Illinois Concealed Carry - How to Get a Permit Fast

Everyone wants to know how to get an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit as soon as the new law is enacted. Well, there are two things to know about Illinois concealed carry permits, and the Illinois concealed carry permit class.

First of all, once the law is enacted, there is expected to be quite a backlog, with over 170,000 applications expected right away. With this in mind, the House Bill (HB1155 as well as HB 997) contains a provision whereby Illinois will recognize out of state concealed carry permits for either 6 months or a year. That is good news if you have a concealed carry permit issued by another state. However, things change after that initial 6 to 12 month period.

Once the initial period of recognition is over, the bill in Springfield that has the most votes, HB1155, states that the Illinois Department of State Police shall enter into a Reciprocity agreement with states that have the same concealed carry permit training requirements as Illinois. The bill lists several states, including Florida, but does NOT list Utah as one of the states.

This is very important, as many people have rushed out to get a Utah concealed carry permit. The good news is that the Utah permit is easy to get, with only a four hour class required. The bad news is that the Utah permit will not do you any good in Illinois long term, according to what is happening in Springfield.

The answer is obvious: get a Florida concealed carry permit and you will cover your bases effectively. First off, you will have the ability to carry concealed right away when the law is enacted and second, you won’t have to worry about the 6 or 12 month period expiring, as your Florida permit will still be good.

The smart way to cover all the bases, to include getting an Illinois concealed carry permit, is to take an NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course and ask the instructor to have you shoot for qualification with the new Illinois shooting requirements.  This way, you can immediately apply for the Florida concealed carry permit, and you’ll be all set when the Illinois legislation becomes law to get an Illinois concealed carry permit.

To find an NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course in the Chicago / Northeast Illinois area, contact me at prepperdad@gmail.com. I will have a class on Sunday, April 7th in LaGrange.

How to Get an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit Fast

If you are wondering what is the fastest way to get an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit, then you may want to think outside the box. Given how screwed up the State of Illinois is, waiting for the Illinois State Police to work through their backlog of applications will be like waiting for the Cubs to win the World Series. However, understanding the law gives you a clue as to how to speed up the process.

First off, to get an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit, you will have to pass a criminal background check, complete the application, pay the fee and provide proof of training. Then the wait will begin.

To get some insight, let's realize that the reason people want an Illinois permit is so that they will  be able to lawfully carry concealed. And with Reciprocity, this can be accomplished with an out-of-state, non-resident permit. But be careful which state you look at.

According to House Bill 1155 (as amended with Amendment 27), the Illinois State Police must enter into Reciprocity agreements with other states that have substantially the same qualifications as Illinois. The legislation lists the states, and Florida is one of them. Utah is not...

The backlog for an Illinois resident to get a Florida Concealed Carry Permit is not so bad, so getting a Florida CCW, while a bit more costly, is the fastest way to carry concealed in Illinois.
A word of caution is warranted. Many people have taken a class to get a Utah CCW without realizing that the law will recognize some states' permits, but remember that Utah is not among those listed.

Now, for a period of 6-12 months immediately following the Illinois' law enactment, all CCW permits will be recognized, but that will come to an end. Permanent recognition will only be for permits that come from states like Florida, according to the pending legislation.

For this reason, taking a good NRA course that satisfies the requirements of both Florida and the pending Illinois legislation is by far the best idea. If you do it right the first time, you won't have to worry.

To enroll in an NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course with the addition of the shooting qualification that will satisfy the State requirement, you can email me at prepperdad@gmail.com.

To keep up to date on legislation affecting concealed carry, as well as class information, you can go to Illinois Concealed Carry.

Getting an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit - Class Requirements - Legislation

This week the picture became more clear as people begin to learn exactly what will be required to get an Illinois concealed carry permit. As more amendments were voted on in Springfield, it is clear that the class requirement for an Illinois concealed carry permit is not a matter that is being disputed by members of the Illinois House.

The main bill for Illinois concealed carry, HB 1155, now has had 53 amendments offered, with only three mentioning class and training requirements. One amendment is considered dead on arrival, as it actually proposed the same amount of training as a police officer gets.  The other two amendments, by Zalewski and Phelps, are nearly identical.

So what is the class that you will need for an Illinois concealed carry permit? The NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course, taught by a certified NRA Firearms Instructor, is the easiest way to ensure that you will qualify for a concealed carry permit.

