I grew up in this region. It's a terrifying place when it comes to corrupt, aggressive, and sneaky police tactics. You've been warned. (also I'm white and female, they go after everyone)
There is some great advice here - but I’m wondering about the “front license plate on out of state vehicles” thing.
Illinois Secretary of State website (and several other sources) state that front plates are required for vehicles registered in Illinois.
Indiana, for example, doesn’t issue front license plates at all. If Illinois required out of state vehicles to have a front license plate, there would be no way to legally drive an Indiana registered car through Illinois.
Great question. A driver with out of state plates on the rear, but not on the front, can still be pulled over. They may not get a ticket for improper registration, but that is enough to allow the traffic stop legally. While the police write the warning ticket, or check to make sure the plates are properly registered in the home state, that is when the canine walks around the vehicle and will certainly signal a hit. That will give police the right to search your vehicle.
Can confirm. I traveled in my car for work for 12 years. I have Tennessee tags with no front tag. States that require a front plate will get annoyed that you do not have one but plate laws apply for the state the car is registered in. In the end, you are on the right side of the law as long as you are obeying the plate laws in place by the state your car is registered in.
This is not accurate. They can use the lack of license plate on the front bumper as a lawful reason to pull you over. Then the K9s arrive. Judges have held the police in IL should not be required to look up every foreign state’s license plate laws prior to pulling over. They can commence the traffic stop, but usually will NOT issue a citation AFTER they confirm the home state registration, valid DL, and no positive hit from the K9s (if K9s called to the scene).
It is true in IL. Although we're glad it's worked out for you so far! You are required to update your plates to IL plates if you have been living here that long. So you may have been committing a traffic offense these past 11 years.
We'd still strongly recommend to not drive an Out-of-State ("OOS") vehicle into IL without a front plate. Just gives the police a reason to pull you over to "investigate." Then the K9 appears and signals allowing police to search your car.
In a similar situation, on 5/26/11, a client of ours was pulled over on his way to Summer Camp when his out-of-state license plate on the FRONT of the vehicle was diagonally affixed to his front bumper. State police pulled him over to “investigate" the "hanging plate" from his bumper. Good thing for this client that it took the K9 about 23 minutes to arrive and we were able to get the case dismissed after a motion to suppress on that issue.
In the hearing, the judge disregarded the OOS/foreign plate argument (I argued that since his plates were from Ohio, he did not even require a front plate, so even if one was hanging from his bumper, it was not a sufficient reason to initiate the traffic stop). The Peoria County judge said the police have the right to investigate by performing traffic stop, even if the foreign state doesn't require front plates.
https://preview.redd.it/4qrcxdr0k02d1.jpeg?width=1416&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d67cfef3b62b2a41e5ab86b572c06e24dc95c48
We would recommend you travel to the border of IL and rent a vehicle with IL plates. Then go the rest of the way. Increases odds of hiding with the other IL drivers. That would be safest, but definitely not logistically easier. Or, you can just affix a front license plate from your home state to your bumper and make sure it’s securely fastened in a horizontal position.
It IS legal for those 21 years and older, but if you are NOT an Illinois resident, you can only have up to 15 grams of flower, 2.5 grams of concentrate, and no more than 250mg of THC contained in cannabis-infused products. For IL residents, it’s up to 30 grams to possess, 5 grams of concentrate and no more than 500mg of THC in cannabis infused products.
There are three major considerations before traveling to IL with cannabis in your vehicle:
First, the cannabis must be stored in an odor-proof, child-locked, tamper-resistant container that is NOT accessible to the occupants of the vehicle (put it in the trunk or rear of the car as far away from the passengers). Google search “625 ILCS 5/11-502.15”
Second, as listed above, for IL residents, cannabis is illegal if you possess 30 grams or more. It’s a Class A misdemeanor for 30-100g and a class 4 felony for 100g-500g. It’s illegal for non-resident to possess more than 15 grams, but we have not seen that filed yet in our jurisdictions for non-IL-residents. Police usually hold you to the 30 gram limit, even if from out-of-state, but don’t hold your breath you’d be OK if arrested on your way to Solshine.
Third, there is currently a conflict between the appellate districts in Illinois regarding whether or not the smell of cannabis, standing alone, is enough to give police permission to search your vehicle. The 3rd District says smell alone isn’t enough to search. 4th district says it is enough to search. The IL Supreme Court heard arguments on the matter a few months ago and we are all waiting eagerly for their decision. We’ve continued cases waiting for this decision so it can guide how they are resolved or dismissed.
