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.