Frequently Asked Questions About The Illinois Concealed Carry License
Our Guarantee - You don't qualify - You don't pay! **
Training Requirements
More information about the training mandated under the state and ISP rules.
- How much training is required for an Illinois CCL (Concealed Carry License)?
- Do I get credit for prior training??
- What are "State Certified" Trainers??
- What if my prior training was some time ago?
- Who is exempt from the training?
Classes
What to expect at Real Gun Control classes.
- What classes are offered?
- What should I bring?
- What should I wear?
- Is there a shooting requirement? What is it?
- What about out of state permits?
- Which class should I take?
- When will I receive my certificate for the class?
- Will I get my permit with this class?
- What is the minimum age to take a class? To get a Concealed Carry permit?
- What are your qualifications?
- Is this a May Issue or a Shall issue permit?
The Law
About the Illinois Firearms Concealed Carry Act.
- Is this a May Issue or a Shall issue permit?
- What fees are charged?
- What is the waiting time for a permit?
- What about carrying in bars or restaurants?
- How do we determine if somewhere is a "prohibited place"?
- What does safe harbor mean?
- Is this all I need to know?
Training Requirements
How much training for a CCL?
- The FCCA (Firearms Concealed Carry Act) calls for sixteen hour of training.
Credit for prior training?
The Illinois State Police has approved the following credits toward the 16 hour requirement for previous training.
- Illinois Hunter Safety Course - 4 hours
- Utah Concealed Carry - 4 hours
- Florida Concealed Carry - 4 hours
- Nevada Concealed Carry - 4 hours
- Missouri Concealed Carry - 4 hours
- Kentucky Concealed Carry - 4 hours
- Michigan Concealed Carry - 4 hours
- Chicago Firearms Safety Course - 4 hours
- NRA Basic Pistol - 8 hours
- NRA Personal Protection Inside the Home - 8 hours
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NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home
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8 hours
- Additionally, Armed Services veterans are granted eight hours credit with a copy of their DD214.
- These may be combined for a total of eight hours maximum. In other words if you have completed a Hunter Safety Course and have a Utah permit, you will be credited eight hours of prior training.
- You must also complete at least the last eight hours of Illinois mandated training to apply for a CCL.
- The state has approved NO classes for those with only a four hour credit. Some trainers have expressed an intention to teach 4 hour or 12 hour classes to accommodate those individuals. While I admire their intentions, please be aware the ISP rules have made no such accommodation. To complie with the rules as currently written, you must either take a class that meets the four hour requirement, or take the entire sixteen hour course.
- HOWEVER, in an effort to help, Real Gun Control will furnish those with 12 hours of training a pro-rated price. Pay for 12 hours - get the required 16!
What are "State Certified" Trainers?
- Courses available for prior credit may be taught by any instructor certified for that class. The last eight hours must be both a curriculum and an instructor both certified by the Illinois State Police. Illinois certified instructors have not been issued any identification by the state but you may look up any certified instructor here. Unfortunately, the curriculum approval is much less straight forward. Your instructor will have a curriculum number to put on your certificate of completion, if he indeed is teaching from an approved ciriculmn.
"Older" prior training?
- There is no mention of any expiration of prior training in either the statute or ISP rules. (But please get a refresher if you need it!)
Who is exempt?
- An active law enforcement officer, state certified instructors, those issued a firearm control card (FCC or Tan Card) by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Classes
What classes do you offer?
- The NRA Basic Pistol Course is a good basic introduction to firearms. The class will cover all the primary skills, knowledge, and attitude to safely handle your hand gun. An excellent introduction to gun ownership and usage, it will also satisfy eight hours of your required sixteen hours of state mandated training for your Illinois Concealed Carry permit.
Additionally, this class (as well as others we currently offer) fulfills the requirements for a non-resident Florida Concealed Carry permit. The Florida permit will allow you to carry concealed in 37 of the other states. - The Second Eight Class is designed specifically for those with a previous credit for up to eight hours of training available from several sources. Please see the Illinois Concealed Carry Law FAQ below.