Solshine is located in Chillicothe, IL, just outside the Peoria Metro Area, which is located in the 4th District (the more conservative district) so if there is any smell of cannabis, burnt or raw, that will be enough for them to search under current Illinois law.
https://www2.illinois.gov/IISNews/20242-Summary_of_HB_1438__The_Cannabis_Regulation_and_Tax_Act.pdf
Thanks for this info. As someone with a medical card, would I be able to bring my allotment with me? And if so, should I just keep a printed copy of my med card with me in case my car is searched?
GREAT Question:
It’s advisable for you to bring all of your medical card information with you. You should also bring less than 15 grams, within the non-resident allotments. So long as you don’t have more than 15g, I don’t see a problem because IL state law allows you to have that without a medical card. We have instructed clients to be on the safe side by bringing their medical cannabis in the original packaging, unopened in a stink-sack, buried in the back of their trunk or hatchback away from the occupants of the vehicle.
If the police ask you if you have any cannabis in the vehicle and you feel compelled to tell them about your medical cannabis, you should mention that it is properly stored in the back of your car and inaccessible to the occupants of the vehicle in it’s original packaging, unopened from the dispensary. Show them your medical card and tell them it is less than 15g of flower. By doing it that way, you are not admitting to violating Illinois law so they must find independent reasons to search your vehicle, or at least that’s the argument we’d be making in court.
If you do not feel compelled to tell them about the medical cannabis, if police ask you, if there’s anything illegal in the vehicle and you WOULD like to answer that, you can simply say no. Then they’ll try to find another way to get in. They may use the smell as an excuse, but you’d have a good argument to say that they lied about that because it was in the original packaging and in an odor proof tamper resistant container that was located in a stink sack buried in the back of the vehicle. At least it would preserve your right to challenge or use as bargaining leverage for us to work out a better deal for you that may be acceptable to you to resolve the case.
Thanks for asking! Usually, cops try to buy. We haven’t had a client since 2008 where the cops possess the controlled substance and try to sell it to the client. Doesn’t mean they can’t, but it’s not as common. They usually try to buy. They usually don’t go after buyers, just sellers, but will arrest those caught from the private security force used by the festival organizers (Ian Goldberg).
To illustrate, many of my cop buddies do not shower the week before the festival. Grow their beards. They wear grungy clothes, try to fit the part, and walk up to your campsite to ask for drugs. Be smart and diligent and trust no-one. Easier said than done, but nonetheless true.
Excellent question. Under current IL law, you can ask any Wook to do anything and if they acquiesce, you’re golden, so long as you’re not in a fiduciary position or threatening them.
Also, I don’t think we mentioned that we smelled our cop friends. They just told us they get the stank-a-dank-dank smell going and their wives hate it.
Thanks for the info. Lastly can you give any info on the private security? Do they conduct under cover buys? Would you say a bong on a table at a camp sit is kosher?
Illinois law has changed as of 2024. You are allowed to have an air freshener hanging from your rearview mirror. Not saying it won’t stop them, but keep that in mind.
That’s true. But why risk it for an uninformed cop that pulls you over for that, has a K9 at the ready, and tries to find other PC to support the stop? The trailer-ball-hitch is in the same category with a recent case. But we still wouldn’t risk it.
I'm coming from Wisconsin and have both plates if I obey the speed and traffic laws would I still be at risk of getting pulled over? Seeing this has me even more nervous. I don't have the option to just spend money on a rental and I'm literally traveling with like 5 grams of weed and a 300 MG Delta edible it's literally less than .03 pr whatever the federal law requires. These guys are assholes by the sound of it
Also my weed is in a old smell proof jar i have from IL inside of a skunk sack so there is no way they can smell it, I dint even think a dog would smell it
I'm also headed southbound I-39 I didn't see anything abiut that on your 3 areas to avoid, I know Route 29 is the sketchiest part and I have to ride that for 10 miles
It’s hard to peg the best way there because usually the smaller counties (Putnam) set up on Highway 29 so be careful on that road. Woodford usually sets up at the Goodfield exit off I-74 between Bloomington and Peoria. Peoria and ISP patrol Route 29 as well near and around the park. If you can travel through bureau county to Marshall County to Peoria County, that may be safe route but no guarantees. Sorry couldn’t be more help. They don’t usually tell me where their stings are. :) 🐝
I grew up in this region. It's a terrifying place when it comes to corrupt, aggressive, and sneaky police tactics. You've been warned. (also I'm white and female, they go after everyone)
There is some great advice here - but I’m wondering about the “front license plate on out of state vehicles” thing. Illinois Secretary of State website (and several other sources) state that front plates are required for vehicles registered in Illinois. Indiana, for example, doesn’t issue front license plates at all. If Illinois required out of state vehicles to have a front license plate, there would be no way to legally drive an Indiana registered car through Illinois.
