Gun Laws in Illinois
Gun Friendliness Score
How We Calculate Gun Friendliness Scores
The Gun Friendliness Score ranges from 0 to 100 and represents how favorable a state's laws are toward gun ownership and use. We evaluate each state across 50 key gun policies, assigning points based on how these policies affect gun owners:
- Policies that support gun rights, reduce restrictions, or expand legal protections for gun owners receive positive points
- Policies that restrict firearm ownership, limit purchase options, or add regulatory burdens receive negative points
Illinois's low score of 16 reflects the state's extensive restrictions on firearms including FOID card requirements, assault weapons bans in many jurisdictions, waiting periods, and significant limitations on concealed carry.
Illinois Gun Laws Summary
Illinois has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the United States. The state requires permits for both firearm ownership and concealed carry, imposes waiting periods, and has numerous restrictions on types of firearms and where they can be carried.
Illinois is a shall-issue state for concealed carry licenses, though the application process is rigorous. The Illinois State Police handles permit issuance, and applicants must complete extensive training, pass background checks, and pay substantial fees. Local law enforcement can object to applications, potentially complicating the process for some applicants.
Since July 9, 2013, Illinois has allowed concealed carry when the legislature passed the Firearm Concealed Carry Act after being forced to create a concealed carry system by a federal court ruling (Moore v. Madigan). Prior to this ruling, Illinois was the last state to have a complete ban on carrying concealed weapons. Illinois does not recognize permits from any other states except for non-resident permits that it issues to individuals from specific states.
Permitting, Sales and Transfers
Illinois requires a Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card for anyone who purchases or possesses firearms or ammunition. Background checks are required for all firearm sales, including private transfers. There is a 72-hour waiting period for all firearm purchases.
Private sales between individuals must verify the buyer's FOID card and keep records of the transaction. Since 2021, private sales must also be processed through a licensed firearms dealer who runs a background check, though there are exceptions for transfers between immediate family members.
Firearms in Public and in the Home
Illinois requires a Concealed Carry License (CCL) to carry a handgun in public, whether openly or concealed. To obtain a CCL, applicants must complete 16 hours of training, pass a background check, and pay application fees. Non-residents from states with substantially similar laws may apply for a non-resident CCL.
Open carry is effectively prohibited for the general public. Firearms must be carried concealed by CCL holders. There are extensive prohibited locations where firearms cannot be carried, including government buildings, schools, public parks, public transportation, businesses that derive more than 50% of income from alcohol sales, and private property where the owner has posted signs prohibiting firearms.
Firearm, Feature and Accessory Bans
While the state itself does not have a comprehensive assault weapons ban, numerous local jurisdictions including Chicago and Cook County have passed bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Several NFA items are heavily restricted or prohibited in Illinois, including short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and suppressors. Machine guns are prohibited for civilian ownership. In January 2023, Illinois passed a law banning the sale of assault weapons and magazines with capacity greater than 10 rounds for rifles and 15 rounds for handguns, though existing owners were grandfathered with a registration requirement.
Local Laws
Illinois has limited preemption of local firearms laws. While the Firearm Concealed Carry Act established statewide standards for concealed carry and prohibited local governments from regulating the carrying of handguns, local jurisdictions retain the ability to regulate other aspects of firearms ownership and use. This has resulted in a patchwork of local ordinances, particularly in Chicago and Cook County, which have stricter regulations than the rest of the state, including assault weapons bans and additional storage requirements.
2025 Gun Law Checklist
Illinois Gun Policy Profile: 50 Key Legislative Points
Purchasing and Sales Regulations
Background Check for Any Firearm Sale
State requires any firearm sale to go through a licensed dealer (FFL) and be subject to a background check. (Federal law requires those "engaged in the business" of buying/selling firearms to perform a background check during a sale). A private sale or transfer of any firearm between individuals (non-family members) must be also conducted through an FFL.
Background Check for Any Handgun Sale (Including Private Sales)
All handgun sales and most transfers are subject to a background check. Private sales of handguns between individuals (non-family members) must be conducted through an FFL.
Background Check Extensions
State will halt the transfer of a firearm if a background check is delayed. Some states will halt the process indefinitely, some for a set amount of time.
Failed Background Check Reported to Law Enforcement
The firearm dealer (or state agency conducting the background check) has a responsibility to notify local law enforcement of a failed background check.
Must be 21 or Older to Purchase
Most firearms–including rifles, shotguns, and handguns–cannot be sold to anyone under the age of 21. (Federal laws permit long guns to be sold to those over the age of 18.)