There is an addendum that will be required. In addition to attending an NRA course, the instructor will also need to certify that you have passed the Illinois-specific shooting requirement.  That is easily added to the NRA Basic Pistol Course. The requirement is as follows:

Shoot 30 rounds at a man-sized silhouette target and hit 70% of the time, from the following distances:

• 10 rounds from 5 yards
• 10 rounds from 7 yards
• 10 rounds from 10 yards

If you would like to enroll in a class in the Chicago area, you can email me at prepperdad@gmail.com.

You can also get updates on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/illinoisconcealedcarryclass .

Illinois Concealed Carry: Why a Florida Permit Is Better Than a Utah Permit

Thousands of Illinois residents are getting Utah CCW permits that will allow them to carry concealed in many other states. But which is the best option for an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit alternative until you can get yours issued by the State Police?

It seems very clear that the best way to get your Illinois Concealed Carry Permit will be to take the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting class. This will give you excellent training and qualify you for the Florida CCW permit, as well as satisfy the requirements for an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit, according to the legislation moving through Springfield.

So why care about a Florida CCW permit? The reason is that the current legislation specifically spells out Florida as a state that issues concealed carry permits with substantially the same qualifications as Illinois would have. Utah does not fit that bill. Therefore, a Florida permit is better to have than a Utah permit if you are an Illinois resident.

The pending legislation also allows those who hold an out-of-state permit to carry concealed for 365 days following passage of the law, as the State Police will be very backlogged trying to handle the flood of permit applications. After the 365 days, the Florida permit will be recognized; the Utah permit will not be.

To enroll in an NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course in the Chicago area, contact Mike at prepperdad@gmail.com.

How To Get an Illinois CCW Permit

As of March 17th, the answer to "How to get an Illinois Concealed Carry Weapons Permit" is getting clearer and clearer. More amendments have been offered to House Bill 1155, and they don't deal with the education and training aspect.

This tells us what we've known for some time; that the education / training requirement for an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit will be just what was originally proposed by the friend of the NRA in Springfield, Rep. Brandon Phelps.

The NRA Basic Pistol Course remains as the best way to satisfy the Illinois Concealed Carry Permit class requirement. It is an eight hour class that includes a range qualification. The only thing that needs to be added to the NRA Basic Pistol Course is a bit more challenging range qualification, which can easily be done without adding any extra time.

While the original requirement that was included in Rep. Brandon Phelps merely called for passing the NRA Basic Pistol Course, the latest iteration by Rep. Phelps, which appears to be a compromise, was included in Amendment 27 of House Bill 1155 and passed with a comfortable margin.  This requirement is for the student to hit a B27 human sized silhouette target 70% of the time with 30 rounds fired.  Ten rounds each are to be fired from 5, 7 and 10 yards.

To enroll in an NRA Basic Pistol Course in the Chicago area, you can contact Mike at prepperdad@gmail.com.  Mike is an NRA Certified Firearms Instructor, a professional trainer (so he knows how to make classes fun, engaging and interesting), and uses dummy pistols and other training aids in the class to make things hands-on.

Passing this class will also qualify you for a Florida Concealed Carry Permit. More information is also available at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Illinois-Concealed-Carry-Permit-Class/110104049176911?ref=hl

Concealed Carry Permits in Illinois - Is A Utah Permit A Good Option?

As of March 13, 2013, the pending legislation in Springfield allows for those with CCW permits issued by another state to carry a concealed weapon in Illinois for 365 days following the bill becoming law.  This will allow for people to practice their 2nd Amendment Right immediately, while the Illinois State Police gets underway implementing a system to issue permits to its citizens.

As a result, many people are rushing out to get the easiest out-of-state concealed carry permit: Utah's CCW permit.  However, is the Utah concealed carry permit really the best option for an Illinoisan?  I don't think so.  Here is why...

According to Amendment 27 of House Bill 1155, the State Police will have to recognized out of state permits even after the 365 day period expires, but does NOT list Utah as one of the states to recognize.  Rather, the legislation specifically lists Florida, among other states, as a state that has substantially the same qualifications for a CCW permit as we will have here in Illinois.

Therefore, getting a Utah concealed carry permit is a good idea, but it may serve you only for 365 days.  The better option would seem to be to get a Florida concealed carry permit. So how do you go about that?

As long as you can pass a basic background check, Florida will issue you a concealed carry weapons permit if you demonstrate competency with a firearm. Although there are several ways to do this, the way that also coincides with the Illinois requirement from the pending legislation is to pass an NRA course taught by a certified NRA Firearms Instructor.