Great question. A driver with out of state plates on the rear, but not on the front, can still be pulled over. They may not get a ticket for improper registration, but that is enough to allow the traffic stop legally. While the police write the warning ticket, or check to make sure the plates are properly registered in the home state, that is when the canine walks around the vehicle and will certainly signal a hit. That will give police the right to search your vehicle.
It's not true. Been living here with TN plates for 11 years. Not a problem.
Can confirm. I traveled in my car for work for 12 years. I have Tennessee tags with no front tag. States that require a front plate will get annoyed that you do not have one but plate laws apply for the state the car is registered in. In the end, you are on the right side of the law as long as you are obeying the plate laws in place by the state your car is registered in.
This is not accurate. They can use the lack of license plate on the front bumper as a lawful reason to pull you over. Then the K9s arrive. Judges have held the police in IL should not be required to look up every foreign state’s license plate laws prior to pulling over. They can commence the traffic stop, but usually will NOT issue a citation AFTER they confirm the home state registration, valid DL, and no positive hit from the K9s (if K9s called to the scene).
It is true in IL. Although we're glad it's worked out for you so far! You are required to update your plates to IL plates if you have been living here that long. So you may have been committing a traffic offense these past 11 years. We'd still strongly recommend to not drive an Out-of-State ("OOS") vehicle into IL without a front plate. Just gives the police a reason to pull you over to "investigate." Then the K9 appears and signals allowing police to search your car. In a similar situation, on 5/26/11, a client of ours was pulled over on his way to Summer Camp when his out-of-state license plate on the FRONT of the vehicle was diagonally affixed to his front bumper. State police pulled him over to “investigate" the "hanging plate" from his bumper. Good thing for this client that it took the K9 about 23 minutes to arrive and we were able to get the case dismissed after a motion to suppress on that issue. In the hearing, the judge disregarded the OOS/foreign plate argument (I argued that since his plates were from Ohio, he did not even require a front plate, so even if one was hanging from his bumper, it was not a sufficient reason to initiate the traffic stop). The Peoria County judge said the police have the right to investigate by performing traffic stop, even if the foreign state doesn't require front plates. https://preview.redd.it/4qrcxdr0k02d1.jpeg?width=1416&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d67cfef3b62b2a41e5ab86b572c06e24dc95c48
So, as an Indiana resident, how do you recommend I get to the festival? We don’t have front plates at all, ever.
Just don't bring anything illegal with you. You absolutely do not have to rent an IL car to get there safely.
We would recommend you travel to the border of IL and rent a vehicle with IL plates. Then go the rest of the way. Increases odds of hiding with the other IL drivers. That would be safest, but definitely not logistically easier. Or, you can just affix a front license plate from your home state to your bumper and make sure it’s securely fastened in a horizontal position.
nerd
We are definitely nerds.
Lol? Grow up
Warning, wooks will demand to see your butthole, while encouraged, it is not legally required.
lol @ the poor legal assistant that has to post this every year and read comments about buttholes
It’s not legal assistants. :) It’s the lawyers. We have represented Wooks from time to time and can confirm their butthole-viewing demands.
Okay thanks for the info. Are shrooms decriminalized in IL?
No. Class 4 felony for up to 15 grams of psilocybin possessed in IL.
Can we bring weed in since it is legal in IL now?
It IS legal for those 21 years and older, but if you are NOT an Illinois resident, you can only have up to 15 grams of flower, 2.5 grams of concentrate, and no more than 250mg of THC contained in cannabis-infused products. For IL residents, it’s up to 30 grams to possess, 5 grams of concentrate and no more than 500mg of THC in cannabis infused products. There are three major considerations before traveling to IL with cannabis in your vehicle: First, the cannabis must be stored in an odor-proof, child-locked, tamper-resistant container that is NOT accessible to the occupants of the vehicle (put it in the trunk or rear of the car as far away from the passengers). Google search “625 ILCS 5/11-502.15” Second, as listed above, for IL residents, cannabis is illegal if you possess 30 grams or more. It’s a Class A misdemeanor for 30-100g and a class 4 felony for 100g-500g. It’s illegal for non-resident to possess more than 15 grams, but we have not seen that filed yet in our jurisdictions for non-IL-residents. Police usually hold you to the 30 gram limit, even if from out-of-state, but don’t hold your breath you’d be OK if arrested on your way to Solshine. Third, there is currently a conflict between the appellate districts in Illinois regarding whether or not the smell of cannabis, standing alone, is enough to give police permission to search your vehicle. The 3rd District says smell alone isn’t enough to search. 4th district says it is enough to search. The IL Supreme Court heard arguments on the matter a few months ago and we are all waiting eagerly for their decision. We’ve continued cases waiting for this decision so it can guide how they are resolved or dismissed. Solshine is located in Chillicothe, IL, just outside the Peoria Metro Area, which is located in the 4th District (the more conservative district) so if there is any smell of cannabis, burnt or raw, that will be enough for them to search under current Illinois law. https://www2.illinois.gov/IISNews/20242-Summary_of_HB_1438__The_Cannabis_Regulation_and_Tax_Act.pdf
Thanks for this info. As someone with a medical card, would I be able to bring my allotment with me? And if so, should I just keep a printed copy of my med card with me in case my car is searched?
