Glossary

Key terms and abbreviations used in Illinois firearms law.

Aggravated UUW: Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon (720 ILCS 5/24-1.6). An enhanced weapons charge that applies in several circumstances, including carrying a firearm without a valid FOID card or CCL, carrying a loaded and accessible firearm in a vehicle without a CCL, or carrying in a prohibited location. A first offense is a Class 4 felony (1 to 3 years in prison, up to $25,000 fine). A second or subsequent offense is a Class 2 felony (3 to 7 years, with a mandatory prison sentence). Aggravated UUW is one of the most commonly charged firearms offenses in Illinois.
Armed Habitual Criminal: A Class X felony charge under 720 ILCS 5/24-1.7 for possessing a firearm after being convicted of two or more qualifying felonies. Qualifying prior convictions include forcible felonies, weapons offenses, aggravated discharge of a firearm, gunrunning, home invasion, and certain narcotics offenses. The penalty is a mandatory minimum of 6 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. Class X felonies are the most serious non-capital felony classification in Illinois and require a mandatory prison sentence with no possibility of probation.
Assault Weapon: As defined under the Protect Illinois Communities Act (Public Act 102-1116), a semiautomatic rifle that can accept a detachable magazine and has any one prohibited feature, including a pistol grip, thumbhole stock, folding or telescoping stock, grenade launcher, barrel shroud, or flash suppressor. The definition also covers semiautomatic pistols and shotguns with specified features, as well as specifically named models including AR-15 and AK-47 variants. Additionally, .50 caliber rifles and cartridges are included in the ban.
Automatic Renewal: A FOID card feature available since January 1, 2023, for holders who have submitted fingerprints to the Illinois State Police. When automatic renewal is active, the FOID card remains valid for 10 years from each FTIP approval without requiring the holder to manually submit a renewal application. The card will continue to automatically renew as long as the holder is not subject to revocation or suspension.
Barnett v. Raoul: An NRA-supported Second Amendment challenge to the Protect Illinois Communities Act filed in the Southern District of Illinois (Case No. 23-cv-209). In November 2024, the district court entered a permanent injunction striking down the assault weapons and magazine bans under the Supreme Court's Bruen framework, but the Seventh Circuit stayed the injunction pending appeal. In June 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an unprecedented amicus brief supporting the challenge. A decision from the Seventh Circuit is pending as of March 2026.
Bevis v. Naperville: A federal challenge to the City of Naperville's municipal assault weapons ban and the state ban under the Protect Illinois Communities Act. The case has been consolidated at the Seventh Circuit with parallel suits including Credit River Township v. Raoul and Harrel v. Raoul. In November 2023, a 2-1 panel rejected a preliminary injunction, with Judge Brennan dissenting.
Bruen: Shorthand for the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. The decision established a two-part test for evaluating the constitutionality of firearms regulations: first, whether the regulated conduct falls within the plain text of the Second Amendment, and second, whether the government can identify a historical analogue justifying the regulation. The Bruen framework is central to the ongoing challenges to the Protect Illinois Communities Act.
Castle Doctrine: Illinois's defense-of-dwelling provision codified at 720 ILCS 5/7-2. The Castle Doctrine permits a person to use force, including deadly force, to prevent or terminate an unlawful entry into or attack upon their dwelling, without any duty to retreat first. Deadly force is justified when the person reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent a forcible felony or to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm. The protection extends to vehicles and other dwelling places.
CCL: Concealed Carry License. The license required to carry a loaded, concealed firearm on one's person or in a vehicle in Illinois. Issued by the Illinois State Police under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act (430 ILCS 66), which took effect in 2013, making Illinois the last state in the nation to adopt concealed carry. Applicants must be at least 21, hold a valid FOID card, complete 16 hours of approved training, and pass a live-fire qualification. The license is valid for 5 years and costs $150 for residents, $300 for non-residents.
Concealed Carry Licensing Review Board: An independent board established under 430 ILCS 66 that reviews law enforcement objections to CCL applications. When a law enforcement agency objects to an application, the Board reviews the objection and determines whether it should be sustained (denying the license) or overruled (issuing the license). This distinguishes Illinois from pure shall-issue states where no discretionary review exists.
