Penalties For Carrying a Concealed Firearm in a Prohibited Place

 Posted on March 16, 2018 in Uncategorized

Even long-time, law-abiding gun owners in Illinois can find it difficult to interpret some of the complicated Illinois gun laws. The 2013 Firearm Concealed Carry Act is one such law.

When you get an Illinois concealed carry license (CCL), one of the first things you should learn is the list of places where concealed carry is not allowed. While the law officially lists more than 20 such places, an abbreviated and simplified list is provided below for ease of reading.

Places You Cannot Carry a Concealed Firearm in Illinois

1. Schools and child-care facilities, including all college/university buildings. 2. Government offices and related facilities (city, county, state, etc.), including courts, jails, and prisons. 3. Hospitals and residential care facilities such as nursing homes. 4. Public transportation vehicles (buses, trains, airplanes, etc.) and facilities (stations, airports). 5. Bars and other establishments where more than 50% of gross receipts come from the sale of alcohol. 6. Public playgrounds, parks, athletic centers, and park district facilities. 7. Casinos, racetracks, and other gambling facilities. 8. Stadiums and other facilities used for collegiate or professional sporting events. 9. Public libraries, amusement parks, zoos, museums, and public “special events” conducted under a local government permit. 10. Nuclear facilities of all kinds. 11. Areas where firearms are prohibited under federal law. This includes all federal government buildings and offices (including courts, prisons, and military bases), post offices, national cemeteries, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facilities. 12. Businesses and other properties that have posted “no firearms” signs.

What to Do with a Firearm Before Entering a Prohibited Area

Concealed carry on your person is generally prohibited in the parking areas and outdoor spaces connected with a prohibited location. As a concealed carry license holder, you may drive onto a “prohibited” property with your firearm in your vehicle, but you may not take the firearm out of your vehicle except for the limited purpose of storing or retrieving a firearm from the trunk of your vehicle. Until you leave, your gun must remain locked in your vehicle out of plain view. (One of the few exceptions is that concealed carry is generally allowed on National Park Service and Illinois Department of Natural Resources lands and trails, though not in any buildings, such as ranger stations or visitor centers.)

Penalties for Concealed Carry in a Prohibited Location

Under Illinois law, a CCL holder who carries a concealed firearm into a prohibited location commits (on the first offense) a Class B misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine up to $1,500 and up to six months in jail. A second offense bumps the charge up to a Class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine up to $2,500 and up to one year in jail; in addition, your CCL may be suspended for up to six months.

Protect Your Rights with a Skilled Joliet Firearms Defense Lawyer

While Illinois residents have been able to obtain concealed carry licenses since 2014, Illinois still has some of the strictest and most confusing gun laws in the nation. If you have run afoul of Illinois’ FOID, CCL, or other firearms laws, the Law Offices of Jack L. Zaremba, P.C. will aggressively defend your Second Amendment rights. Contact a Joliet gun law attorney at 815-740-4025 for a free and confidential consultation. Calls are responded to 24 hours a day.