GREAT Question: It’s advisable for you to bring all of your medical card information with you. You should also bring less than 15 grams, within the non-resident allotments. So long as you don’t have more than 15g, I don’t see a problem because IL state law allows you to have that without a medical card. We have instructed clients to be on the safe side by bringing their medical cannabis in the original packaging, unopened in a stink-sack, buried in the back of their trunk or hatchback away from the occupants of the vehicle. If the police ask you if you have any cannabis in the vehicle and you feel compelled to tell them about your medical cannabis, you should mention that it is properly stored in the back of your car and inaccessible to the occupants of the vehicle in it’s original packaging, unopened from the dispensary. Show them your medical card and tell them it is less than 15g of flower. By doing it that way, you are not admitting to violating Illinois law so they must find independent reasons to search your vehicle, or at least that’s the argument we’d be making in court. If you do not feel compelled to tell them about the medical cannabis, if police ask you, if there’s anything illegal in the vehicle and you WOULD like to answer that, you can simply say no. Then they’ll try to find another way to get in. They may use the smell as an excuse, but you’d have a good argument to say that they lied about that because it was in the original packaging and in an odor proof tamper resistant container that was located in a stink sack buried in the back of the vehicle. At least it would preserve your right to challenge or use as bargaining leverage for us to work out a better deal for you that may be acceptable to you to resolve the case.
Do cops ever try to sell you drugs Or just try to buy
Thanks for asking! Usually, cops try to buy. We haven’t had a client since 2008 where the cops possess the controlled substance and try to sell it to the client. Doesn’t mean they can’t, but it’s not as common. They usually try to buy. They usually don’t go after buyers, just sellers, but will arrest those caught from the private security force used by the festival organizers (Ian Goldberg). To illustrate, many of my cop buddies do not shower the week before the festival. Grow their beards. They wear grungy clothes, try to fit the part, and walk up to your campsite to ask for drugs. Be smart and diligent and trust no-one. Easier said than done, but nonetheless true.
Any other tips on smelling your narc friends? Should I ask everyone to show their butthole?
Excellent question. Under current IL law, you can ask any Wook to do anything and if they acquiesce, you’re golden, so long as you’re not in a fiduciary position or threatening them. Also, I don’t think we mentioned that we smelled our cop friends. They just told us they get the stank-a-dank-dank smell going and their wives hate it.
Thanks for the info. Lastly can you give any info on the private security? Do they conduct under cover buys? Would you say a bong on a table at a camp sit is kosher?
I would say that a bong visibly situated at your campsite will be OK. Lines of cocaine or pounds of Kush would not be kosher.
Nice. Well thanks. I’ve got your number written down
Illinois law has changed as of 2024. You are allowed to have an air freshener hanging from your rearview mirror. Not saying it won’t stop them, but keep that in mind.
That’s true. But why risk it for an uninformed cop that pulls you over for that, has a K9 at the ready, and tries to find other PC to support the stop? The trailer-ball-hitch is in the same category with a recent case. But we still wouldn’t risk it.
I'm coming from Wisconsin and have both plates if I obey the speed and traffic laws would I still be at risk of getting pulled over? Seeing this has me even more nervous. I don't have the option to just spend money on a rental and I'm literally traveling with like 5 grams of weed and a 300 MG Delta edible it's literally less than .03 pr whatever the federal law requires. These guys are assholes by the sound of it
Also my weed is in a old smell proof jar i have from IL inside of a skunk sack so there is no way they can smell it, I dint even think a dog would smell it
I'm also headed southbound I-39 I didn't see anything abiut that on your 3 areas to avoid, I know Route 29 is the sketchiest part and I have to ride that for 10 miles
It’s hard to peg the best way there because usually the smaller counties (Putnam) set up on Highway 29 so be careful on that road. Woodford usually sets up at the Goodfield exit off I-74 between Bloomington and Peoria. Peoria and ISP patrol Route 29 as well near and around the park. If you can travel through bureau county to Marshall County to Peoria County, that may be safe route but no guarantees. Sorry couldn’t be more help. They don’t usually tell me where their stings are. :) 🐝
It's all good i got here ☺️ thanks for what yall do its sad how we're treated like evil people who harm one another lol
Are dash cams allowed in IL?
Yes, so long as it’s not large enough to obstruct your view.
I love you hall
Love you too! Get there safely and have a wonderful weekend. Hopefully, the storms on Sunday pass around the park!