Illinois Gun Laws 2026: Buying, Carrying and Owning a Firearm

Last verified: October 26, 2026 against 430 ILCS 65, 430 ILCS 66, 720 ILCS 5/24-3, 720 ILCS 5/24-5.1, Public Act 104-0031 and Illinois State Police guidance

Illinois gun laws are among the stricter sets in the country, but they are not a ban. Adults who qualify can own pistols, rifles and shotguns. The rules cover who may own a gun, how you buy one, where you may carry it and how you must store it. This page walks through each step and what changed in 2025 and 2026.

Illinois gun laws at a glance: are guns legal?

Yes. The Second Amendment applies in Illinois, and the state allows qualified adults to own handguns, rifles and shotguns. What Illinois adds is a licensing and permission layer on top of federal law.

FOID card: who needs one and who qualifies

Any Illinois resident who acquires or possesses a firearm, ammunition, a taser or a stun gun must hold a valid FOID card, unless a statute exempts them. The Illinois State Police (ISP) issues the card under the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act, 430 ILCS 65.

Item	Rule
Minimum age	21, or a parent or legal guardian who is eligible for a FOID card must sponsor you with a notarized affidavit
Fee and length	$10 application fee plus an online payment fee; the card is valid for 10 years
Nonresidents	Generally do not need an Illinois FOID card if they are licensed or registered to possess a firearm in their home state, but must follow Illinois transport rules

ISP can deny or revoke a card for reasons that include:

• A felony conviction
• Being a patient in a mental health facility within the past five years
• An active order of protection
• A domestic battery or other qualifying domestic violence conviction
• A mental condition that poses a clear and present danger
• Two or more failures to report a lost or stolen firearm within 48 hours (since January 1, 2026)

How to buy a gun in Illinois

You buy from a licensed dealer or a private seller, and either way the seller must confirm your FOID card first. A dealer also runs the background check and enforces the waiting period.

Waiting period

Illinois requires a 72-hour wait after you apply to buy any firearm, under 720 ILCS 5/24-3. Handguns and long guns are treated the same. Narrow exclusions apply, such as sales to peace officers and to licensed dealers. For a stun gun or taser the wait is 24 hours.

Private sales

Since January 1, 2024, a private seller must either have a licensed dealer conduct the transfer or contact ISP with the buyer’s FOID card number to confirm the card is valid. ISP then gives the seller an approval number, and approvals last 30 days. This check confirms only that the FOID is valid and is not a background check. Some transfers are exempt, such as gifts to certain close relatives and transfers at a dealer’s business. The seller must keep the transfer record for 10 years. The buyer of a gun from an unlicensed seller must give a record of the transfer to a licensed dealer within 10 days, or to ISP under its procedures. These rules are in 430 ILCS 65/3.

Pistol and handgun rules

You may own a handgun with a valid FOID card. Federal law separately bars licensed dealers from selling handguns to anyone under 21.

The state does restrict what kind of pistol you can buy. A semiautomatic pistol with a threaded barrel, a shoulder-firing brace or a fixed magazine over 15 rounds is a covered weapon under the assault weapons ban. Our Illinois assault weapons ban article lists every feature.

Shotgun and rifle rules

Shotguns are legal in Illinois. So are rifles that are not on the banned list. You need a FOID card to own either one, and the 72-hour wait applies to a purchase.

Length limits apply. A rifle with a barrel under 16 inches, or a shotgun with a barrel under 18 inches, is an unlawful weapon under 720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(7)(ii), a Class 3 felony, as is one modified to an overall length under 26 inches. Bolt, pump and lever-action guns are outside the assault weapons definition.

Illinois concealed carry and open carry

To carry a loaded handgun in public, you need a concealed carry license under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, 430 ILCS 66. Open carry is generally not allowed. Carrying a gun in public, even unloaded or in plain view, is unlawful under 720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(10) unless an exception applies, such as being on your own land, in your home or at your fixed place of business, or transporting the gun cased or broken down.

CCL requirement	Detail
Age	21 or older
Training	16 hours, including a live-fire exercise
Fee	$150 for Illinois residents; $300 for out-of-state applicants
Term	Five years
FOID card	Must hold a valid FOID card; a CCL does not replace it
Nonresidents	Eligible only if your state has substantially similar laws and is on the ISP list (currently Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas and Virginia). Illinois does not honor out-of-state carry permits.

A license does not let you carry everywhere. Section 65 of the Act bars carrying in places such as schools, child care facilities, courthouses and government buildings, hospitals, public transportation, bars, parks, libraries, stadiums and airports. Private property owners can also post signs banning concealed firearms. If you are stopped by police, you must disclose that you are carrying and let the officer secure the gun for the stop.

Traveling with a gun: transport rules

If you do not have a CCL, you may transport a firearm in a vehicle only in one of three ways, according to ISP guidance. The gun can be unloaded and fully enclosed in a case, broken down in a non-functioning state, or not immediately accessible. A FOID card is required for the cased option.

• Keep ammunition in the case or elsewhere in the vehicle, but not a loaded magazine in the gun or rounds in a revolver cylinder.
• If you leave a gun in an unattended vehicle, store it out of sight in a locked case or locked container such as the trunk.
• A glove box or console counts as a case only if it fully encloses the gun.

