Illinois has a "red flag" law formally known as the Firearms Restraining Order (FRO) Act, enacted in 2019 under Public Act 100-0607. The law allows for...
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Illinois has a "red flag" law formally known as the Firearms Restraining Order (FRO) Act, enacted in 2019 under Public Act 100-0607. The law allows for civil court-ordered temporary firearm removal from individuals judged to pose a danger to themselves or others.
A Firearms Restraining Order (FRO) is a civil court order that temporarily prohibits a person from:
The order also requires the respondent to surrender all firearms, ammunition, and firearm parts to local law enforcement for the duration of the order.
If the court finds probable cause that the respondent possesses firearms when granting an FRO, the judge shall also issue a search warrant.
| Order Type | Duration | Process |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency FRO | Up to 14 days | Granted upon finding of immediate and present danger |
| Plenary (Full) FRO | Up to 1 year | Issued following a court hearing on the petition |
| Extension | Additional period | Filed via standardized extension petition form |
Two categories of petitioners may seek an FRO:
Family or Household Members:
Law Enforcement Officers:
Petitions must be filed in:
The Illinois Supreme Court, through the Conference of Chief Circuit Judges, provides standardized forms (updated September 2022 and May-June 2024):
Forms are available at illinoiscourts.gov. The circuit clerk's office is required to provide clerical assistance to persons not represented by counsel. The State's Attorney may also provide assistance.
An active FRO results in revocation of both the FOID Card and Concealed Carry License (CCL). Upon revocation notification, the respondent must within 48 hours:
FOID Card (430 ILCS 65/9.5):
CCL (430 ILCS 66/70(g)):
Failure to comply constitutes a Class A misdemeanor.
If the revoked person is the sponsor of a minor FOID cardholder, the minor's card is also revoked and must be surrendered.
Separate from the FRO petition process, Illinois law (430 ILCS 65/1.1) mandates that certain professionals report individuals who pose a clear and present danger:
Mandatory Reporters:
Qualified Examiners Include:
A Clear and Present Danger determination can independently result in FOID denial or revocation under 430 ILCS 65/8(f).
FROs are distinct from Orders of Protection (OPs). While both can restrict firearm access, FROs are specifically designed for situations involving firearm danger. Petitions for FROs can be filed by both family or household members and law enforcement officers. The FRO petition process does not affect law enforcement's ability to remove or seize firearms under any other law.
| Metric | 2019 | 2020 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total FROs filed | 34 | 19 | 53 |
| Counties with at least one FRO | 19 | 7 | - |
| Filed by family/household members | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| Filed by law enforcement | 25 | 13 | 38 |
| Firearms seized per FRO (2020) | - | 1-156 (avg. 16.5, median 6) | - |
DuPage County accounted for the majority of filings (12 in both 2019 and 2020). FRO record sealing practices vary by county.
The "Pause to Heal" campaign is a partnership between the Illinois Department of Public Health, Brady: United Against Gun Violence, and the Ad Council. It is designed to raise awareness about FROs as a tool to pause potentially deadly situations involving a person in crisis who has access to firearms.
The 2021 expansion of Illinois' FRO law requires the Illinois State Police to provide an annual report to the General Assembly or publish statistics on FRO petition filings.
FRO laws have been challenged in courts in Connecticut, Indiana, and Florida - all of which upheld the constitutionality of such laws. In Illinois, 64 counties have passed "sanctuary county" resolutions signaling reluctance to enforce certain gun laws, though data indicates FROs have still been carried out in some of those counties.
This information is compiled from official Illinois government sources including the Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Courts, and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. It is intended for general reference only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed Illinois attorney for guidance on specific situations.
<!-- federal-context-block:added-2026-05-20 -->United States v. Rahimi (2024). In United States v. Rahimi, 602 U.S. ___ (2024), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal firearm prohibition at 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8) for persons subject to a qualifying domestic-violence restraining order, holding the federal disability survives the historical-tradition test of N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Ass'n v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022). Rahimi is the controlling SCOTUS authority on the constitutionality of federal firearm disabilities tied to domestic-violence findings; it bears on any state-level red-flag / ERPO analysis to the extent those frameworks borrow federal § 922(g)(8) prohibitor mechanics.
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