HB1373 / Public Act 104-0030: Law Enforcement eTrace Firearms Data Sharing

What the Bill Would Do

Public Act 104-0030 (originally HB1373) mandates that all Illinois law enforcement agencies participate in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) eTrace program^[1]. eTrace is a web-based firearms tracing system that allows law enforcement to submit trace requests on firearms recovered in criminal investigations and receive results showing the firearm's chain of commerce from manufacturer to first retail sale. Previously, Illinois participation in eTrace was voluntary and inconsistent across the state's hundreds of law enforcement agencies.

The act requires every agency that recovers a firearm during a criminal investigation to submit a trace request through eTrace within a specified timeframe. It also requires agencies to share trace data with the Illinois State Police for inclusion in statewide crime gun intelligence analysis.

Current Status

HB1373 was signed into law on July 28, 2025, as Public Act 104-0030^[2]. The law is in effect.

What to Watch

Compliance will depend on smaller agencies having the technical capacity and training to use eTrace. The law strengthens Illinois's ability to identify straw purchasers and trafficking patterns, particularly the flow of firearms from Indiana into Chicago — a well-documented pipeline. Gun dealers should expect more frequent trace inquiries as agencies increase their reporting. The data generated will likely inform future legislative proposals about dealer regulation and trafficking enforcement.