Permit to Purchase
State requires a permit (single-use or renewable) for all firearms or specifically for handguns. States typically charge a fee for the permit and a background check is performed during the application.
Mandatory Waiting Periods
Prior to purchasing a firearm, an individual must wait a specified period (typically between 3-14 days) between initiating the purchase and taking possession of the firearm.
State Licenses All Gun Dealers
State has a licensing system for firearms merchants above and beyond the federal (FFL) system.
Purchase Rejected for Public Safety Reasons
State officials able to block sales of firearms if the purchaser is deemed to be a threat to themselves or to public safety (according to the judgment of the official)
Approved Handgun Roster
State controls what make and model handguns are sold; according to their own criteria. Often, this involves a "roster" of approved handguns with the right "safety" features, such as a loaded chamber indicator, or even the amount of metal in the firearm (Maryland). Often, LE are exempt from these requirements.
Strict Unfinished Frames and Receivers Laws
State sets a lower threshold for unfinished frames and receivers (beyond ATF rule 2021R-05F). Includes ban on 3D-printing of these parts in some states.
Ownership and Registration Requirements
Permit to Possess
Several states require a permit just to possess: a handgun (New York); any firearms or ammunition (Illinois).
State Firearm or Handgun Registry
State keeps a record of every firearm or handgun sold. Includes states with a permit to purchase and states that keep records of purchases.
Mandatory Firearms Training
Prior to purchasing a firearm, an individual must prove they completed the state ordered training. Often, this is part of the application process for a Permit to Purchase.
Secure Storage Requirement
Gun owners must lock up firearms in the home (or anywhere else a minor or prohibited person may have access).
Magazine Capacity Limits
State limits magazine capacity for some or all firearms.
"Assault Weapons" Ban
Magazine fed, semi-automatic, centerfire rifles cannot have other "features" (pistol grip, flash hider, etc.) or they are considered "assault weapons." New guns cannot be registered as "assault weapons." Possession is prohibited with limited exceptions.
Microstamping Law
State has a law banning the sale of a new pistol unless its firing can imprint its serial number somewhere on the cartridge case during firing. This technology is make-believe at present, but these laws will effectively ban the sale of new handguns in the state if/when they become effective
Penalties for Not Reporting a Lost or Stolen Firearm
Gun owners must report the loss or theft of firearms–usually within several days of the incident or first discovering the loss–or potentially face a criminal penalty.
Carry and Location Restrictions
Mandatory Permit for Concealed Carry
State requires a permit to carry a concealed pistol. This includes all states that "may issue" a permit (where officials may deny a permit for subjective reasons).
Officials Can Deny Carry Permit
State allows the carry permit officials to deny an application based on the state's own criteria.
Open Carry Limited or Banned
State restricts open carry to rifles and shotguns or bans open carry completely unless you are LE or special permit holder.
No Carry Mandate for College Campuses
State has not passed a blanket law permitting concealed carry on college campuses.
Gun Ban on Most Public Property
State limits or bans any type of carry in and around government facilities (state, county, municipal) and/or limits carry of firearms in parades and demonstrations
Guns Banned in Bars
State prohibits carry inside bars or consumption of alcohol while carrying.
No Guns in K-12 Schools
Only LE (and in some states, specially licensed school officials) may carry on school property.
Does Not Recognize Other States' Carry Permits
State doesn't consider concealed carry permits from other states valid
Prohibited Persons and Possession Restrictions
Felons are Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting felons from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this.
Fugitives are Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting fugitives from justice from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this.
Involuntarily Committed are Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting those who have been involuntarily committed (to a psychiatric hospital or mental institution), or those found to be a danger to themselves or others from owning guns and ammo. Federal law already prohibits anyone found to be mentally defective or committed to a mental institution at 16 years or older.
Violent Offenders Cannot Possess
State will take away firearms, deny future possession, or at minimum deny future purchase of firearms for certain misdemeanor crimes of violence (besides domestic violence violence).
Domestic Violence Offenders Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this
Stalkers are Prohibited Persons at the State Level
State has either made stalking a felony (instant prohibitor) or makes an individual convicted of misdemeanor stalking a prohibited person.
Intervention and Seizure Provisions
Red Flag Law
Law enforcement (and others, depending on the state) is allowed to request that firearms be taken away from others with limited due process.
