How many concealed firearms can I carry?

There is some confusion surrounding how many firearms you may legally conceal in Illinois.  In the Illinois Firearm Concealed carry Licensing Compiled statute, 168-page law, nowhere in the law is it stated a limit to the number of firearms that may be carried concealed. So, How many concealed guns can you carry?

Well, the confusion arises by the language of the law,

(c) … A license shall permit the licensee to:
(1) carry a loaded or unloaded concealed firearm, fully concealed or partially concealed, on or about his or her person; and
(2) keep or carry a loaded or unloaded concealed firearm on or about his or her person within a vehicle.

However, if we consider legislative intent, it was not the intent of the sponsor, former State Representative Brandon Phelps, to limit the licensee to only one firearm.  How do we know this? We know the intent of the law based on committee meetings and legislative floor debates where anti-gun legislators were complaining and in fact voted against the law, based on the fact that licensees were not limited to only one firearm.  It is important to note, however, that we do not have case law. This means that nobody has yet been arrested for carrying multiple firearms. Because nobody has been arrested, no judge nor jury has had to determine if it is legal to carry multiple firearms.

While in other states it may be true that you may only carry one concealed gun, in Illinois my opinion is there is no limit. In fact, for those who chose to follow the debates that lead up to the passage of House Bill 183 in 2013, one Illinois politician, in particular, was upset about this topic and his ranting was rather humorous. Several states other than Illinois also allow a person to conceal multiple firearms.

It is suggested that all concealed carry license applicants take the time to read the Firearm Concealed Carry Licensing Act (FCCL) compiled statute for Illinois or ask a lawyer familiar with the Act. I am not a lawyer, simply a licensed and certified Concealed Carry Instructor who has made the rights of gun owners in Illinois his passion, but if I were a lawyer I would say…

You may carry more than one concealed firearm in Illinois!

In fact, this author plans to carry one back up gun (BUG). So next time someone tells you that you may only carry one concealed firearm at a time, ask them to prove it. Here is the law: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=3497&ChapterID=39

 

This is not legal advice. Please consult your attorney.

 

 



 

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