No person who meets the following criteria is eligible to own or purchase a firearm in Illinois:^[2]

• They are 21 years of age or over, or if they are under 21 years of age that they have never been convicted of a misdemeanor other than a traffic offense or adjudged delinquent and is an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces or has the written consent of their parent or legal guardian to possess and acquire firearms and firearm ammunition, provided, however, that such parent or legal guardian is not an individual prohibited from having a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card and files an affidavit with the Illinois State Police as prescribed by the Illinois State Police stating that they are not an individual prohibited from having a Card or the active duty member of the United States Armed Forces under 21 years of age annually submits proof to the Illinois State Police, in a manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police;
• They have not been convicted of a felony under the laws of this or any other jurisdiction;
• They are not addicted to narcotics;
• They have not been a patient in a mental health facility within the past five years or, if he or she has been a patient in a mental health facility more than five years ago submit the certification required;^[3]
• He or she is not a person with an intellectual disability;
• He or she is not an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States under the laws of the United States;
• He or she is not subject to an existing order of protection prohibiting him or her from possessing a firearm;
• He or she has not been convicted within the past five years of battery, assault, aggravated assault, violation of an order of protection, or a substantially similar offense in another jurisdiction in which a firearm was used or possessed;
• They have not been convicted of domestic battery, aggravated domestic battery, or a substantially similar offense in another jurisdiction committed before, on, or after January 1, 2012 (the effective date of Public Act 97-158). If the applicant knowingly and intelligently waives the right to have an offense described in this clause (ix) tried by a jury and by guilty plea or otherwise, results in a conviction for an offense in which a domestic relationship is not a required element of the offense but in which a determination of the applicability of 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9) is made,^[4] an entry by the court of a judgment of conviction for that offense shall be grounds for denying the issuance of a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card under this Section;
• They are not an alien who has been admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa,^[5] or that they are an alien who has been lawfully admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa if that alien is:
  • admitted to the United States for lawful hunting or sporting purposes;
  • an official representative of a foreign government who is:
    • accredited to the United States Government or the government’s mission to an international organization having its headquarters in the United States; or
    • en route to or from another country to which that alien is accredited;
  • an official of a foreign government or distinguished foreign visitor who the Department of State has so designated;
  • a foreign law enforcement officer of a friendly foreign government entering the United States on official business; or
  • one who has received a waiver from the Attorney General of the United States;^[6]
• They are not a minor subject to a petition filed^[7] alleging that the minor is a delinquent minor for the commission of an offense that, if committed by an adult, would be a felony;
• He or she is not an adult who had been adjudicated a delinquent minor under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 for the commission of an offense that, if committed by an adult, would be a felony;
• They are a resident of the State of Illinois;
• They have not been adjudicated as a person with a mental disability;
• They have not been involuntarily admitted into a mental health facility; and
• They are not a person with a developmental disability.

Residents must obtain a Concealed Carry License in Illinois to carry a concealed weapon.^[8]

How to Apply

To apply for a concealed carry permit in Illinois, a person must be at least 21 years old or older.

1. Obtain a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card if one is not already issued.
2. Complete the application and attach a color photograph of the applicant taken within the past 30 days as well as proof of competence with a firearm.
3. Submit the application to the Illinois State Police and submit fingerprints for a background check.
4. Pay the $150 application fee.^[9]
5. The Illinois State Police will issue the license within 90 days of receiving the application.

Reciprocity

Illinois does not honor concealed carry permits from any other states.