The Protect Illinois Communities Act includes a ban on rapid-fire devices as part of its broader prohibition on assault weapons. These devices -- designed to increase the rate of fire of semiautomatic firearms to approximate fully automatic fire -- are treated as prohibited items alongside banned firearms and large-capacity magazines.[1]
What Devices Are Banned
PICA prohibits any device or attachment that is designed or functions to increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic firearm above the standard rate of fire for such a firearm not equipped with the device. Specifically, the ban covers:[1]
- Bump stocks: Devices that allow a semiautomatic firearm to use the recoil energy to slide the firearm back and forth against the shooter's trigger finger, effectively simulating automatic fire
- Trigger cranks: Devices attached to the trigger guard that use a rotating mechanism to repeatedly activate the trigger
- Similar devices: Any other device or attachment intended to accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic firearm beyond its standard rate
Relationship to Federal Regulation
Rapid-fire devices have been the subject of shifting federal policy. The ATF published a final rule in December 2018 (effective March 2019) classifying bump stocks as machine guns under the National Firearms Act, but the U.S. Supreme Court struck down that rule in Garland v. Cargill (2024), holding that bump stocks do not meet the statutory definition of "machine gun" because they do not allow a firearm to fire more than one shot by a single function of the trigger.[1] On May 6, 2026, the ATF published a final rule amending 27 CFR 478.11 to formally remove bump-stock-type devices from the federal "machine gun" definition, codifying the Cargill holding.[4] Illinois's state-level ban under PICA at 720 ILCS 5/24-1.9 operates independently of federal classification and remains enforceable regardless of the federal rule's status.[1]
Federal update (April 2026): The DOJ and ATF reform package signed on April 29, 2026 reversed the ATF's prior administrative classification of forced-reset triggers (FRTs) as machine guns under federal law. FRTs are no longer regulated as machine guns under the National Firearms Act. This federal change does not affect Illinois: PICA bans any device or attachment designed to increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic firearm above its standard rate, and FRTs fall within that definition under state law. Illinois's prohibition on FRTs remains fully in effect independent of federal classification.
Penalties
Rapid-fire devices are included in the same penalty structure as other PICA-banned items. Possession of a rapid-fire device without grandfathering is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense (up to 364 days in jail, up to $2,500 fine) and a Class 3 felony for subsequent offenses (2 to 5 years in prison). Sale or delivery is a Class 3 felony.[2]
No Grandfathering Exception
Unlike assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, which may be retained with an endorsement affidavit, PICA's treatment of rapid-fire devices is a complete ban. These devices may not be possessed, sold, or manufactured by any person in Illinois, with the exception of law enforcement officers acting in their official capacity. There is no registration pathway for pre-owned rapid-fire devices.[3]