There is now limited concealed carry in Illinois if you have a valid Firearm Owners ID Card. (only required for Illinois residents)

Follow along...

You are just six seconds from safety...

Read the Chicago Tribune article

What is Unlawful Use of Weapons?
Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code of 1961:

"(a) a person commits the offense of unlawful use of weapons when he knowingly:

*** (4) Carries or possesses in any vehicle or concealed on or about his person except when on his land or in his abode or fixed place of business, or on the land or in the legal dwelling of another person as an invitee with that person's permission, any pistol, revolver, stun gun, taser or other firearm." 720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(4)(West 1994).


Are there any exceptions?
Yes!

The Code also provides for certain situations in which section 24-1(a)(4) does not apply. Section 24-2(i) provides:

"nothing in this Article shall prohibit, apply to, or affect the transportation, carrying, or possession of any pistol, revolver, stun gun, taser, or other firearm which is unloaded and enclosed in a case, firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container, by the possessor of a valid Firearms Owners Identification Card." 720 ILCS 5/24-2(i)(West 1994).
And this excerpt from Public Act 91-0690 (Safe Neighborhoods Act 2000)

(720 ILCS 5/24-1) (from Ch. 38, par. 24-1)
Sec. 24-1. Unlawful Use of Weapons.
(a) A person commits the offense of unlawful use of weapons when he knowingly:
****
(4) Carries or possesses in any vehicle or concealed on or about his person except when on his land or in his own abode, legal dwelling, or fixed place of business any pistol, revolver, stun gun or taser or other firearm, except that this subsection (a) (4) does not apply to or affect transportation of weapons that meet one of the following conditions:
****
(iii) are unloaded and enclosed in a case, firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container by a person who has been issued a currently valid Firearm Owner's identification Card;


How can I legally transport a firearm on my person or in my vehicle?
If you are engaged in activities under the Wildlife Code, you should have a case designed specifically for a firearm.  Otherwise, for everyday transportation/carry of firearms they should be: 

1. Unloaded and,
2. Enclosed in a case or other container (this may be a center console, glove box, or similar compartment with open/close mechanism) see People v. Diggins IL Supreme Court Ruling
3. By persons who have a valid FOID card.

Source: Illinois State Police titled "Transport Your Gun Legally" - Commonly asked questions on transporting firearms. George H. Ryan, Governor; Illinois State Police, Sam W. Nolen, Director; Dept. of Natural Resources, Brent Manning, Director.

(Printed by the Authority of the State of Illinois, ISP Central Printing Section, ISP 1-154 [8-00] 70M).

How do I take advantage of this law to increase my personal safety?
Purchase a concealed carry fanny pack and carry an unloaded gun with magazines at the ready in the compartment. You will be just "Six Seconds From Safety" as you can open the case and quickly lock and load your handgun should a use of lethal force situation arise. Not as good as a concealed carry law, but a lot better than it used to be!

For a purse, carry an unloaded gun with magazines in a container, case, or carrying box. Then place that inside your purse. Yep, you're probably going to have to carry a large-sized purse to fit the container in it. Then again, some guns out there are small enough that the carrying case is the size of your hand, so you many not need a large purse after all.
 

Okay, what are the particulars?
1. Obtain a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID) and carry it.

2. Obtain a fanny pack designed for concealed carry of a weapon. If you opt to carry a purse, obtain a purse large enough to hold your carrying case within it.

3. Put your UNLOADED gun in the fanny pack or purse along with loaded magazines

4. A letter explaining the law should be carried in the fanny pack/purse. This letter puts law enforcement on notice that you do not consent to search, tells them what your FOID number is, cites the law and has a space for your attorney's name and phone number.

Download the letter in MS Word (.DOC) by clicking here
or in Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) format by clicking here


Why should I carry the letter with me in the fanny pack/purse?
Should the police stop you they may not know the law. By having a copy of the laws with you the police are then knowledgeable of the law. If they continue to arrest you they may be sued personally for false arrest as they may no longer claim they were acting in "good faith." Of course, the purpose of the letter is to prevent an arrest in the first place. Until the law is widely known in Illinois, some of the police will be acting on old information.
 

I thought the ammunition had to be stored separately from the handgun?
This is a common myth as is the myth that the handgun has to be in a locked container or in your trunk. The law merely specifies "cased" with no mention as to ammo (see above). Further, the Illinois courts have ruled on this point definitively. Ammunition may be in the magazine as long as the magazine is not in the hand gun. See Illinois v. McDade


So far, all well and good, but is there some case law that back you up?
Check out the case of Illinois v. Bruner

which categorically affirms the right to carry an unloaded, encased weapon. The relevant portion of the case is highlighted in bold text. Not only case carry the law in Illinois, but it is backed up by the courts.

More recent is the ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT case: People v. Diggins

Just to be sure, I'd like to read the act for myself.
Okay, click here:

Link to 720 ILCS 5/24


This is great info! Where did you come up with this?
Originally put out by the Champaign County Rifle Association. We have since updated and modified it a bit.