Nfa Items | Illinois Concealed Carry

Illinois NFA Items & Weapon Restrictions for Concealed Carry

Overview

Illinois imposes significant restrictions on the types of weapons that may be carried, possessed, and used. The following summarizes key weapon restrictions relevant to concealed carry license (CCL) holders and firearm owners in the state.

Concealed Carry - Handguns Only

• The Illinois Firearm Concealed Carry Act (430 ILCS 66) permits only the concealed carry of handguns as defined in the Act.
• Open carry is prohibited. A CCL holder may only carry a handgun that is "completely or mostly concealed from view of the public."
• No long guns, rifles, or shotguns may be carried concealed under the CCL.

NFA Items Under Illinois Law

Illinois law is highly restrictive regarding National Firearms Act (NFA) items. The ISP administrative sources focus on FOID and CCL administration and do not contain a comprehensive NFA-specific section. However, the following restrictions are established under Illinois criminal statute:

Note: The NFA item prohibitions listed below are based on Illinois criminal statute (720 ILCS 5/24-1) and are not directly addressed in the ISP administrative sources referenced elsewhere in this guide. Individuals should consult the statute directly or seek legal counsel for specific questions.

• Machine Guns / Fully Automatic Firearms: Generally prohibited for civilian possession under Illinois law (720 ILCS 5/24-1).
• Short-Barreled Rifles (SBRs) and Short-Barreled Shotguns (SBSs): Generally prohibited under Illinois law (720 ILCS 5/24-1).
• Suppressors/Silencers: Prohibited for civilian possession under Illinois state law (720 ILCS 5/24-1).
• Destructive Devices: Prohibited under Illinois law (720 ILCS 5/24-1).

Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA)

Illinois enacted the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA), which imposed additional restrictions:

• Assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and certain other devices are restricted under PICA.
• Individuals who possessed such items prior to the Act may obtain an endorsement affidavit through the Illinois State Police.
• The ISP provides an Assault Weapon Identification Guide and PICA FAQ resources for determining which items are affected.

FOID Card Requirement

• All Illinois residents who acquire or possess firearms, firearm ammunition, tasers, or stun guns must possess a valid Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) Card (430 ILCS 65), unless specifically exempted.
• A valid FOID card is a prerequisite for obtaining a CCL.
• The FOID card costs $10.00 and is valid for 10 years.

Ghost Guns

• The Illinois State Police has issued a public notice regarding ghost guns (unserialized firearms), indicating regulatory attention to these items.

Key Statutory References

Note: The NFA item prohibitions in the table above are based on Illinois criminal statute (720 ILCS 5/24-1) and are not directly addressed in the ISP administrative sources referenced in this guide.

Important Notes for CCL Holders

• Only concealable handguns may be carried under the CCL - no NFA items may be carried concealed.
• The CCL does not authorize open carry under any circumstances.
• Consult Illinois criminal statutes (720 ILCS 5/24-1) for restrictions on NFA items and other prohibited weapons. Individuals should seek legal counsel for specific questions regarding the legality of possessing particular items in Illinois.

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Federal context

Bump stocks - Garland v. Cargill (2024). In Garland v. Cargill, 602 U.S. ___ (2024), the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal regulation classifying bump stocks as machineguns under the National Firearms Act. As a matter of FEDERAL law, bump stocks are no longer NFA-regulated. State law may still independently restrict bump stocks; consult your state's RESTRICTIONS section for any state-level bump-stock prohibition.

P.L. 119-21 NFA tax (2026). Effective January 1, 2026, P.L. 119-21 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025) reduced the federal NFA making and transfer tax to $0 for silencers, SBRs, SBSs, and AOWs. Machine guns and destructive devices retain the $200 tax. The federal registration requirements (Form 1 / Form 4, fingerprints, photographs, CLEO notice) remain unchanged.