A law that goes into effect Wednesday will require individual Illinois gun owners to check their buyer's credentials with state police before transferring ownership of their weapons, but key details of the new process still haven't been announced.

Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, said Thursday that he was waiting to hear how private sellers would confirm that their purchaser had a valid firearm owner's identification card.

"We've received no instructions on how that's to be done," Pearson said. "If the citizens can't do it, I don't see (how) they can be held liable for not doing it."

State police spokeswoman Monique Bond said the agency would be prepared to verify FOID cards when the new law takes effect. She said more details would be announced at a news conference Monday.

Beginning next week, Bond said gun owners will be able to call a phone number (which she said wouldn't be made public until Monday) or use the state police website to check the buyer's credentials and obtain an "approval number" that would be valid for a month. Then, after a waiting period of 24 or 72 hours, depending on what type of weapon was being sold, the transfer of ownership could proceed.

But if a gun owner clicked on "Acquiring or Transferring Firearms in Illinois" on the state police's website Thursday afternoon, they were directed to a brochure that contained no mention of the impending change in the law. The site's home page also had no information on the change.

Bond said state police had no large-scale plans to reach out directly to gun owners about the change, but added that the agency would have online resources once the measure took effect.

"We're in the process of putting that out there on a website and we'll be ready Jan. 1," she said.

When Gov. Pat Quinn signed the measure into law in August, the Democrat touted the verification process as a tool to stop weapons trafficking and make the streets safer. The new legislation requires an additional step for individual gun owners privately transferring their weapon to another person, but it does not change the rules for licensed gun dealers.

Gun owners have long had to keep records of their private sales and check that their buyers have FOID cards, steps that don't change under the new law. But if a buyer's FOID card appeared valid but had been revoked, the seller would previously have had no way of knowing. Requiring the check with state law enforcement, supporters say, will provide a current record of whether the buyer has permission to own a firearm.

Pearson said he was dubious of the new law's potential impact, but that he'd relay information on how to comply to his membership once he hears.

"I think it's probably unnecessary," Pearson said. "It's, of course, aimed at people who transfer guns illegally. But people who transfer guns illegally are still going to transfer guns illegally. I can't imagine too many gang members have FOID cards."

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