Move to Illinois

[jmace57]

I posted a question a while back about travelling with a firearm to Chicago for my daughter's wedding, and got some good advice here.

I have another question. I currently live in Texas and am planning to retire in about 15-18 months to the Chicago area. Based on research, I will NOT be living in Chicago, or in Cook County. My tentative plan is to move to Lake County. I know some of you will say "don't do it", but my daughter has some medical issues that make this necessary.

First let me say that I have gone through the handgunlaw.us and the Illinois State Police sites, and surfed around for a while. Here are my circumstances:

I have approximately 75 firearms...most of them are S&W revolvers, as that is what I collect. However, I have probably a dozen semi-auto pistols, probably 5 of which have magazines that hold 11-17 rounds.

I have a couple of shotguns, an M1 Garand, an M1 Carbine, a couple of .22 rifles, and an AR15 with about half a dozen 30 round mags.

And about 15000 rounds of miscellaneous ammo, and powder and primers to make another 20-30000 rounds.

I am a C&R FFL holder, for whatever that's worth.

This is what I think I understand. Please correct me if I am wrong. I first need to establish residency and get an Illinois driver's license. I figure that will take a few weeks. Then, I can apply for an Illinois FOID card (which I understand is currently taking 8-12 weeks). Until I have that FOID, I am not allowed to "possess" firearms. In other words, I can't just fill up the back of my car and move up there with my guns, and worry about the "paperwork" later? So, it would behoove me (if I own the house for a few months before I move) to get this paperwork going before I move?

Maybe these are silly questions, but should I contact the Illinois State Police in advance and clear the transport in my car? Talk to them about the situation? I can just see being stopped and have a patrolman ask me if I have any firearms in the car! Should I go AROUND Chicago and Cook County in this circumstance? What about keeping firearms and ammunition separate?

Any thoughts or observations would be appreciated. Thanks
Jim

 

[C0untZer0]

Join IllinoisCarry.com.

 

[jmace57]

Thanks - I have, but still awaiting "approval".

 

[larry_minn]

I wouldn't do it. How far from other states would you be? I "thought" IL required FOID card (with all serial #s recorded?? etc.x75 (where is swat)?
How long do you think you will be there? Maybe store most of your collection out of state? If you will be there short time....

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

You have to have a FOID card, but otherwise you won't have any real trouble. There's no individual gun registration.

 

[il.bill]

A non-resident may possess firearms, but each must be unloaded and enclosed in a case. New Illinois residents have sixty calendar days after obtaining an Illinois driver’s license or Illinois Identification Card to obtain a FOID card. In your position I would apply for my Illinois Driver's License as soon as I could and then apply for my FOID Card immediately on receiving my D/L. I was poking around the Illinois State Police web site https://www.ispfsb.com/Public/Home.aspx but failed to come up with any specific answers or references to post.

 

[il.bill]

IllinoisCarry.com is a great place for more info on anything related to 'firearms' and 'Illinois'. http://illinoiscarry.com/forum/

While the State of Illinois if far from ideal for gun owners, it is actually NOT as bad as several others in many respects - for what that is worth.

 

[C0untZer0]

I "thought" IL required FOID card (with all serial #s recorded

No recording of serial numbers.

IllinoisCarry.com more or less keeps a moving average of how long it takes to obtain a FOID, not officially but just by people reporting their experiences. Last year I applied for FOID cards for my kids and it only took 42 days to receive the cards. In 2012 when I renewed my FOID, it took a little over 4 months for the state to renew it, so it varies.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Move just across the border to Wisconsin. Kenosha County is adjacent to IL's Lake County - WAY better gun laws and a heck of alot cheaper living as well. I used to live there.

 

[Midwest]

Illinois despite it's anti-gun reputation is still better than other states.

There is the FOID requirement.

24 hour waiting period on long guns

72 hour waiting period on handguns


Compare that to California's 10 day waiting period.
Rhode Island's 7 day waiting period.


Once you get your FOID there are no other permits needed to get. (Other than the carry permit - if you want to carry there).


NJ requires a separate purchase permit for each handgun. Illinois doesn't.

NY State initially requires you have to wait 3 to 6 months (or longer) to get a pistol permit to buy a pistol. Illinois just requires the FOID.

Hawaii all guns must be registered. Illinois doesn't require that.

NJ, MD and HI it is impossible for anyone to get a carry permit unless they are a guard, cop or politically connected. Illinois any citizen with a clean record can apply and get it.


There is no gun roster like California or Massachusetts.

There is no 'one handgun a month' limitation like NJ.

So, Illinois isn't that bad at all compared to other states.
.

 

[ljnowell]

I've lived in IL my whole life. There is so much bad info regarding IL it's not even funny.

Yes, you need a FOID card. There is a grace period that you can possess your firearms while you wait for the card. You can actually apply for a FOID and CCL at the same time.

The FOID does not require registration or recording of any serial numbers. It basically registers owners, not firearms.

There is no state AWB. A few counties and towns have grandfathered in bans. The concealed carry law preempted all gun laws to the state level and forbids any local firearm laws from being created.

There are no state mag restrictions. Even in areas that have mag restrictions if you are conceal carrying the FCCL preempts those laws.

