Illinois Concealed Carry Permit Information

Click here to view the Illinois Concealed Carry Permit Map at the bottom of the page.

Concealed Permit:
Illinois does not issue concealed weapon permits. Possession of a firearm or ammunition generally requires an Illinois Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID) which does not allow you to carry concealed.

Featured Illinois Firearm Instructors:

Open Carry:
Prohibited in all public areas.

Vehicle Carry:
There is more than one way to legally transport a firearm. However, in order to be in compliance with all statutes, it is recommended all firearms be transported:

  1. Unloaded,
  2. Enclosed in a case and,
  3. By persons who have a valid FOID card.

Non- residents must be legally eligible to possess or acquire firearms and ammunition in their state of residence. It is recommended that, in order to be in compliance with all statutes, non-residents transport all firearms:

  • Unloaded, and
  • Enclosed in a case, and
  • Not immediately accessible or broken down in a nonfunctioning state.
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  • shiracheta

    Being an Iowa carry permit holder who frequently goes to Chicago for the weekend I hate that they don’t allow carry of any kind. And seeing that Chicago has some of the worst gang related violence in the Midwest I would really like to see Illinois residents able to carry to protect themselves.

    • Project Dawg

      Well there is good news I guess. chicago has a CFP Chicago firearms permit. Which allows residents of chicago to have handguns on their property. It cost 100 dollars for 3 years and you must also register your gun for 15 dollars for life.(One time fee)

      As far as CCW goes. Not quite yet. We need it here I agree.

      • Kingdingaling75

        I believe the $15 firearm reg. fee is yearly.

    • Skylineinvestigations

      I am a NRA firearm insturctor and Private Investigator in illinois and I can’t carry conceal
      they need to pass this bill, the gangs will always have guns so why can’t we.

  • Auvilj

    Why punish all of Illinois,aprove conceal carry for Illinois south of the Cook county Line, how easy is that,they don’t want it don’t give it ti them(Dug!!!!!) no brainer

  • gene

    LETS ALL GET TOGETHER AND SHOW THESE POLITICAL GANGSTERS THE DOOR COME NEXT ELECTION.   WHAT DO YOU SAY.

    • JanuaryWinter

      Agreed!

  • zeke

    Why doesn’t Quinn need armed body guards with him? Chicago doesn’t allow people to carry guns, so why does he have to have armed guards? Maybe because the only people carrying are criminals.
    Throw Quinn and Cook County out of Illinois as they give us a bad name.

  • zeke

    Why doesn’t Quinn need armed body guards with him? Chicago doesn’t allow people to carry guns, so why does he have to have armed guards? Maybe because the only people carrying are criminals.
    Throw Quinn and Cook County out of Illinois as they give us a bad name.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000713763947 Jaysen McDermith

      they allow politicians to ccw in illinois especially in crook county… its just citizens that cant

    • Mike

      I HEARD THAT!

  • Ralphieboi123

    That’s some bullshit I’m so tired of Illinois I’ve been living here all my life which is 32 years by the way! It’s so mess up in Illinois that If someone breaks in your home and try to harm you and you defend your self in your own home you’ll mess around and get more time then the criminal that broke in to your home!!!!!! The governor and the Mayor of Chicago doesn’t want law biding citizens to have a weapon for self defense! but they have armed bodyguards with them every where they go so their safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But ordinary law abiding citizens are at harms way every day with out no way to protect our selves!!!!!!!

    • Mike

      I hear ya, man.  In Iowa we voted out alot of the commie pinko left wing Obamacrats last November. Hope to dump the rest of them in 2012.  I don’t get the foolhearty mindset of those those who oppose “responsible” gun ownership. They can make all the laws they want to (hindering and disabling the law abiding citizens like yourself) but they’ll NEVER get “illegal” guns out of the hands of felons who want to harm YOU, your family and your property.  I imagine your criminal population will actually grow as the bad guys flee a “gun toter” state to where it is safer to do business….ILLINOIS.  No longet the “LAND of LINCOLN”. It is now the “LAND OF THE WEAK AND DEFENSELESS”….

    • Augy

      Your statement is NOT true. While concealed carry is not allowed in IL yet, it is legal to defend yourself with a firearm on your own property if your life is in danger. A justified shoot is just about the same everywhere – you must be at risk for being killed or seriously injured by an intruder. Generally, most states do not recognize the right to take a life if someone is just stealing your microwave oven…however if that person pulls a weapon when confronted it is legal to defend yourself. Basically, the same restrictions apply to both civilian self defense shoots and police shoots. Even in states that allow concealed carry it is not a license to shoot anyone, only the option to defend yourself if your life is seriously in danger.

      – Retired police officer of 30 years
      Lifelong Illinois resident
      Avid hunter and gun enthusiast

  • Patriot

    It’s pretty simple.  Move out of Illinois.  I was offered a higher paying job in the Chicago area but took a lower paying job in Omaha just to avoid the liberal stinkhole.

  • LEON

    I HAVE A KY CCDW LICENCE AND IT SUCKS TO HAVE TO LEAVE MY GUN AT HOME JUST BECAUSE I STOP IN ILLINOIS. GET THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OUT OF OFFICE  AND START EXERCISING YOUR RIGHT TO PROTECT YOUR SELF & FAMILY. COPS CAN’T BE EVERYWHERE.

  • Justin Lewsader

    I’m an Indiana resident with an IN carry permit and live on the state line of IN/IL and frequently go across to IL. I hate the idea of being unprotected by a lawful carry law when some of the neighborhoods I go near have shootings, etc. and I KNOW these people don’t even possess FOID cards!! ALL states should at least honor the carrier’s resident state’s permit!