Cook County: The county encompassing Chicago and surrounding suburbs, home to over 5 million residents. Cook County maintains its own Blair Holt Assault Weapons Ban, which is broader than the state ban and predates the Protect Illinois Communities Act. Several municipalities within Cook County have their own independent assault weapons ordinances. Because of Illinois's home-rule framework, firearms owners in the Cook County area must comply with the most restrictive layer of applicable law.
Endorsement Affidavit: A registration document required under the Protect Illinois Communities Act for individuals who possessed assault weapons or large-capacity magazines before January 10, 2023. The affidavit must include the weapon's make, model, and serial number, along with the owner's FOID card number. The ISP began accepting submissions on October 1, 2023, with a filing deadline of January 1, 2024. Administered by the ISP Assault Weapons page, the affidavit serves as proof of lawful pre-ban ownership and is required for continued lawful possession.
FDLC: Firearm Dealer License Certification. A state-level certification required since 2019 for all FFLs operating in Illinois, administered by the ISP under the Gun Dealer Licensing Act (430 ILCS 68). The FDLC is an additional requirement on top of the federal FFL. Retail location fees are $1,200 and non-retail location fees are $300. All owners, agents, and employees involved in firearms transfers must complete ISP-approved FDLC training.
Firearms Restraining Order: A court order authorized under the Firearms Restraining Order Act (430 ILCS 67), often referred to as Illinois's "red flag law." The order temporarily restricts a person's access to firearms when they are deemed a danger to themselves or others. Originally effective January 1, 2019, the law was expanded under PICA to allow orders lasting up to one year (previously limited to six months). Family members, household members, and law enforcement may petition for an order.
FOID Card: Firearm Owners Identification Card. A license issued by the ISP under the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act (430 ILCS 65) that is required for any person in Illinois to legally possess firearms, stun guns, tasers, or ammunition. Originally enacted in 1968, the FOID card system is unique to Illinois and makes it one of the few states requiring a license simply to possess a firearm. The card is valid for 10 years and costs $10 to apply.
FTIP: Firearms Transfer Inquiry Program. The ISP's state-level background check system used by federally licensed firearms dealers at the point of sale. FTIP searches criminal history records, FBI/NICS databases, and Department of Human Services files relating to mental health and developmental disabilities. Unlike states that rely solely on the federal NICS system, Illinois operates FTIP as a point-of-contact system, allowing the state to check additional databases beyond what NICS covers.
Home Rule: Under Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, municipalities with populations of 25,000 or more are automatically designated as home-rule units and may exercise broad regulatory authority, including over certain aspects of firearms. Illinois has partial preemption, meaning home-rule municipalities can enact some firearms regulations that go beyond state law. This is why Cook County and municipalities like Chicago, Evanston, and Skokie maintain their own assault weapons ordinances.
ISP: Illinois State Police. The primary state agency responsible for firearms regulation in Illinois through its Firearms Services Bureau. ISP administers FOID cards, Concealed Carry Licenses, the FTIP background check system, Firearm Dealer License Certifications, assault weapon endorsement affidavits, and firearms restraining orders. ISP also operates online portals at ispfsb.com (for FOID/CCL applications) and verify.ispfsb.com (for public verification of FOID/CCL validity).
Karina's Law: A law signed by Governor Pritzker in February 2025 (effective May 11, 2025) that requires law enforcement to petition for a search warrant and then confiscate firearms within 96 hours of receiving the warrant from a judge when individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders do not voluntarily surrender their firearms. The law establishes a firm timeline for firearm removal, addressing gaps in enforcement where protective order subjects were not promptly disarmed.
Large Capacity Magazine: Under the Protect Illinois Communities Act, a magazine with a capacity exceeding 10 rounds for rifles or 15 rounds for handguns. The manufacture, sale, delivery, and purchase of large-capacity magazines is prohibited. Magazines lawfully possessed before January 10, 2023, may be retained if the owner submitted an endorsement affidavit to ISP by the January 1, 2024 deadline (submissions opened October 1, 2023). Possession without a valid endorsement is a Class A misdemeanor (first offense) or Class 3 felony (subsequent offenses).
