Without a Concealed Carry License, Illinois drivers must transport firearms unloaded and enclosed in a case, gun box, or trunk under 720 ILCS 5/24-1.6. CCL holders may carry loaded and concealed in a vehicle but cannot openly display.
Illinois vehicle-carry rules under 720 ILCS 5/24-1.6 and the Firearm Concealed Carry Act require non-CCL drivers to transport handguns unloaded, enclosed in a case or other container, with no immediate access. The trunk satisfies this. CCL holders may keep a loaded, concealed handgun on their person or in the vehicle but must immediately disclose it to law enforcement upon request. Long guns travel under the same unloaded-and-cased rule. Loaded firearms accessible to a driver without a CCL constitute Aggravated Unlawful Use. Cook County imposes no additional vehicle-carry rule.
Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon in a vehicle without a CCL is a Class 4 felony first offense; concealment without disclosure to officers can lead to CCL revocation.
See how Arlington Heights's firearms in vehicles rules stack up against other locations.
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