Illinois
Total prohibition Total freedom
0 ------ 10 ------ 20 ------ 30 ------ 40 ------ 50 ------ 60 ------ 70 ------ 80 ------ 90 ------ 100
Traveler's checklist:
*Firearms ownership:
restricted, firearm identification card required*Assault weapon ownership: restricted, firearm identification card required
*Machine Gun Ownership:
personal machine gun ownership prohibited *Firearm law uniformity: no preemption law, localities may pass their own gun laws*Right of Self-Defense: no castle doctrine
*Open carry:
prohibited in all public areas*Concealed carry:
no provision for concealed carry licensing*Vehicle carry and transportation:
firearms or ammunition possessed by non-
Illinois' Midwestern location does not prevent its treatment of firearms from
resembling that of New York City. Gun owners face a wide assortment of laws that
are piled layer upon layer in the land of Lincoln. The effect of various state
laws is
amplified by the fact that Illinois has no preemption law. Travelers to Chicago
and
other major urban areas should be prepared to face a confiscatory atmosphere
very
similar to Washington D.C. Even small towns are not immune from this. Villages such
as Morton Grove have banned handgun possession
entirely. One bright spot in this
otherwise confusing morass of local regulation is the state law that provides
anyone
using a firearm for self-defense with an affirmative defense to these local
laws.
From a statewide perspective, residents of Illinois are required to have a
firearms identification card before they may purchase or possess any rifle,
shotgun,
handgun or ammunition. This card is issued by the Department of State
Police and
is valid for five years. Travelers passing through Illinois may possess
firearms or
ammunition without a state identification card if the weapons are unloaded and
securely cased in the trunk or storage compartment of the vehicle and the
ammunition is stowed apart from the weapons. Loaded firearms may be
possessed
by non-residents if the weapons are employed on publicly recognized target
ranges,
at bonafide gun shows or in a hunting format where the individual possesses a
non-
resident hunting license. While in a vehicle, however, all firearms must
be unloaded
and cased even if one possesses a state identification card. State law
prohibits the
open or concealed carry of firearms in public settings.
Machine gun ownership is prohibited in Illinois unless one is a Class III
dealer.
Travelers with Class III weapons should take special note of this aspect.
Also, as mentioned above, Chicago is a world unto itself. Handgun ownership has
been banned since 1982. All other firearms must be registered with the Chicago police
before entering the city.