Illinois concealed carry laws and reciprocity

Under 430 ILCS 66/10(h), when an officer initiates an investigative stop (including a traffic stop) of a licensee, or of a non-resident carrying in a vehicle under Section 40(e), the person must upon the officer's request disclose that they are carrying a concealed firearm, present the license or non-resident eligibility evidence, identify the firearm's location, and permit the officer to secure it for the duration of the stop. There is no duty to volunteer the information before the officer asks.

720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(4) makes carrying a firearm in a vehicle unlawful unless it is broken down in a non-functioning state, not immediately accessible, unloaded and enclosed in a case by a valid FOID card holder, or carried under a valid Illinois Concealed Carry License, and 430 ILCS 66/10(c)(2) lets a licensee keep a loaded concealed firearm on their person within a vehicle. Separately, 430 ILCS 66/40(e) allows a non-resident who is eligible to carry in public under their home state's law (evidenced by a home-state carry permit, if applicable) to transport a concealed firearm that remains inside the vehicle, storing it in a locked vehicle or locked container if the vehicle is left unattended.

The Firearm Concealed Carry Act (430 ILCS 66) requires an Illinois Concealed Carry License to carry a concealed firearm, and ISP states that persons who carry firearms without a CCL are subject to arrest.

ISP issues or denies a five-year CCL within 90 days to applicants 21+ who hold a valid FOID card (residents), meet the statutory criteria, and complete 16 hours of training; law enforcement objections are referred to a review board.

Non-residents may apply only if their home state's laws are deemed substantially similar; ISP currently lists Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas, and Virginia, and applicants must hold a valid home-state carry license.

A CCL does not allow open carry; ISP states a licensee may carry a handgun only if it is completely or mostly concealed from public view.

Owners of statutorily prohibited areas, and of private property other than residences who prohibit carry, must post the ISP-approved 4-by-6-inch sign under Section 65 of the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, and licensees may not carry where it is posted.

430 ILCS 66/65(a)(9) bars a licensee from any building, real property, and parking area of an establishment that serves alcohol on its premises if more than 50% of its gross receipts in the prior 3 months came from alcohol sales, so restaurants below that threshold are not statutorily off-limits unless posted; 66/70(d) bars carrying while under the influence, and 66/70(f) makes a licensee carrying under the Act subject only to the Act's penalties rather than 720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(8). For persons without a license, 720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(8) makes it a felony to carry a firearm in any place licensed to sell intoxicating beverages, with exemptions in 24-2(e) only for the owner, manager, employees, and law enforcement.

The Firearm Concealed Carry Act's park prohibition (430 ILCS 66/65(a)(13)) covers only parks under the control of a municipality or park district, and 65(a)(3) expressly preserves a licensee's right to carry on the real property, bikeways, and trails of parks regulated by the Department of Natural Resources. While hunting, IDNR's hunting regulations allow only firearms legal for the season being hunted, except as the Firearm Concealed Carry Act provides.

Licensees may carry at a place of worship unless it is posted as prohibited, but never where the premises include a pre-school, after-school program, or faith-based school, even with the religious leaders' permission.

430 ILCS 66/65(a)(15) bars licensees from any building, classroom, laboratory, clinic, hospital, artistic, athletic or entertainment venue, university-related organization property, and any real property including parking areas, sidewalks, and common areas under the control of a public or private community college, college, or university. Under 65(b) a licensee may still drive into a campus parking area with the firearm concealed on their person and store it in a case within a locked vehicle, although 65(a-5) lets the institution bar firearms in its own vehicles and designate parking areas.

Section 65 of the Firearm Concealed Carry Act lists prohibited areas; ISP guidance notes that all state buildings are prohibited and must be posted, places of worship with a pre-school, after-school program, or faith-based school are off-limits, and posted private property is off-limits. Licensees may keep a firearm in their vehicle in the parking area of a prohibited place, except where federal law prohibits it.

Illinois' justification statute (720 ILCS 5/7-1) contains no duty to retreat, and the Illinois Supreme Court's official Pattern Jury Instructions, Criminal, No. 24-25.09X ('Non-Initial Aggressor--No Duty To Retreat') instruct that a person who has not initially provoked the use of force against himself has no duty to attempt to escape the danger before using force against the aggressor, citing People v. Hughes (1st Dist. 1977) and People v. Miller (1st Dist. 1994). Deadly force remains limited to preventing imminent death, great bodily harm, or a forcible felony.

The Protect Illinois Communities Act regulates large capacity ammunition feeding devices holding more than 10 rounds for long guns or more than 15 rounds for handguns (720 ILCS 5/24-1.10); devices possessed before January 10, 2023 may be kept only on private property, at ranges, and in similar listed places. ISP states the Act is enforceable statewide following the Illinois Supreme Court's decision in Caulkins v. Pritzker.

The Protect Illinois Communities Act (Public Act 102-1116, 720 ILCS 5/24-1.9) bars the sale and purchase of assault weapons, assault weapon attachments, and .50 caliber rifles; items owned before January 10, 2023 required an endorsement affidavit by January 1, 2024 and may be possessed only in limited places.

720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(6) makes it a Class 3 felony to possess any device or attachment designed, used, or intended for silencing the report of any firearm; the only exemptions in 24-2 are for federally licensed manufacturers acting within the scope of that business (24-2(g-5), which expressly does not authorize general private possession) and peace officers on tactical teams using government-owned devices (24-2(g-7)). The state ban does not depend on federal NFA registration.

720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(7)(ii) makes it a Class 3 felony to sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, or carry a rifle with any barrel under 16 inches or a weapon made from a rifle with an overall length under 26 inches, but 24-2(c)(7) exempts a person possessing a rifle with a barrel under 16 inches who holds a federal ATF Curios and Relics license, or who is an active member of a bona fide nationally recognized military re-enacting group where the modification is required for historical accuracy and overall length is at least 26 inches. The statute does not otherwise defer to federal NFA registration.

720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(7)(ii) makes it a Class 3 felony to sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, or carry a shotgun with any barrel under 18 inches or a weapon made from a shotgun with an overall length under 26 inches; the 24-2(c) exemptions cover peace officers, corrections and military personnel, licensed manufacturers and government contractors, and the Curios-and-Relics/re-enactor exemption in 24-2(c)(7) applies only to rifles. The state ban does not depend on federal NFA registration.