Our CCL system is shall issue. You are required to take 16hrs of training and pay a 150 dollar application fee, then it's good for 5 years.

You can own pretty much anything you want except full auto and suppressors. If you have a C&R you can get SBRs too. We are working on suppressor legislation. Give it five or six years, I think we will accomplish that too.

Overall IL isn't as bad as most people make it out. Lots of gun people here and plenty of opportunity for competition and recreation.

 

[Red Wind]

Two of my nieces live in Illinois, one in Westmont, just west of Chicago and one in Mattoon.
Over the years, visiting them with firearms, I just followed the Illinois State Police (ISP) guidelines and good advice from Illini residents on this forum.

I've never had a problem. And now that Illinois is shall issue, visiting is even easier.
Visiting my cousins in New Jersey and New York with a gun is legally impossible for over night stays.

Illinois is not that bad. I hope the OP enjoys the state. There is a lot to do and some really great hunting, specially downstate deer. Some of the largest in the nation.

 

[Nanook]

Right now, IL does not honor any other state's concealed carry license. None.

That may change in the future, but like most good gun things it takes years to get it done.

Our concealed carry law first required a court ruling that the way IL was set up was unconstitutional. Then it still took a couple of years to work out the wrinkles.

 

[Red Wind]

True, Illinois recognizes no other states license. But now I can carry a loaded handgun in my car glove box or console in Illinois, having a Florida license, as long as it does not leave the car, as ljnowell, pointed out on another thread about Illinois gun laws recently.

 

[ljnowell]

True, Illinois recognizes no other states license. But now I can carry a loaded handgun in my car glove box or console in Illinois, having a Florida license, as long as it does not leave the car, as ljnowell, pointed out on another thread about Illinois gun laws recently.

It's not great, but it does at least give you a little bit of protection. If nothing else it makes traveling through IL much better.

 

[Red Wind]

It certainly does make traveling through Illinois much better. Thanks again for the heads up in the Kansas to New England thread.

 

[Spats McGee]

. . . .There is a grace period that you can possess your firearms while you wait for the card. . . .

Do you have a statutory citation for this, ljnowell? Given the circumstances laid out by the OP, this is a detail that could prove very helpful.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Top ten crappy places for gun owners according to G&A - 2015

1 - DC
2 - NY
3 - NJ
4 - MA
5 - HI
6 - CA
7 - CT
8 - MD
9 - IL
10 - RI

So, while not the worst, IL is definitely in the top 10. Cook and DuPage Counties are the worst in the State. Lake County comes in at a close 3rd. Basically, the closer you are to Chicago the more stringent the gun laws AND the twisted logic of the brainwashed populace.

I spent the 1st 2 decades of my life in Chicago, then in the surrounding Counties. Finally had enough of the silliness and moved across the border.

 

[Spats McGee]

. . . .There is a grace period that you can possess your firearms while you wait for the card. . . .

Do you have a statutory citation for this, ljnowell? Given the circumstances laid out by the OP, this is a detail that could prove very helpful.

Never mind. I did some digging through the IL statutes and found the following:

(d) Any person who becomes a resident of this State, who is not otherwise prohibited from obtaining, possessing, or using a firearm or firearm ammunition, shall not be required to have a Firearm Owner's Identification Card to possess firearms or firearms ammunition until 60 calendar days after he or she obtains an Illinois driver's license or Illinois Identification Card.

430 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 65/2

 

[ljnowell]

Never mind. I did some digging through the IL statutes and found the following:

I had just seen your post and was going to look for it when I saw you posted again. I should have posted a reference to it, but I was in a hurry and it was a quick post.

 

[jmace57]

Thank you all for your input.

As I said, based on family circumstances, I will need to live in the area. I told my wife I wouldn't live in Chicago/Cook County...and we are dealing with trying to be close to our daughter, but not in those areas.

Thanks again all.
Jim

 

[stchman]

Move just across the border to Wisconsin. Kenosha County is adjacent to IL's Lake County - WAY better gun laws and a heck of alot cheaper living as well. I used to live there.

Just what he said. Kenosha, WI is about 6 miles to the Illinois border. Not to mention, you can get a CCW without jumping through hoops of fire and don't have to worry about magazine restrictions.

 

[brutus51]

I agree with onward and stchman in addition to the more gun friendly envoirment that wisconsin offers you would be close to the Bristol sportsman club a wonderful orginization that provides a 50,100 and 200yd rifle range, 25yd pistol, trap and skeet, an archery range as well as cowboy and urban cowboy matches. it's well organized and a very safe place to shoot.

 

[ljnowell]

Just what he said. Kenosha, WI is about 6 miles to the Illinois border. Not to mention, you can get a CCW without jumping through hoops of fire and don't have to worry about magazine restrictions.

Hoops of fire? Really? It's a class and an application. Sure doesn't seem to complicated to me.

Blind hate sure is ugly at times.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

IL is nowhere nearly as bad with RKBA as some think it is---and it's been getting better by leaps and bound over the last decade. I'm still here (mostly) owing to family obligations, too. Consider joining the ISRA as well--a great resource and organization. Good luck with your plans.