To conceal carry in Illinois, you need a pistol permit.

However, you must meet gun law requirements of the state before applying for the pistol permit, or else, the police department will reject the application.

Illinois Gun Permit Summary

Illinois is a shall-issue state for the application of firearms conducted by the local law enforcement agency.

The state also issues a firearm identification card that serves as a purchase permit to buy firearms.

• Recommended Reading: Illinois Gun Laws

How To Get A Gun Permit In Illinois

Illinois gun license is available to those that are twenty-one years old or more without a prohibition of firearm possession.

The permit is strictly for concealed in the state.

Illinois Gun Permit Laws

Illinois completely prohibits the open carry of firearms.

It also bans the manufacturing, possession, and sales of firearms, machine guns, or other assault weapons.

The state defines machine guns as any type of firearms that discharges more than once for just a single pull on the trigger.

The state also prohibits armor-piercing ammunition.

Illinois Pistol Permit Requirements

To apply for Illinois gun license, you must meet the requirements provided by gun laws of the state, and this includes:

• You must be a resident of Illinois. Non-residents must be a law enforcement officer or member of the US armed forces.
• You must complete the Illinois permit application on the online portal.
• You must be at least twenty-one years old, or eighteen years old with written consent from your parent or guardian.
• You must not be a convict of Felony under state or federal laws of the nation.
• You must not be mentally impaired.
• You must not be a patient in any mental facility in the last five years before your application.
• You must be intellectually and developmentally fit.
• You must not be an addict of narcotics or any substance that is controlled by the state or federal laws.
• You must not have a court order of protection in your name.
• You must not be convicted or violence, assault, violation of a protection order, or any other firearm-related charge within the last five years.
• You must not have been a convict of any domestic crime or other similar offenses.
• You must be lawfully present in the United States of America.
• You must not fail any medical test for a drug not prescribed to you by a doctor in the past year.
• You must not be in the united states under a student or a non-immigrant visa.
• You must be a legal citizen of the country.
• You must not be a dishonorably discharged member of the military due to indiscriminate behaviors.
• You must not have a search warrant in your name or be a fugitive.
• You must meet all the requirements listed to possess a firearm by the state of Illinois and the federal government.
• You must not be a convict for misdemeanors involving threats or violence in the past five years.
• You must not violate any Driving Under Influence (DUI) law in the state within the past five years.

Different Types Of Gun Permits In Illinois

A summary of firearms permits purchase in Illinois includes the following:

• State permit to purchase long guns: Illinois issues a state permit to buy long guns.
• State permits to purchase handguns: Illinois issues a state permit to buy guns.
• State permit to open carry: Illinois does not issue a permit to open carry.
• State permits to conceal carry long guns: Illinois does not issue a state permit to conceal handguns.
• State permits to conceal carry handguns: Illinois issues a pistol permit to conceal carry handguns in the state.

How Much Does It Cost To Get A Gun License In Illinois?

The cost for an initial Illinois permit application is one hundred and fifty dollars and three hundred dollars for residents and non-residents, respectively.

The cost for Illinois permit renewal application is one hundred and fifty dollars and three hundred dollars for residents and non-residents, respectively.

Gun Permits Application And Renewal Law In Illinois?

The process for permit renewal in Illinois includes the following:

Complete The Training

The first step of undergoing an Illinois CCW application is completing the training requirement. An approved state instructor must oversee this.

Provide Your Details

Visit the state police website to obtain your ID and password.

You will be required to provide the following documents for the application:

• Illinois state driver’s silence or any other documents that identify you as a resident of the state.
• Your state police ID and password.
• A certificate to prove that you have completed the required training.
• A FOID card. You can also state if your FOID application is still in process.
• A photograph taken within the past thirty days.
• A document that indicates your residency in the last ten years.

Your fingerprint is not compulsory for Illinois concealed carry permit application. But it helps speed up the application review process period to Ninety days.

If you are in urgent need of the CCW permit, you should provide your fingerprint.

For fingerprint application, you will get a Transaction Control Number (TNC). You should keep the TNC because you will need it for further completion of the pistol permit.

Waiting Period

A waiting period of one hundred and twenty days is required to complete the process without a fingerprint. Ninety days with a fingerprint.

Approval Mail

You will get a notification via mail for either an approved or rejected application.

The Illinois permit renewal process can start when it is at least ninety days from the expiration date of the permit.

Upon expiration of the permit, it becomes invalid and unusable, except the holder is already processing a renewal.

The permit renewal process elapses after the ninety days before the expiration date.

If the permit holder does not process the permit within this period, he or she forfeits the license and will have to apply for a new one to conceal carry.

Gun Permit Reciprocity With Illinois

Illinois does not accept a permit from any other state in the country.

Other aspects of its reciprocity include the following:

State That Recognizes Illinois Pistol Permit

If you have an Illinois gun permit, you can possess firearms legally in these states. The states are:

• Alabama
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Minnesota
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Puerto Rico

States That Have Restricted Reciprocity With Illinois

Michigan accepts Illinois gun permit, but the permit holder must satisfy specific requirements before they can possess firearms in the state.