For information about upcoming Chicago area NRA Firearms Courses that satisfy this requirement, you can contact me at prepperdad@gmail.com .

More information is also available on my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Illinois-Concealed-Carry-Permit-Class/110104049176911?ref=hl

Classes For An Illinois Concealed Carry Gun Permit

As of March 8, 2013, there are four ways to qualify for the training requirement for an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit, according to the pending legislation.

Three of the classes are offered by the NRA:  Basic Pistol Course and either Basics of Personal Protection Inside the Home or Outside the Home.  However, the latter two courses usually require you to have completed the NRA Basic Pistol Course first.

To enroll in an NRA Basic Pistol Course in the Chicago area, you can email me at pepperdad@gmail.com


The other way to qualify for the training requirement for an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit is by taking another course from a qualified instructor. Qualified instructors include NRA Certified Firearms Instructors.

Those who do not need to attend a class include:

• NRA Certified Firearms Instructors,
• Retired Law Enforcement Officers
• State Certified Firearms Instructors
• US Military (active or retired) with a combat MOS

While the requirements outlined above are not yet passed into law, it is very clear that these requirements are one aspect of the concealed carry legislation that that members of the Illinois State Legislature all agree on.

How To Get an Illinois Concealed Carry Gun Permit

As of March 6, 2013 the pending legislation in Springfield lists the NRA Basic Pistol Course as satisfying the training requirement for obtaining an Illinois concealed carry permit.  NRA certified Pistol Instructor Mike Bius will be conducting 8 hour course in the western suburbs of Chicago starting in April.

In addition to qualifying you for an Illinois concealed carry permit, the NRA Basic Pistol Course will take someone from being a beginner who has never fired a gun to someone who has the confidence and knowledge to safely handle and fire handguns.  The NRA firearms instruction is second to none.

The cost of the course is $150 plus range fees.

For more information, email prepperdad@gmail.com.

Illinois Concealed Carry Permit Class in Chicago Western Suburbs

As of March 5, 2013, the overwhelming evidence is that the NRA Basic Pistol Course will satisfy the training requirements for concealed carry in Illinois. Currently, NRA Certified Pistol instructors are having a tough time keeping up with the demand for classes and more and more classes are filling up shortly after they are announced.

If you are interested in getting an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit and want to take the NRA Basic Pistol Course, there will be one held in the near-west suburbs (LaGrange area) the first weekend in April.  For information, contact Mike at prepperdad@gmail.com.

The eight hour course includes range time, where you will fire to demonstrate your knowledge of the safety principles taught and basic marksmanship.  In order to pass the course and get your certificate, you will need to shoot accurately at targets only 15 feet away, which is not too difficult for most students. However, the instructor will only pass those students who demonstrate the proper attitude of safety, as well as possessing the skills and knowledge taught over the 8 hour class.

The cost for the class will be $150 plus range fees.  In order to comply with the training requirements set forth in House Bill 997, you will need to provide your own firearm and factory loaded ammunition (no reloads).  However, this specific requirement has not yet been passed into law, and firearms and ammunition are available for your use if you need one.

Unlike many of these classes who are taught by police officers who, if I can be blunt here, may or may not be great at teaching, this course will be taught by a seasoned trainer who is a dynamic, engaging instructor.

Requirements for Illinois Concealed Carry Permit

As of Feb 26, 2013, the following requirements are listed in House Bill 997, which became a part of HB 1155, and it is largely agreed that these will change little  before being passed into law.

1) Application Fee - $25
2) Background - must pass criminal background check and not be mentally ill, must posess valid FOID card
3) Classroom / Qualification - Can be satisfied with NRA Basic Pistol Course

To Register for a Class

There are a lot of people currently seeking an NRA Basic Pistol Course to go through in order to be ready to apply for the Illinois Concealed Carry Permit.  If you'd like information on classes in the Greater Chicagoland Area, I can be contacted at prepperdad@gmail.com.

The NRA Basic Pistol Course is 8 hours and includes both classroom and range time.  Successful completion of this class will require you to fire 20 rounds at a "man-sized target" (B-21 silhouette) at 7 yards and 10 rounds at 15 yards.  As long as you hit the silhouette 21 times, you qualify on the shooting portion of the course.

There is also a written test that you must pass, which is simple enough if you are paying attention in class. Finally, you must demonstrate that you understand how to safely handle a firearm, which will be taught to you and drilled repeatedly throughout the day.

The class is hands-on, interactive and interesting and the day will go by quickly.