Safe gun storage and lost or stolen guns

Since January 1, 2026, Illinois requires you to lock up your guns when someone who should not have one could reach them. This is the Safe Gun Storage Act, Public Act 104-0031 (Senate Bill 8), signed on July 28, 2025.

You may not store a firearm unsecured where you know, or reasonably should know, that a minor, a person at risk of harming themselves or others, or a person prohibited from having a gun could get it. A locked container that keeps the gun inaccessible or unusable by anyone but you meets the rule. The rule does not apply to a gun you are carrying or have under your control.

Situation	Civil penalty
Unsecured gun	Up to $500
A prohibited, at-risk or minor person gets the gun	Up to $1,000
That person uses it to kill or injure someone or in a crime	Up to $10,000

There is no violation if the person got the gun by unlawfully entering your home. Owners can also face private lawsuits. The same law cut the deadline to report a lost or stolen gun from 72 hours to 48 hours.

Ghost guns and 3D-printed guns

Ghost guns are illegal in Illinois. An unserialized firearm, or an unserialized unfinished frame or receiver, cannot be sold or transferred, and since November 14, 2022 it cannot be possessed, bought or transported either. The ban is in 720 ILCS 5/24-5.1, created by Public Act 102-0889.

The law covers 3D-printed guns, which had to be serialized by a federal licensee within 30 days of the law taking effect. Exceptions cover antiques, guns made before October 22, 1968 and permanently inoperable guns.

Other restricted guns and attachments

• Assault weapons and large magazines: sales banned since January 10, 2023. See our assault weapons ban article for the endorsement affidavit and the July 9, 2026 Seventh Circuit ruling.
• Machine guns: making, selling, buying, carrying or having a machine gun is generally a Class 2 felony under 720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(7)(i), with a prison term of 3 to 7 years.
• Silencers: having a silencer or a part meant to silence a firearm is a Class 3 felony under 720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(6).

Chicago and Cook County rules

State law applies in Chicago, but the city and Cook County add rules that go further, and ISP tells owners to check local ordinances.

• Chicago bans owning or selling gun laser sights, and has since 1999. A federal judge upheld that ban in July 2024.
• Chicago has its own assault weapons and large-magazine ordinance dating to 2013, and Cook County has its own assault weapons ban, the one now before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Timeline of recent changes

Date	Change	Source
January 10, 2023	Protect Illinois Communities Act signed	Public Act 102-1116
July 28, 2025	Safe Gun Storage Act signed	Public Act 104-0031
January 1, 2026	Storage rule and 48-hour lost or stolen report take effect	Public Act 104-0031
2026	House Bill 4471, a proposed Glock-style pistol ban, stalls and does not become law	Illinois General Assembly
July 9, 2026	Seventh Circuit upholds the assault weapons ban 2-1	Barnett v. Raoul

Penalties for common violations

Sentencing ranges come from 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5.

Violation	Offense class	Sentence range
Selling an unserialized gun or frame, first offense	Class 4 felony	1 to 3 years
Possessing an unserialized gun, first offense	Class A misdemeanor	Up to 364 days
Possessing an unserialized gun, second offense	Class 3 felony	2 to 5 years
Silencer or short-barreled rifle or shotgun	Class 3 felony	2 to 5 years
Machine gun	Class 2 felony	3 to 7 years
Unsafe storage	Civil penalty	Up to $500, $1,000 or $10,000

What to do if you are charged or a gun is lost

• Report a lost or stolen gun to police within 48 hours and keep the report number.
• If police stop you while carrying, say so calmly and follow the disclosure rule.
• If you are charged, do not explain yourself to officers. Ask for a licensed Illinois criminal defense attorney.
• If ISP denies or revokes your FOID card, follow the review steps in the notice you receive, or ask ISP about them.

Frequently asked questions

What are the gun laws in Illinois?

Illinois requires a FOID card to own a firearm or ammunition, a 72-hour wait on purchases, a concealed carry license to carry loaded in public, and locked storage when children or prohibited people could reach a gun. It also bans ghost guns, machine guns, silencers and listed assault weapons.

Do I need a FOID card to buy ammunition?

Yes. A valid FOID card is required to acquire ammunition in Illinois. The FOID eCard can be used at stores that accept it, but a dealer may require the physical card. A CCL does not replace the FOID card.

Are shotguns legal in Illinois?

Yes. You need a valid FOID card and must wait 72 hours after applying to buy. A shotgun with a barrel under 18 inches is unlawful, and a semiautomatic shotgun is covered by the assault weapons ban if it has a detachable magazine or other listed features.

Are ghost guns and 3D-printed guns legal in Illinois?

No. Since November 14, 2022, it is unlawful to possess, buy or transport an unserialized firearm or an unserialized unfinished frame or receiver. Selling one is a Class 4 felony for a first offense. Printed guns must carry a serial number from a federal licensee.

Is a laser sight legal on a gun in Illinois?

Under state law, yes. The assault weapons definition does not list laser sights. Chicago, however, bans owning or selling them, and a federal judge upheld that ban in July 2024. Check local rules where you live.

Can I carry a gun in my car in Illinois?

With a FOID card and no CCL, the gun must be unloaded and fully enclosed in a case, broken down, or not immediately accessible. With a CCL, you may carry it loaded in the vehicle, subject to the places the Act prohibits.

What changed on this page

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