Cook County and Municipal Assault Weapons Ordinances

Before the Protect Illinois Communities Act established a statewide assault weapons ban in January 2023, several local jurisdictions in Illinois had already enacted their own restrictions. These local ordinances were grandfathered under Illinois's 2013 firearms preemption law, which generally bars municipalities from regulating firearms but preserves ordinances that were in effect before the preemption statute took effect. As a result, residents in these jurisdictions may be subject to local restrictions that are broader or more stringent than the state ban.^[1]

Illinois Firearms Preemption

Illinois adopted a split preemption structure in 2013. Under 430 ILCS 66/90, the regulation, licensing, possession, registration, and transportation of handguns and handgun ammunition are exclusive powers of the state, and inconsistent local ordinances were invalidated, including ordinances that predated the 2013 law. Under 430 ILCS 65/13.1(c), the regulation of assault weapons is preempted, but ordinances regulating assault weapons that were enacted on, before, or within 10 days after July 9, 2013, are preserved. That narrow window is why municipalities that already had assault weapons bans on the books were allowed to keep them.^[1]

Cook County Blair Holt Assault Weapons Ban

Cook County enacted the Blair Holt Assault Weapons Ban, which applies throughout unincorporated Cook County and to any municipality within Cook County that has not enacted its own ordinance on the subject. The Cook County ordinance bans a list of semiautomatic firearms by name and by features, and its definitions are in some respects broader than the state PICA definitions. The ordinance also prohibits large-capacity magazines, with the county defining "large capacity" as more than 10 rounds for all firearms -- a lower threshold than PICA's 15-round handgun limit.^[2]

Municipal Ordinances

Several municipalities within Cook County have enacted their own assault weapons ordinances that operate independently of the county ban. These municipalities include:^[2]

• Buffalo Grove
• Dolton
• Evanston
• Hazel Crest
• Homewood
• Lincolnwood
• Riverdale
• Skokie

Each of these municipalities has its own definitions, exemptions, and penalty structures. Firearms owners in these jurisdictions must comply with both the municipal ordinance and the state PICA provisions, and where the two conflict, the more restrictive regulation applies.

Chicago

The City of Chicago maintained a firearm registration regime for decades, but no current Chicago registration requirement exists. Under 430 ILCS 66/90, enacted in 2013, the registration of handguns is an exclusive power of the state, and inconsistent local ordinances were invalidated, including ordinances that predated the 2013 law. Chicago's firearms regulations have been the subject of multiple legal challenges, including the landmark McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010) Supreme Court decision that incorporated the Second Amendment against state and local governments. Chicago's remaining ordinances operate alongside state law, and firearms owners in Chicago must comply with both city and state requirements.^[3]

Interaction Between Local and State Bans

With PICA now in effect statewide, the practical significance of the local ordinances has shifted. In jurisdictions where the local ban is narrower than PICA, the state ban governs. In jurisdictions where the local ban is broader -- such as Cook County's 10-round magazine limit for all firearms -- the local ordinance imposes additional restrictions beyond state law. Firearms owners in Cook County and the municipalities listed above should review both the local ordinance and PICA to determine which items are restricted in their jurisdiction.^[1]

Bevis v. City of Naperville

The interaction between local and state assault weapons bans is at the center of Bevis v. City of Naperville, a federal case challenging the City of Naperville's local assault weapons ordinance alongside the state PICA ban. Bevis ended at the preliminary-injunction stage when the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in July 2024. In the separate Barnett v. Raoul consolidation, a federal district court issued a permanent statewide injunction against the bans on November 8, 2024, the Seventh Circuit stayed the injunction on December 5, 2024, and on July 9, 2026 the Seventh Circuit reversed the injunction and upheld PICA. State and local bans remain in effect.^[4]

Supreme Court Review: Viramontes v. Cook County

The Cook County ordinance itself is now before the U.S. Supreme Court. On June 30, 2026, the Court granted certiorari in Viramontes v. Cook County (No. 25-238), consolidated with Grant v. Higgins (No. 25-566), a challenge to Connecticut's assault weapons ban, to decide whether the Second and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee the right to possess AR-15 platform and similar semiautomatic rifles. One hour of argument has been allotted for the October 2026 term, and no argument date has been scheduled. The Cook County ordinance and PICA both remain in effect while the case is pending.