This course is intended to add the additional eight hours required by the Firearms Concealed Carry Act without the need to take the entire sixteen hour course. It will also cover all state mandated material. The two most important of which are 1) the legal, ethical, and moral issues of armed self defense 2) the live fire qualification. - The Illinois Concealed Carry Class will completely fulfill the prescribed training for an Illinois Concealed Carry permit. This is this is the complete 16 hours of training mandated by the state of Illinois for a Concealed Carry permit in one course.
- We also provide ladies only classes from time to time.
- Private training for you or your group is also available. Call for details.
What should I bring?
- A three ring binder, at least 1 /1/2" thick, for 8 1/2 by 11" paper
- Notebook (needn’t be large) and pen
- Your valid FOID card and picture ID. Minors under the supervision of a parent or guardian do not need a valid FOID. Please see Age Requirements.
- If you are taking the Second Eight, please bring documentation of prior training (Completion Certificate or permit). Veterans, please bring a copy of your DD214.
- Firearms and ammunition will be available for the Basic Pistol Course ONLY. You may use ours, or yours.
- Classes other than Basic Pistol, firearms and ammunition will be available for an additional cost.
- Firearm of any caliber (might want to bring the gun you intend to carry if taking a course other than Basic pistol)
- The number of rounds of ammunition called for in the course outline,
- ABSOLUTELY NO AMMUNITION IN THE CLASSROOM, leave it in your vehicle
- Factory full metal jacket (FMJ) rounds only please. No steel casings. No shot shells.
- Balance due on training, if not yet paid in full. Cash or check are preferred. Make all checks payable to - Real Gun Control.
- A teachable attitude and the desire to have a good time!
What should I wear?
- Wear comfortable clothing
- Wear long pants instead of shorts
- Avoid low cut shirts
- Wear closed toe shoes
- Ball cap or brimmed hat
Live fire requirements
- For the Basic Pistol Course you will fire at least 20 rounds at 7 yards from a two handed stance. There is no is no minimum score to successfully complete the class. This is for your own familiarization. And for you experienced shooters, we can increase that distance a bit to make it more challenging, at your discretion.
- Qualification for a CCL requires that you fire a minimum of 30 rounds. 10 rounds from 5 yards; 10 rounds from 7 yards; and 10 rounds from 10 yards at a B27 silhouette target (these things are HUGE). A passing score is 70%. So 21 hits out of thirty, on a huge large target, from short range. Both the Second Eight and full 16 hour classes culminate in this required course of fire.
- DO NOT SWEAT THE FIRING REQUIREMENT! Trust us, we are professionals and we've done this before. If you show up with a teachable attitude, we WILL get you qualified. Yes, even if this is your very first time to fire a handgun. Do it all the time.
Out of state permits
- As mentioned elsewhere, all Real Gun Control courses currently offered will fulfill the training requirements for a Florida non-resident Concealed Carry permit. The Florida permit will allow you to concealed carry in 34 other states. Application packets will be provided to those interested at the conclusion of the class.
- The following states will honor an Illinois Concealed Carry permit.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
- And we thank them for recognizing our Second Amendment rights.
Which Course Do I Need?
- Take the NRA Basic Pistol Course for an excellent foundation in safe handgun ownership, handling, and care. This will also give you eight hours of credit toward the required training for an Illinois Concealed permit. You may choose to get a head start on your training, or decide later if you need / want a Concealed Carry permit.
- Take the Second Eight Class if you already have at least eight hours of prior training that will be credited, to satisfy the great state of Illinois requirements for a Concealed Carry permit. .
- The Full Sixteen Class will fulfill all training requirements for an Illinois Concealed Carry permit. If you are a rank novice at handguns, or if the state does not recognize your many years of experience, this will meet the state mandated training for your Concealed Carry ticket.
