A Class 2 felony in Illinois is punishable by 3 to 7 years in prison, up to 14 years if the case qualifies for an extended term, a fine of up to $25,000, and a mandatory 2-year term of supervised release after prison. Common charges at this level include burglary, certain drug delivery offenses, a third DUI, and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm. A conviction also brings consequences that outlast the sentence: a permanent federal ban on possessing firearms, and lasting effects on employment, housing, and immigration status.
What Counts as a Class 2 Felony
Whether an offense is a Class 2 felony depends on the specific statute that defines it. Some crimes are always Class 2. Others start as lower-level offenses and get elevated because of aggravating facts like a prior record, the victim’s identity, or the use of a weapon.
The offenses that land here most often:
Burglary
Entering a building without permission and with the intent to commit a theft or another felony inside is a Class 2 felony. The crime is complete the moment someone enters with that intent — nobody has to be home, and nothing has to be taken.1Illinois General Assembly. 720 ILCS 5/19-1 – Burglary Entering a vehicle or watercraft with the same intent is also burglary, though it may be charged at a lower class unless the person caused damage.
Drug Delivery and Manufacturing
Delivering or manufacturing certain controlled substances is a Class 2 felony when the amounts fall within a defined range. This includes relatively small quantities of narcotics like heroin and cocaine, along with substances containing amphetamine or fentanyl. The fine ceiling for these drug offenses can reach $200,000 rather than the usual $25,000. Possessing controlled substances near a school, church, or public park can also elevate a lower-class drug charge to Class 2.
Third-Offense DUI
A third DUI conviction in Illinois is automatically a Class 2 felony. So is a DUI that causes someone’s death, which carries a mandatory minimum of 3 years and can reach 14. A fourth DUI is also Class 2, and probation is explicitly unavailable for that offense.2Illinois General Assembly. 625 ILCS 5/11-501 – Driving Under the Influence
Aggravated Battery
Battery escalates to aggravated battery at the Class 2 level when it causes great bodily harm or permanent disfigurement. Targeting certain victims, such as law enforcement officers, teachers, or elderly individuals, can also push a battery charge into this category.
Other Offenses
Identity theft is a Class 2 felony when the value of the credit, money, or property obtained is more than $2,000 and less than $10,000. Arson, some weapons charges, and certain forms of robbery can also fall here depending on the circumstances.
The Prison Sentence
The standard prison term is 3 to 7 years.3Illinois General Assembly. 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-35 – Class 2 Felonies; Sentence Within that range, the judge weighs the severity of the offense, the defendant’s background, and any mitigating circumstances at sentencing.
When aggravating factors are present, the court can impose an extended term of 7 to 14 years.3Illinois General Assembly. 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-35 – Class 2 Felonies; Sentence Extended-term eligibility is governed by a separate provision of the Unified Code of Corrections, and the factors that trigger it must be established under specific procedural requirements.4Illinois General Assembly. 730 ILCS 5/5-8-2 – Extended Term A prior felony conviction is the most common basis prosecutors cite.
Firearm involvement pushes sentences higher still. Illinois adds mandatory prison time on top of the base sentence when a defendant personally carries, discharges, or injures someone with a firearm during a felony. These add-ons can reach 15, 20, or 25 additional years depending on what happened with the gun.
How Much Time You Actually Serve
Illinois abolished traditional parole for offenses committed after February 1, 1978. Release now depends on sentence credit rather than a parole board decision.
For most Class 2 felonies, a prisoner earns one day of credit for each day served. That works out to serving roughly half of the pronounced sentence before release.5Illinois General Assembly. 730 ILCS 5/3-6-3 – Rules and Regulations for Sentence Credit A 6-year sentence typically means about 3 years in custody followed by 2 years of supervised release.
Truth-in-sentencing rules cut available credit to 4.5 days per month for certain violent offenses, meaning the person serves about 85% of the sentence. The statute specifically lists which crimes qualify, including aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated battery with a firearm, and aggravated kidnapping.5Illinois General Assembly. 730 ILCS 5/3-6-3 – Rules and Regulations for Sentence Credit Many common Class 2 felonies, such as burglary and drug delivery, are not on that list and qualify for day-for-day credit.
Mandatory Supervised Release
Every person released from prison on a Class 2 felony serves a 2-year term of mandatory supervised release (MSR).3Illinois General Assembly. 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-35 – Class 2 Felonies; Sentence MSR is not optional and it is not earned. It is the replacement for parole, and it runs after the prison term ends.