State With Permitless Policy

Most of the states under this category are constitutional carry states, and they do not require a pistol permit for the possession of firearms within their jurisdiction. These states are:

• Arizona
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Idaho
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• New Hampshire
• Oklahoma
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• West Virginia

FAQs About Gun Permits In Illinois

Some of the most frequently asked questions you should know about gun permits, its application and renewal includes the following:

Do I Need Illinois Pistol Permit To Conceal Carry In The State?

Yes. Concealed carry in Illinois is only valid with the gun license.

How Long Is The Validity Period For Illinois Pistol Permit?

The permit is valid for five years, after which you have to apply for a renewal.

Can Non-Residents Apply For Illinois Pistol Permits?

Yes, but Illinois will only issue a pistol permit to non-residents from other states that have gun laws relating to the use and possession of firearms, according to the Illinois permit.

How Can I Change The Name And Address On My Illinois Pistol Permit?

The first this to do is notify the issuing department within at least thirty days of changing residence or effecting the name change.

Then you have to pay the required fee, after which the department will issue you with a new license indicating the changes you made.

What Can I Do If I Lost My Illinois Permit Or It Gets Stolen?

You must make a report at least ten days to the period that you realize the permit is missing or stolen. This may require a written statement and a police report proving the theft.

There is also a required fee for replacement permits.

How Soon Can I Apply For Illinois Pistol Permit After Moving To The State?

Illinois requires that residents of the state that wants to apply for a permit have a firearm owner identification card, FOID.

As soon as a new resident has this card, he or she can apply for an Illinois gun permit.

Can I Make Use Of Illinois Pistol Permit After Moving To Another State In The Country?

After establishing residency in another state, you have to surrender your Illinois gun license. You can mail it to the firearm service bureau.

If you wish to hold on to the permit, then you have to reapply as a non-resident.

Do I Need A Permit To Open Carry In Illinois?

No. Open carry is illegal in Illinois with or without a gun permit.

What Is The Minimum Age Requirement To Apply For Illinois Pistol Permit?

You must be at least twenty-one years old before applying for a pistol permit in Illinois.

Do I need A Permit To Purchase Firearms In Illinois?

Yes, Illinois firearm identification card serves a purchase permit in the state.

Do I Need To Complete A Firearm Training Before Applying For Illinois Gun Permit?

Yes. You need to complete a firearm training course to apply for a permit in the state. This is also a requirement for permit renewal.

What Is The Processing Period For Firearm Permits In Illinois?

Illinois processes firearm permits within ninety to one hundred and twenty days.

Is Illinois A Preemption Gun Law State?

Yes, but local governments can regulate the discharge of firearms within their boundaries.

Relevant Gun Permit Laws And Legislature In Illinois

Some of Illinois gun laws relating to pistol permit in the state include the following:

Possession Of Firearms In Private Cars

Illinois permits the concealed carry of firearms in vehicles for residents of the state that have a gun license.

Non-residents can also transport firearms through Illinois, but they must have a pistol permit from their state of residence.

If the non-resident is from a state that does not issue a permit, then he or she must:

• Not have any federal law prohibition against possessing a firearm.
• Must be eligible to possess firearms according to gun laws in the home state.

For vehicles left unattended, non-residents must lock the firearm within a compartment in the car, or the gun remains in the locked vehicle.

Illinois gun law requires the vehicle owner to handle firearms or ammunition in the following ways:

• Keep within the vehicle but out of sight from public view.
• The firearm can only be in view within the surrounding of the vehicle for a limited period when the vehicle owner is removing it from the trunk or a compartment in the car.

[430 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 66/10(h) and [430 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 66/40(e)].

Possession Of Firearms In Roadside Areas Of Illinois

Illinois gun statutes [430 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 66/65] prohibits the possession of firearms or concealed carry in any roadside area of the state.

Possession Of Firearms In state Parks, Forests, And Wildlife Management Areas

Illinois allows the possession of firearms and concealed carry in state parks and wildlife management areas, as long as the person has an Illinois pistol permit.

Possession Of Firearms In Restaurant And Bar Areas

Illinois gun statutes [430 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 66/65(a)(9)] prohibits the possession of alcohol in bar areas or any similar venture where the sales of alcohol account for more than half of the gross income.

Possession Of Firearms In Hotels And Similar Establishments

Illinois state law permits the possession of firearms in hotels that do not have any post or policy prohibiting guns.

In this case, the firearm must not be loaded, must be in a compartment, and carried along to the room.

As long as there are no local laws that state, otherwise, this law should stand.

Also, it is essential to make inquiries from the hotel management on their policy about the possession of firearms in the state.

Possession Of Firearms In Workplace Parking Lot

Any permit holder that is an employee can keep a firearm in his or her vehicle.

If the employer prohibits this, then the permit holder can conceal carry around the vehicle in the parking area.

Also, the possession of a firearm in this area is only for the retrieval from the vehicle trunk, a case, or anywhere the gun is.

This section of Illinois gun law defines a case as any compartment that hides a firearm completely.

430 Ill. Comp. Stat. 66/55(b)]

Additional Resources

Illinois Gun Laws
Illinois Concealed Carry Laws
Illinois Open Carry Laws