When Will I Get My Certificate?
- Certificates of Completion will be issued at the close of the the class.
Will I Get My Concealed Carry Permit?
- The classes we offer satisfy the training requirements necessary to apply for a Concealed Carry permit in Illinois. Completion of mandated training does NOT grant a permit or guarantee that you will receive one if you apply. It simply satisfies ONE of the criteria necessary for application. We recommend that anyone considering a firearm for self defense continue their formal training at least until they have completed the NRA’s Personal Protection In the Home course, or its equivalent.
What Age Requirement?
- There is no age requirement. Those under 21 years of age may not apply for an IL CC permit, but may take any or all of our classes. If you have a child under 18 who wishes to take a class, you will be required to take it together, and prior arrangements must be made with the instructor. Minors will need to be of a size and height to safely shoot over a range barrier, control their firearm at all times, and be ready to concentrate on an eight hour block of training. If your minor child meets those criteria, please call to discuss your situation with the instructor before signing up for a class. We strive to accommodate young shooters, but not at the cost of the safety and learning environment for other students.
What Are Your Qualifications?
- A lifetime of shooting
- A lifetime of teaching
- Graduated US Army Military Police Training (Fort Gordon, GA)
- Graduated the Police Training Institute (University of Illinois, Urbana, IL)
- Certified NRA instructor
- Certified State of Illinois Concealed Carry instructor
- Real Gun Control is so confident you will learn the necessary skill set, we offer a money back guarantee. If you do not qualify for the training requirement for your Illinois Concealed Carry permit, we will refund your training fee!
- This does NOT include anyone dismissed from from the class at the trainers discretion. Refusal to respond to Range Officer’s instructions, gross safety violations that are not immediately corrected, or an unteachable attitude will result in you being asked to leave the class. You have to work at it to achieve this dubious status, but it has and will happen.
The Firearms Concealed Carry Act & ISP Rules
May or Shall Issue?
- The IL CC is a shall issue permit, though with a provision for objection by law enforcement. There is an appeals process for those so designated.
What are the fees for a permit?
- For residents it is $150 for a permit. $300 for non-residents. "Express" service, whatever that means to the Illinois State Police, is provided for those submitting electronic fingerprints, with a longer wait promised those who do not submit fingerprints. Replacement of a permit, or address change, will cost $75
What is the waiting time?
- By statute, approval or denial is to be given within 90 days, but we know how the statutory requirement of a 30 day response time on FOID cards has been honored. We'll have to wait and see what the ISP's actual turnaround time becomes. There is an appeals process if no response is forthcoming in a timely manner.
Bars and Restaurants?
- You may not carry in any establishment that's derives more than 50% of their income from the sales of liquor. The owner has a duty to post signage if guns are NOT permitted.
Other Prohibited Places?
- In addition to the list of prohibited places that are spelled out in the statute, the owner of any private property may post a No Guns sign. Other prohibited places are required to post their entrances as well.
- We strongly encourage the use of No Guns - No Money business cards (Such as this.) be left at such private establishments. Let’s not pay people to disregard our Second Amendment rights.
What is "Safe Harbor"
- A CC permit holder may legally use their vehicle for the storage of a concealed firearm IN SPITE of being in the parking lot of a prohibited place. Your employer is not prohibited from taking action against you if the business is a prohibited place, however. Do use caution and situational awareness. No need to advertise the fact that 1) You are unarmed. 2) That your vehicle will be unguarded with a desirable target for theft in the glove box or trunk.
Much, Much More
- This section is NOT intended to touch on every important aspect of the Illinois Concealed Carry statute, but only a brief overview of common questions. Legal, moral, and ethical aspects of the law are covered in much greater detail in the Second Eight and Full Sixteen classes. You might also check the Illinois State Police for their FAQ regarding the new law. Or read the the actual statute.
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