The Illinois Prisoner Review Board sets the conditions and handles alleged violations.6Illinois Prisoner Review Board. Welcome to the Prisoner Review Board Typical conditions include reporting to a supervising officer, holding a job, submitting to drug testing, and avoiding contact with victims. Violating them can send you back to prison.
Fines and Restitution
The maximum fine is $25,000 per offense, with a $75 minimum. Corporate defendants can be fined up to $50,000.7Illinois General Assembly. 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-50 – Sentence Provisions; All Felonies Certain offenses set their own ceilings; drug delivery convictions can carry fines up to $200,000.
Fines can be imposed on top of prison, probation, or conditional discharge. Courts can also order restitution to compensate victims for actual financial losses like medical expenses and property damage. Ability to pay affects the payment schedule but does not automatically eliminate the obligation.
When Probation Is Available
Probation is on the table for many Class 2 felonies. The probation period can run up to 4 years, with conditions set by the court that may include regular check-ins with a probation officer, community service, drug testing, and treatment programs.3Illinois General Assembly. 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-35 – Class 2 Felonies; Sentence
Some Class 2 offenses cannot be resolved with probation. Illinois law bars it for a fourth DUI and for certain repeat felony sex or firearm offenses where the defendant has a prior Class 2 or higher felony conviction within the last 10 years.8Illinois General Assembly. 730 ILCS 5/5-5-3 – Disposition When a statute forbids probation, the judge has no discretion to grant it.
Conditional discharge is a related option with the same maximum length but less active supervision. Violating its conditions can result in resentencing to prison within the original range.
Collateral Consequences That Outlast the Sentence
The penalties at sentencing are only part of the picture. A Class 2 conviction triggers restrictions that follow you long after the sentence ends.
Firearms
Federal law permanently prohibits anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from possessing a firearm or ammunition.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Every Class 2 felony exceeds that threshold. The ban applies nationwide, does not expire, and violating it is itself a separate federal felony.
Voting
Illinois restores voting rights automatically once you are out of the custody of the Department of Corrections. No pardon or court order is needed, but you have to re-register. You can vote while on MSR, probation, or parole.
Employment
Employers run background checks, and a felony conviction closes doors. EEOC guidance advises that blanket exclusions of applicants with criminal records may violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act when they disproportionately affect protected groups, and that employers should weigh the nature of the offense, the time elapsed, and its relevance to the job.10U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Even so, certain licensed professions in Illinois are effectively closed to people with felony convictions.
Housing
Private landlords cannot impose blanket bans on renting to anyone with a criminal history. HUD guidance treats those policies as potential fair housing violations when they disproportionately exclude protected classes, and landlords are expected to evaluate applicants individually. Public housing has stricter categorical bars: convictions for manufacturing methamphetamine on federally assisted property, or offenses requiring lifetime sex offender registration, cause permanent disqualification.
Immigration
For non-citizens, a Class 2 felony can be devastating. Many of these offenses qualify as aggravated felonies or crimes involving moral turpitude under federal immigration law, making the person deportable and potentially barring future admission to the United States. A burglary conviction with a sentence of one year or more meets the aggravated felony threshold. Drug convictions carry their own independent ground of deportability. Certain convictions also trigger mandatory ICE detention with no bond hearing during removal proceedings. Anyone who is not a U.S. citizen should consult an immigration attorney alongside their criminal defense lawyer; the immigration consequences can be worse than the criminal sentence.
Sealing the Record Later
Illinois does not allow expungement of felony convictions unless the conviction has been reversed, vacated, or the governor grants a pardon approved by the Prisoner Review Board. Most people with a Class 2 felony conviction will not qualify.
Sealing is more accessible. Most felony convictions can be sealed 3 years after the end of the last sentence, including any period of MSR or probation. Sealing hides the record from most public background checks, though law enforcement and certain employers can still see it.
Some offenses cannot be sealed at all, including DUI, domestic battery, sex offenses, and any conviction requiring registration on the sex offender, arsonist, or violent offender registries. Drug felony convictions can be sealed, but a negative drug test taken within 30 days of filing the petition is required. Earning a GED, associate’s degree, vocational certification, or bachelor’s degree during your sentence or supervised release may open the door to early sealing without waiting the full 3 years.