Step 3 · the law

State

Illinois firearm rules

shall issueNo OOS reciprocity

Carry

Permit

Inform

If asked

Mags

Limited

OOS

None

Carry snapshot

Possession: A Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card from the Illinois State Police is required to possess or purchase firearms or ammunition. Apply at isp.illinois.gov. Age 21, or 18 with a parent/guardian who holds a FOID.
Concealed: Shall-issue Concealed Carry License (CCL) required. Age 21. 16-hour approved training for first issue; 3-hour refresher on renewal. Illinois does not have permitless / constitutional carry.
Open carry: Open carry is prohibited. There is no lawful open carry of a loaded firearm in public.
Permit: Illinois Concealed Carry License (CCL) · 21+ · 16 hours initial (ISP-approved instructor); 3 hours on renewal.
Reciprocity: Illinois does not honor any out-of-state permit. Non-resident CCLs are only available to residents of AR, ID, MS, NV, TX, and VA. An Illinois CCL is recognized in a limited set of states; many Illinois residents add a Utah or Arizona non-resident permit for travel coverage. Permitless states still allow carry without needing Illinois recognition if you meet that state’s age and eligibility rules.

Magazines: PICA: 15-round limit for handguns, 10-round limit for rifles/long guns. Pre-ban magazines may be possessed with location limits (home, range, transport unloaded/cased). You may not carry a magazine that is over the limit, even if downloaded.
AW / PICA-style: Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA, 2023) bans manufacture, sale, and generally possession of defined assault weapons, with a grandfather for items lawfully owned before the effective date (registration window closed). Feature-based list — verify your specific firearm.
Waiting period: 72-hour waiting period on firearm purchases (FOID holders).
Background check: FOID plus ISP / NICS at transfer. Private sales require the buyer to hold a FOID; dealers run the check.
Storage: No universal lock-box mandate for all adults, but it is a crime to furnish a firearm to a prohibited person or a minor. Cook County / Chicago have additional safe-storage and transport customs — store unloaded and locked when not on your person.
Vehicle: With a CCL: you may carry a loaded, concealed handgun in a vehicle. Without a CCL: the firearm must be unloaded and enclosed in a case, not immediately accessible (typically the trunk or a locked container). Leaving a firearm in a prohibited-place parking area has a narrow safe-harbor if it stays locked, concealed, and you do not remove it.

Prohibited: Schools, school buses, and school property
Child-care facilities
Government buildings and courthouses
Public transportation, stations, and CTA/Metra property
Parks, public playgrounds, and forest preserves
Establishments that serve alcohol (more than 50% from alcohol) and many restaurants that post
Libraries, hospitals, stadiums, special events, casinos
Airports (sterile and typically the whole property)
Any private property posted “no firearms”
Prohibited-place parking lots have a limited locked-vehicle exception — do not take the gun inside
Duty to inform: If asked. Do not lie. A short, calm answer is enough.
Castle / SYG: Dwelling defense is recognized. Illinois is not a stand-your-ground state. Retreat in public if a safe avenue exists. Stand-your-ground: no.
Use of force: Deadly force only to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, or a forcible felony, and only when necessary. In public there is a duty to retreat if you can do so in complete safety. After any use of force: call 911, then your attorney — do not give a detailed statement.
Federal lands: Carry in National Park Service units follows this state's carry law. Federal buildings, visitor centers, and secured facilities remain off-limits. 54 U.S.C. § 104906.

FOID is possession; CCL is carry. You need both to carry concealed in Illinois.
Cook County and Chicago add practical enforcement risk even where state preemption exists — know posted places.
Illinois CCL alone is a weak travel credential. Utah and Arizona non-resident permits are the usual add-ons.
Cannabis: a state medical-cannabis card does not automatically revoke FOID/CCL under Illinois law, but federal law still prohibits users of controlled substances from possessing firearms.

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