The Illinois concealed carry law has not been passed yet! Do not fall for instructors who are offering classes right now
Unscrupulous and Unethical Instructors are already offering Illinois Concealed Carry classes. |
The bill in front of the State of Illinois Legislative Assembly has undergone a dozen changes and will undergo a dozen more before the final Illinois concealed carry law is finalized and passed. These changes will incorporate instructor qualifications and registries with the Illinois State Police as well as student class requirements. Furthermore, the State of Illinois Concealed Carry law might require that all training be effective after the Illinois concealed carry law has passed.
I know what you are thinking: It is very reasonable to assume that the 8 hour NRA Basic pistol class will be the foundation to qualify for the Illinois concealed carry license/permit, once it passes. It is easy to make that assumption because the 8 hour NRA Basic Pistol class qualifies you for most other concealed carry permits/licenses in the Nation and it is listed as one of the proposed student requirements in HB0997. DON'T TAKE THAT CHANCE!! The current Illinois Concealed Carry bill already has specific range (live-fire) qualifications that are different from the typical 8 hour NRA Basic Pistol class. Furthermore lawmakers have changed the range (live-fire) qualifications multiple times already.
The Illinois concealed carry class is likely to have specific examination requirements during classroom portion and discussions on the use of deadly force as they pertain to the laws of the State of Illinois.
However, there is something you should be doing to prepare for Illinois concealed carry. You absolutely must obtain a non-resident permit from Florida, Arizona or Utah. In the proposed legislation (amended HB0997) there is language that states the following: "Any Illinois resident who has a license or permit to carry a handgun issued by another state shall be able to carry a handgun in accordance with this Act using that license for 365 days following the effective date of this Act." This means that you would be able to carry concealed in Illinois on the date when the bill becomes law for 1 year. Avoid the initial onslaught of applications to the Illinois State Police and price gouging.
In addition, having a non resident permit will allow you to carry in other states since it may also take a while for Illinois State Police to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states.
We recommend Utah + Arizona permit combination due to the coverage they provide and the low costs both states charge to process the applications. Florida permit is recommended if you travel to Florida.
I am disgusted with the instructors and companies misrepresenting to the hard-working people of Illinois their classes by implying that you can take a class now and it would satisfy Illinois concealed carry requirements. If you are one of those people who paid for a class already, call those companies and instructors back and demand a refund!
Feel free to call or email Illinois Concealed Carry, LLC. if you have additional questions about this topic. And please keep us in mind for all your firearm and concealed carry training needs.
Read more at our Illinois Concealed carry website