PICA: Protect Illinois Communities Act (Public Act 102-1116 / HB 5471). Signed by Governor Pritzker on January 10, 2023, in response to the Highland Park parade mass shooting. PICA enacted a statewide assault weapons ban, magazine capacity limits (10 rounds for rifles, 15 for handguns), a ban on rapid-fire devices, universal background checks for all private sales (effective July 1, 2023), and the endorsement affidavit system. The law also extended firearms restraining orders from 6 months to up to 1 year. PICA faces multiple constitutional challenges at the Seventh Circuit.
Parking Area Exception: A provision under 430 ILCS 66/65(b) that allows a CCL holder who is prohibited from carrying into a restricted location to still carry a concealed firearm into the parking area of that location in their vehicle. The firearm or ammunition must be stored concealed in a case within a locked vehicle or locked container out of plain view. This exception applies to most restricted locations.
Protect Illinois Communities Act: The full name for PICA (Public Act 102-1116), signed by Governor Pritzker on January 10, 2023. The law enacts a statewide assault weapons ban using both a features-based test and a named-models list, imposes magazine capacity limits of 10 rounds for rifles and 15 for handguns, bans rapid-fire devices, requires universal background checks for all private sales, and establishes the endorsement affidavit system for grandfathering pre-owned weapons. See also: PICA.
Rapid-Fire Device: Under the Protect Illinois Communities Act, any device intended or designed to increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic firearm to approximate the rate of fire of a fully automatic firearm. This includes bump stocks, trigger cranks, and similar accessories. The manufacture, sale, delivery, purchase, and possession of rapid-fire devices is banned statewide.
Safe Gun Storage Act: Enacted as SB 0008, signed by Governor Pritzker in July 2025, effective January 1, 2026. The law (720 ILCS 5/24-9) requires firearm owners to store firearms in a locked container or with a properly engaged trigger lock when the owner knows or reasonably should know that a minor (under 18), an at-risk person, or a prohibited person is likely to gain access. Violations carry civil penalties: up to $500 for a general violation, up to $1,000 if an unauthorized person obtains the firearm, and up to $10,000 if that person causes injury or death.
Shall-Issue: Illinois's concealed carry licensing classification since 2013. Under a shall-issue system, the ISP must issue a CCL to any applicant who meets all statutory qualifications. However, Illinois's framework includes a unique feature: law enforcement agencies may file objections to individual CCL applications, which are reviewed by the Concealed Carry Licensing Review Board. This mechanism adds a layer of discretionary review not present in most shall-issue states.
72-Hour Waiting Period: Illinois requires a 72-hour waiting period for all firearm purchases, applying equally to both handguns and long guns. The waiting period begins at the time the purchaser applies to purchase the firearm, and no firearm may be delivered until 72 hours have elapsed. This applies to both dealer sales and private sales. There is no exemption for FOID card holders, CCL holders, or law enforcement officers making personal purchases.
UUW: Unlawful Use of Weapons (720 ILCS 5/24-1). The core weapons offense in Illinois's Criminal Code, covering a wide range of prohibited conduct including carrying certain weapons, possessing prohibited firearms, and other weapons violations. General UUW is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $2,500 fine. A second or subsequent offense is elevated to a Class 3 felony (2 to 5 years). In 2025, HB 4500 reclassified the statutory language from "unlawful use of a weapon" to "unlawful possession of a weapon."
Universal Background Check: Under the Protect Illinois Communities Act (effective July 1, 2023), all private (non-dealer) firearm transfers in Illinois must include a background check. Private sellers must either go through an FFL who conducts a FTIP background check, or contact ISP directly to verify the buyer's FOID card validity through the online verification portal at verify.ispfsb.com. Transfers between immediate family members are exempt from the FFL requirement but still require FOID verification. The seller must retain a record of the sale for at least 10 years.
Vehicle Carry: The rules for carrying a firearm in a vehicle in Illinois vary based on the type of license held. With a CCL, the holder may carry a loaded, concealed firearm on their person within the vehicle or store it concealed anywhere in the vehicle. With a FOID card only (no CCL), the firearm must be unloaded and enclosed in a case, with ammunition stored separately. Without a FOID card, transporting a firearm is generally unlawful, with narrow exceptions for non-residents traveling to or from authorized activities.