 (2006)

TASK FOR THE ASSISTANT: Using only the decisions above, help draft a letter. Argue from the rule and cite the decision by name and date. Do not invent decisions.

No violation (3)

Denial of building plans under FOIA section 7(1)(k) for privately funded projects
Rule: Section 7(1)(k) exempts building plans for projects constructed entirely with private funds, regardless of whether disclosure would compromise security.
No violation Building permits and inspection records for commercial structures · May 19, 2022
Withholding blueprints under section 7(1)(k) private funds exemption
Rule: Section 7(1)(k) exempts construction-related technical documents for projects paid for entirely with private funds, so the Village properly withheld the blueprints.
No violation Blueprints for condominium units · December 18, 2015
Withholding mechanical drawings of Division M under section 7(1)(k)
Rule: Technical construction documents for public facilities are exempt from disclosure only to the extent that disclosure would compromise security.
No violation Engineering plans for water reclamation facilities · March 4, 2016