The Illinois legislature has passed a concealed carry law that will allow residents to carry a concealed firearm. Residents will have to take a course on gun use and safety, though, and the state will need concealed carry instructors. The state is now taking applications from people interested in becoming instructors.
Concealed carry instructors have to be legal residents of the U.S., have a high school diploma or a GED, and be at least 21 years old. They also have to qualify for a concealed carry license in Illinois. All the instructors will pass a course and get an instructor certification. This can be from a law enforcement agency or an agency approved by the Illinois State Police.
You can get information about becoming a concealed carry instructor from Illinois State Police Website. First, you’ll have to be fingerprinted. Go to a licensed Live Scan vendor, and bring a copy of the Concealed Carry Firearms Instructor Fee Live Scan Authorization Form. This form can be downloaded and printed from the url above. When you are fingerprinted, the vendor will give you a transaction control number, or TCN. You have to have the TCN for your application to be valid.
The next step is to open the online Concealed Carry Firearms Instructor Approval Application, that’s also at the above url. You can complete and submit the application online, but you’ll also have to mail in a photocopy of your concealed carry instructor certification, and possibly also a photocopy of a firearm owner’s identification card. If you successfully complete the course and the application process, you’ll be listed as an instructor on the Illinois State Police website.
Once there are enough concealed carry instructors, residents of Illinois will be able to take the training to carry a concealed firearm. In January of 2014, people will be able to get applications from the Illinois State Police. People wanting a concealed carry license have to meet several requirements. They have to be at least 21 years old, have a valid firearm owner’s identification card, and have no arrest record for the last 5 years. They also have to submit a valid application.
People wanting a concealed carry license also have to complete 16 hours of firearms training, including safety practices, marksmanship, taking care of a firearm, and the laws regarding the use of firearms. Then they have to pass a shooting test. This consists of 30 rounds: 10 rounds from 5 yards, 10 rounds from 7 yards, and 10 rounds from 10 yards. Once the application is completed, it should be approved in 90 days. The concealed carry permit will cost $150, and be good for 5 years.
Illinois is the last state in the U.S. to allow concealed carrying of firearms. Many state leaders opposed concealed carry because of gun violence in Chicago, but a federal court ruled that the Second Amendment requires Illinois to pass a concealed carry law. Now Illinois residents will be able to take instructions and apply for a concealed carry license, the same as residents of other states.
