Illinois Concealed Carry News

Concealed carry rules tough on out-of-state residents

18 hours, 34 minutes ago from sj-r.com

More than a year after Illinois passed a law allowing citizens to carry concealed firearms, the argument over a part of the Firearm Concealed Carry Act that makes it difficult for out-of-state residents to carry here is still smoldering.

Illinois law is unique in that it does not allow individuals from other states to carry firearms here even if they have a permit from their home state. Instead, non-residents who wish to carry concealed firearms in Illinois must get an Illinois permit.

But that’s not all. According to the Illinois State Police website, “only residents of states that have laws related to firearm ownership, possession and carrying that are substantially similar to the requirements to obtain a license (in Illinois) under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act are eligible.”

The site states that “substantially similar” means:

* The comparable state regulates who can carry firearms;

* Prohibits people who have involuntarily been placed in a mental health facility from carrying, or who have voluntarily placed themselves in such a facility within the last five years; and

* Reports both approved and denied applicants to nationwide databases.

ISP distributed a survey, most recently updated in May, to states to determine whether their laws meet that criteria and found that only four — Hawaii, New Mexico, South Carolina and Virginia — have similar enough rules to allow their citizens to apply for Illinois permits.

Additionally, non-residents applying for an Illinois permit, which is good for five years, must pay a $300 fee compared to the in-state applicant fee of $150.

Simply put, “It’s too complicated,” said state Rep. Brandon Phelps, a Harrisburg Democrat who helped steer the law through the General Assembly.

“We need to look a little more carefully at how we’re treating people from other states,” Phelps said. “A lot of those states have good standards. They should have been granted reciprocity in Illinois.”