(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Body Armor" means any one of the following:
(i) A military style flak or tactical assault vest which is made of Kevlar or any other similar material or metal, fiberglass, plastic, or nylon plates and designed to be worn over one's clothing for the intended purpose of stopping not only missile fragmentation from mines, grenades, mortar shells and artillery fire but also fire from rifles, machine guns, and small arms.
(ii) Soft body armor which is made of Kevlar or any other similar material or metal or any other type of insert and which is lightweight and pliable and which can be easily concealed under a shirt.
(iii) A military style recon/surveillance vest which is made of Kevlar or any other similar material and which is lightweight and designed to be worn over one's clothing.
(iv) Protective casual clothing which is made of Kevlar or any other similar material and which was originally intended to be used by undercover law enforcement officers or dignitaries and is designed to look like jackets, coats, raincoats, quilted or three piece suit vests.
(v) Body armor does not include non-ballistic protective clothing or protective gear lined with Kevlar that are manufactured, advertised, and sold as motorcycle protective clothing.
(2) "Emergency Responder" means any police officer, firefighter, paramedic, or emergency medical technician employed by, or performing their official duties within, the City of Chicago.
(3) "News Media" means any newspaper or other periodical issued at regular intervals whether in print or electronic format and having a general circulation; a news service whether in print of electronic format*; a radio station; a television station; a television network; a community antenna television service; and any person or corporation engaged in making news reels or other motion picture news for public showing.
* Editor’s note – So in original; should likely read "whether in print or electronic format".
(b) No person shall sell, offer for sale, possess, or purchase body armor.
(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to sales to, or purchase or possession by:
(1) active or retired peace officers;
(2) retired police officers;
(3) members of the United States armed forces, emergency responders, or licensed security officers;
(4) employees of the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, federal government, or other unit of local government when such employees are on duty and acting in their official capacities;
(5) employees of the news media when such employees are on duty and acting in their official capacities;
(6) persons authorized and permitted to acquire body armor for use solely as props for a motion picture, television, or video production entertainment.
(d) Any person who violates this section shall be subject to a fine of not less than $500.00 and not more than $1,000.00.
(e) Violations of this section by a licensee shall be grounds for revocation or suspension of such license. For purposes of this section, "license" includes any and all licenses issued by any officer, department or agency of the City of Chicago required for retail or other business operations at the location at which the offense occurred, and includes but is not limited to retail licenses. For purposes of this section, each sold item equals one violation.
(f) Severability. If any section, subsection, paragraph, or part of this ordinance is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid by any final court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity or effectiveness of the remaining portions of this ordinance.
(Added Coun. J. 3-28-18, p. 73481, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 4-18-18, p. 75059, § 2)