Illinois House Passes Junk Fee Ban to Protect Consumers From Hidden Charges

The price you see should be the price you pay. That simple promise is now law in Illinois after the state House passed a ban on hidden junk fees that have long frustrated consumers across the state.

House Bill 228 clears the House on a 77-18 vote and moves to the Senate. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Highland Park, amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make it a violation for businesses to not display all mandatory fees and charges they add to listed prices.

The bill targets the unexpected add-on charges that consumers encounter when booking hotel rooms, purchasing tickets online, or ordering food delivery. Morgan told lawmakers during floor debate that these deceptive fees are costing the average Illinois family $3,000 a year.

Whether it is the unexpected add-on charges when booking a hotel room or house rental, purchasing tickets online, or ordering food delivery, you have already paid hidden fees, Morgan said. You have already paid junk fees. These deceptive fees are costing the average Illinois family $3,000 a year.

The Illinois House approved a junk fee ban in 2024 but it never made it to a Senate vote. This bill moves forward after Gov. JB Pritzker explicitly called on lawmakers to get the issue across the finish line in his State of the State address. Pritzker argued that junk fees quietly nickel-and-dime Illinois families out of thousands of dollars per year.

Morgan said the bill was similar to the one that passed a couple years ago, but ambiguous language was tightened up to make it easier for businesses to comply and the Illinois Attorney General office to enforce.

This bill delivers on a promise that is quite simple, Morgan told lawmakers during floor debate. The price that you see should be the price that you pay.

However, the changes were not enough to remove opposition from the state top business, banking and hospitality organizations. Rep. Tom Weber, R-Fox Lake, who voted against the bill, said the underlying idea was good but the legislation went a step too far on the already overburdened businesses in the state.

Nine Republicans joined the supermajority Democrats in supporting the amended bill. The bill now moves to the Illinois Senate where it will face further consideration.

The bill requires businesses to clearly display the full price of products or services upfront. This includes all mandatory fees and charges that are added on top of a base price.

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Related Bills Passed

The House approved 81 bills Thursday, bringing the week total to 133. Along with the junk fee ban, lawmakers passed several consumer protection measures:

• House Bill 4592 requires stores with physical locations to accept cash for transactions under $500. The bill would take effect in 2028.

• House Bill 45 would require retailers to provide digital promotions or coupons to eligible customers. The bill passed unanimously.

• House Bill 5093 removes a requirement that students who attended Illinois high school could only receive in-state tuition at Illinois universities if they did not establish residency outside the state before enrolling. Students who attend at least two years of high school in Illinois could receive in-state tuition regardless of whether they moved out of state before going to college. The bill passed on a partisan 71-37 vote.

• House Bill 5302 would require the Illinois Department of Corrections to provide opioid antagonists like Narcan to incarcerated persons who were charged for a drug-related offense or have a substance abuse disorder upon their release.