Illinois Firearm Law at a Glance
Keep it Legal!
2005- A loophole in Gun Show purchases has been closed. In Illinois, any firearm purchased at a gun show is subject to the same restrictions as buying it in a shop. Long guns require 24 hours waiting , and handguns 72 hours. Firearms cannot be delivered on site at the gun show. Ammunition may be purchased at the table, but the purchaser is required to present to the dealer at least two forms of identification showing matching addresses.
June 1, 2008- The F.O.I.D. (Firearm Owner Identification) process in Illinois has changed. Beginning June 1, 2008 FOID applications have been revised. To apply for a FOID, you must now be 21 years of age (used to be 18). Application for persons under 21 y.o.a. require the endorsement of a parent or legal guardian. (Your friend or neighbor does not qualify.) FOIDs will now be issued for 10 (ten) years instead of five, and the fee has changed to $10. There will be no more renewals. FOIDS will be issued as new, and the state police will no longer send out renewal notices. It is your responsibility to re-apply for a new FOID in a timely manner. This is very important for hunters, as they are required to have a valid FOID on their person while hunting. Every question or blank on the form must be answered or it will be rejected. (Ref: 430 ILCS 65/) can be viewed at www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs
In case you didn't know-
Black powder: In Illinois, all black powder guns are considered firearms. Although no federal form 4473 is required, Illinois residents must have a FOID card to purchase any black powder firearm. Illinois dealers must keep black powder sales records separate from other firearm sales.
Air gun ammo: Although Illinois law says .18 is the minimum caliber for which a FOID is required, .177 also falls into this category. Dealers are required to have a FOID presented to them upon sales of any .177 cal or greater ammo.
Private transference: In Illinois, if you as a private citizen sell/give a firearm to another private citizen, you are required to keep the record of that transaction for at least 10 (ten) years.
Inheritence firearms: Illinois residents who do not possess a FOID card and inherit a firearm/ammo through a will, or as a result of an estate award, have sixty (60) days in which to apply for a valid firearm owner's I.D. The law allows that you may keep the firearm/ammo in your possession until the FOID is issued. However, if you are not comfortable with that provision, you may ask your local police department or sheriff's office to place the firearm/ammo in safekeeping for you until such time as you present them with a valid FOID. Most departments will be happy to do this for you, and also have FOID applications on hand. Contact your local agencies with any questions you may have or vistit the Illinois State Police website and look at their Q&A section for more information.
Note: If you have been convicted of the offense of domestic violence or any felony, you cannot keep the firearm/ammo. In this event you must notify your local law enforcement agency immediately and turn the firearm/ammo into them. You can also refuse to accept it or transfer ownership of the firearm/ammo to another blood relative at the reading of the will or hearing of award, although most lawyers will not handle that aspect for you and you will have to call the police to get rid of it. Whatever you decide, don't keep it! It will land you in jail!
Stun guns and tasers now require background checks and FOID identification. They are treated like any other long gun firearm purchase in Illinois, and have a required 24 hour waiting period. However, nothing in Illinois law requires a purchaser to be schooled or otherwise qualified in stun gun/taser use in order to purchase one.
F.T.I.P. is the Illinois equivilant of the federal N.I.C.S. program. Illinois dealers must use FTIP and not NICS unless the Illinois system is down and use of NICS is authorized. Therefore, NICS cannot override FTIP in Illinois to make a faster transaction.