Illinois prohibits open carry of firearms statewide under 720 ILCS 5/24-1 and the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, which authorized only concealed carry. Cook County follows state law; there is no local open-carry exception in unincorporated areas or suburbs.
When Illinois passed the Firearm Concealed Carry Act in 2013, the legislature explicitly authorized only concealed carry, leaving the existing prohibition on open carry under 720 ILCS 5/24-1 in force. A handgun must be concealed on the person or carried in a case, unloaded, when in public. Cook County has no local rule loosening this. The only narrow exceptions are at one's own dwelling, fixed place of business, or while hunting on permitted lands. Plainclothes and off-duty law enforcement are also exempt.
Open carry of a handgun is Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, a Class 4 felony first offense; second offense is Class 2 with three to seven years prison.
See how Evanston's open carry rules stack up against other locations.
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