Emergency Gun Seizure Before Restraining Orders
Similar to a red flag law, state will take away guns before an actual conviction. This is often during domestic disputes, before a restraining order takes effect, and in similar situations.
Guns Seized for Hate Crimes
State will take away all firearms from an individual in response to a misdemeanor hate crime conviction.
Guns Seized After Becoming Prohibited
State will quickly respond when an individual's status changes to prohibited and take away all firearms belonging to that person.
Guns Seized After Domestic Violence Conviction
State will quickly respond to take away firearms from an individual if they are convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence.
Guns Seized Amid Restraining Orders
State will take away all firearms from anyone who is subject to a restraining order, even though federal law already does this.
No Stand Your Ground Law
State imposes a "duty to retreat" before using force or requires "proportional force" when responding to an attack or dangerous situation with force.
Monitoring and Threat Assessment
Mental Health Database
State maintains records of anyone that has been committed or involuntarily committed to psychiatric hospitals. They send this information to the FBI for use by the NICS (or when conducting a state background check, if applicable).
School Officials Conduct Threat Assessments
Teams of mostly school officials are empowered by law to refer children for mental health assessments or take more drastic action if they believe the child poses a threat to themselves or others.
Mandatory Tracing of "Crime Guns"
Law enforcement must use either a state system or the federal firearm tracing system to research any firearm recovered from a crime scene or used in a crime.
Law Enforcement Oversight and Accountability
No LE Officers Bill of Rights
Some states never passed (or passed and later repealed) a set of basic protections for public safety officers. These protections vary by state. They often include the right to engage in political activity and run for public office, and the right to refuse a lie detector test, among other things.
Heavy Restrictions on LE Use of Deadly Force
State laws severely limit the discharge of firearms to apprehend criminals, including against individuals suspected of murder or fleeing a felony in many cases.
Reports for LE Deadly Force Incidents
Law enforcement agencies are required to report any officer-involved shootings that result in serious injury or death. Monthly or annual reports are compiled using this data and made available to the public.
No Qualified Immunity Defense Laws
In civil court, LE officials may not use a defense of qualified immunity if they are accused of certain civil rights violations. This includes situations in which a firearm was used.
Prevention and Support Programs
Dedicated Office of Gun Violence Prevention
Some states have passed legislation creating gun violence prevention offices that target "community gun violence." Taxpayer funds are used to support these programs, which may have little to no effect on violent crime.
Funding for Services of Victims of Gun Violence
Some states maximize the use of federal money intended for victims of violent crime by increasing pool of eligible claimants. Money is paid out to families of convicted felons in many cases.
Local Control
Counties / Cities / Towns Can Pass Stricter Gun Laws
Local governments are free to pass their own gun control laws in addition to any existing laws at the federal and state levels. Some states prohibit local governments from passing laws about specific things-including guns. This is known as preemption.
Conclusion
Despite its world-renowned reputation for gun-related violence in Chicago, Illinois is one of the least permissive places in the United States when it comes to firearms and ammunition laws. In addition to the laws themselves being among the most restrictive in the country, there is one other major hurdle to understanding Illinois gun laws. Until fairly recently, counties and other political units such as cities could, and did, pass firearms laws that were more restrictive than that at the state level. In simple terms, it’s entirely possible to drive for 20 minutes down a highway in Illinois, not pass through a state border, and yet the driver might have gone through two or three jurisdictions with different firearms laws.
To keep things as logical as they can be with Illinois gun laws, this piece will focus on the big picture of ammunition and firearms purchasing in Illinois, with a focus on Chicago and Cook County, as those contain much of the population of the state. The foundational legal framework to keep in mind for most people in Illinois is that to possess, buy, or sell firearms or ammunition in Illinois, one has to get a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID) to even begin this process.
There is a lot of paperwork involved in buying and concealed carrying in Illinois, so we recommend keeping this guide handy, even though it should not be construed as legal advice. Despite the barriers to firearm ownership in Illinois, some gun companies do operate in the state, including Winchester, which manufactures some ammo in East Alton.
Ammo Laws/Buying Ammo in Illinois
First, we will cover the ammo laws of the state.
The first step to legally buying, selling, or possessing any ammunition or firearms in the state at all is that FOID mentioned above. Although it’s a little onerous, the process itself is simple on paper: it is a $10 application that includes a copy of your state ID or driver’s license, along with a recent passport photo. But, it’s not necessarily as simple as it appears, and sometimes wait times can be several months, during which the applicant cannot legally buy or sell firearms or ammunition in the state. It’s also unclear what happens when the state fails to process renewals, causing a lapse in someone’s FOID even though they are still legally eligible to buy, sell, and own firearms.