  • Anonymous

    AHHHHH, everyday I look to see if there is any news on the Illinois lawsuits. Why the heck do they need over three weeks to determine that the communist state is infringing on the people rights to keep and BEAR arms? 

    I’m no lawyer but seems pretty clear that “shall not be infringed” is pretty clear. The founding fathers realized that the right to keep and bear arms gives the people the ability to protect the other rights. Thats why the 2nd amendment is so strongly typed, not even the first amendment has a shall not be infringed line to it.I am not from Illinois and don’t even travel there so I have no vested interest in this other then to see my fellow Americans have the means in which to defend themselves.

    I know im preaching to the choir here so I will stop ranting, just wanted to get this off my chest.

    • Scrubs777

      F’n A… it”s not just about one state…our forefathers made the bill and the polititians claim to stick to it but everything they do is against it. STOP F’n with our rights or go somewhere else you can do that… like F’n fantasy land cause it ain’t happening here in the states…..at least it shouldn’t be…whats next….freedom of religion…..Oh thats right…..that ones already gone unless you follow the correct code of conduct. You have all the freedom you want…if your muslim or something else…but F the Christians…they only based the whole constitution and structure of government on that, soon to be, useless paper. Stop killing trees at least ya bastards. 

  • Fishiin67

    Its bullshit!!!!!!  i agree keep cook county out of the loop if thats what they want! down south where i live, you had better believe if i need to make a trip into the city or any where near it. i have a weapon close by.

  • Weekender250

    When crooks run the state you would’nt expect anything less. I have a Utah carry permit so when I travel I can carry legaly. I carry my firearm everyday regardless of what the dumb ass CROOKS of this crapy state say. Its my right and if I get arestted because of it so be it. I will fight it in court if the law is on our side then I should have no problem in court. I will be damned if my family or me is gonna be a victim of a crime I could have stopped, I won’t bend over for Illinois or the criminals.

  • Rn1844

    I left Ill when I turned 18, never lived there again. I do carry in Ill. What are they going to do, take my pass away and send me to Viet Nam, the war is over.

  • Mark26

    Our founding fathers are rolling over in their graves!  How pussified has our nation become to allow the government to make us pay them money to be able to carry our firearms.  The constitutional 2nd amendment was set up for the American people to be able to keep GOVERNMENT at bay.  I’m proud to be an American and wouldn’t want to ever live anywhere else but I get disgusted when I see what we have let Government get away with!  Illinois, with or without a CCW, from my cold dead hands!  IT IS OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Blake

    Is it true that one may live in IL and go to another state and get a permit that will enable him to carry everywhere else except IL?

    • Sgt Bear74

      Not every state. You can get a nonresident permit in Florida, and Utah. But be sure to look up what states are covered by these permits. The do not work in all states. Some states wont even recognize a nonresident permit, so be careful. If you do receive a permit, please, follow the rules…. 

  • Mike

    “Lemme Get this straight”: Illinois is basically telling its citizens “You are NOT allowed to protect yourself, your family nor your property if a criminal act is brought against you”. “You are to be reduced to the status of a rape or mugging victim without recourse”. It is hard for me to believe that the residents of Illinois allow such narrow minded, liberal thinking to dominate their state. Our Iowa criminals may all be running for the Illinois border where they know there will be no oppostion or chance of being wounded or killed by a prepared citizen. Illinois is going to force otherwise law abiding citizens  to become “law breakers” by secretly purchasing guns to protect themselves.

  • http://twitter.com/machinestate Who F. Cares

    i lived in south chicago for awhile, i sure heard alot of guns.  ALOT of guns.  statistically, very few if any of those gunshots were cases of self-defense, castle doctrine etc.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-H-Sims/1053870342 Michael H. Sims

      Boy do i miss that emblem on your profile. It used to be on the side of my company truck. Thats what happens when most of the population of a state lives in a big city. Cities breed destruction of family values and morals. most big cities are ridden with crime, poverty, and welfare. I was recently offered a job with CN in chicago, the said they coouldn’t find anyone qualified there.

  • 1021Jarhead

    So Indiana residents who have ccw can transport in the state of Il. as long as it is locked away??

    • Weston

      You would need a valid FOID to be in full compliance, and you can only get that as an Illinois resident.  Broken down, locked up in separate containers, and in the trunk is the safest way, but strictly speaking is still not in full compliance with the law.

      If an officer is poking around in your trunk, he’s either got a warrant or is searching in relation to an arrest, so you’re already boned.

  • T………..

    Here in Illinois a person has to have a FOID card to buy or posses a tazer or stun gun but it also falls under the concealed weapon law.  Now seriously,  how is anyone supposed to protect their self?  When seconds count the police are hours away!

  • justin

    i am an indiana resident that frequently visits the chicago area. my father lives in chicago and when i travel to visit him i usually go through some “not so friendly” towns. if its dark outside while i travel though those towns it definately gets my nerves worked up n makes me wanna get the hell outta there. i dont understand why illinois wont allow both law-abiding residents and non residents to carry. i know if im sitting at a stoplight in one of these towns and its midnight, i would feel alot more at ease if i had my 9mm by my side. then i would also be more willing to visit more often thus spending more $ in that state, thus boosting their economy. idk, i just think illinois needs to do some thinking about the issue and revise their laws!

  • curtis

    Illinois as a whole isn’t a bad state. if it wasn’t for cook county it would be a great place to live. I don’t know how the whole state can let one county control a whole state 

  • Twk

    this being one of the last states still in the dark  needs to get back to reality.
    state is all ways broke and taxing people to death limiting your rights in a varity of ways will not get on all faults this state has but they need to get on the wagon with other states so states that can carry is not a problem when they come here and bring more money to this state or make them fill
    like there are at there mother inlaws just joke IT IS OUR RIGHTS not just the politicians choices
    so law makers turn the light on because your people what to see