Illinois 2026 Concealed Carry Expansion Bills: Forest Preserves, Reciprocity, and Restricted-Zone Rollbacks

What the Bills Would Do

More than a dozen bills filed in the 104th General Assembly would expand where and how concealed carry license (CCL) holders can carry in Illinois. The Firearm Concealed Carry Act (430 ILCS 66) currently prohibits carry in 23 categories of locations. Several of the most active bills target specific prohibited zones:

HB3507 / SB1802 — Concealed Carry in Forest Preserves: Would remove forest preserve districts from the list of prohibited locations under 430 ILCS 66/65. HB3507 has been assigned to the Gun Violence Prevention Committee as of March 12, 2026^[1]. SB1802 has a committee deadline of March 27, 2026^[2].

SB3095 / SB3127 — Concealed Carry Reciprocity: Would establish reciprocal recognition of concealed carry permits from other states that have substantially similar qualification standards. Both have committee deadlines of March 27, 2026^[3]. Illinois currently does not recognize any other state's concealed carry permit.

SB3133 / SB3098 / SB3135 — Parks, Rest Areas, Public Transit: Multiple bills with March 27 deadlines would remove state parks, IDOT rest areas, and public transportation from the restricted-carry list^[4].

Current Status

The forest preserve bills (HB3507 and SB1802) are the most advanced, with active committee assignments. The reciprocity and restricted-zone rollback bills have committee deadlines but have not yet received hearing dates. All face an uphill battle in the Democrat-controlled General Assembly, but the volume and persistence of filings reflects sustained demand from the CCL-holding community.

What to Watch

Illinois issued its first concealed carry licenses in 2014, and the restricted-location list has been a constant source of friction since. The forest preserve issue is particularly salient because many forest preserves in rural and suburban Illinois are used for hunting and recreational shooting, and the carry prohibition strikes many CCL holders as inconsistent. Reciprocity faces the steepest odds — Illinois's training requirements (16 hours) are among the highest in the nation, and the legislature has historically been unwilling to recognize permits from states with lower standards. The March 27 committee deadline on the Senate bills is a critical date; any bill that misses it is effectively dead for the session.