In addition to the FOID, there are several sources within Illinois law that curtail what even a FOID card holder can buy at the state level. Part of Section 720 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) defines and forbids armor-piercing rounds, “dragon’s breath” rounds, bolo shells, and flechettes.
A relatively new law, Public Act 102-1116 draws up quite the list of things that people cannot purchase or own in Illinois, including (but not at all limited to):
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.50 caliber firearms or ammunition
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Rifle magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds
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Pistol magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds
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Adjustable or Folding Stocks
Just the list of firearms banned by name in the Act is several pages long, and thus we’d highly recommend reading it yourself should you want to purchase anything firearms or ammunition-related in Illinois.
Most items regulated by the National Firearms Act, such as suppressors, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, machine guns, and explosives, are forbidden in the state as well. With all of that in mind, it is worth your time to make specifically sure that whatever firearm or ammunition you would like to buy is not explicitly outlawed in either Public Act 102-1116, Section 720 of the ILCS, or, vitally, your local laws.
Technically, it is possible to have ammunition shipped, even to Chicago, to one’s address in Illinois provided that the retailer maintains a copy of the buyer’s valid FOID. But, it seems as though a good number of online retailers simply do not want the hassle of dealing with the quagmire of state and local laws in any given spot in Illinois.
Before 2013, many localities passed their own gun laws that were more restrictive than those within the state, but, luckily, no new laws that are more restrictive than state law can be passed. That is to say, once someone figures out how to legally ship ammunition to a given address in Illinois, the only way those rules should change now would be through changes in federal or state law.
Gun Laws/Buying Guns in Illinois
Buying guns in Illinois begins with a FOID again, and the ban lists that are found in Section 720 of the ILCS as well as Public Act 102-1116. Assuming the firearm you want to purchase is legal in Illinois, the actual gun store experience is much like that in other states. Bring your FOID, driver’s license, and payment method to the store, and be prepared to fill out form 4473.
Assuming your background check, FOID, and payment method are all in order, this is where the process is unique to Illinois. First, there is a 72-hour waiting period on all firearms transactions in the state, so you’ll be waiting three days to pick up your gun after you pay for it. That’s not just true at gun stores, but also in private sales: every gun sale in the state has to go through an FFL and the waiting period. Most FFLs charge for this service, so this will add to the costs of buying firearms in the state.
So, while private sales of firearms are allowed in the state, they have to go through an FFL anyway, which makes the process look much more like the one of buying a gun at an FFL in the first place.
Assuming the above process goes according to plan, Illinois also requires a concealed carry permit to carry a firearm in public. This process can be long and there are several points along the way at which any law enforcement official can more or less reject applications for whatever reason they deem fit. Because it is such an onerous process, we highly recommend reading through a guide like the one that the United States Concealed Carry Association has put together on the matter. Expect the concealed carry permit process, at best, to take several months in Illinois.
Once the license is issued, there is a list of places outlined in the relevant statute where one cannot carry a firearm at all, including:
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Court buildings
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Legislative buildings
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Hospitals
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Bars where half or more of the income is from alcohol sales
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Concerts and other permitted public events
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Parks and playgrounds that have a sign forbidding firearms
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Gambling establishments
One upside to Illinois’ permitting and firearm purchase system being exceptionally difficult is that the Illinois permit meets the requirements of many states, meaning that folks with a residential Illinois permit can concealed carry in a substantial portion of the United States.
Sales Tax on Guns/Ammo in Illinois
Illinois has a general sales tax of 6.25%, which applies to firearms and ammunition. Depending on location within the state, other fees may apply. For instance, Cook County charges $25 per firearms transaction. This would also apply to transfers of firearms made between private sellers since those have to be facilitated by an FFL as well.
More Resources
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The ATF maintains a list of all FFLs in the country, and it is reasonably up-to-date for Illinois as well. Generally, gun stores are type 1 or 2 FFLs.
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There are a number of shooting ranges in Illinois and even a few in the Chicago area. TripAdvisor’s page is a reasonably good resource for these since it includes customer reviews as well.
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In addition to the Illinois Carry forum linked below, Yelp lists several gun stores in the state, even in Cook County.
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Illinois Carry is an active forum that has a ton of recent information on getting a Concealed Carry permit in the state, as well as updated information on courses, ranges, and local politics that will be of use to anyone interested in firearms.