Stun guns are legal in Illinois, but only if you hold a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card issued by the Illinois State Police. The same rule applies to tasers, and it catches many people off guard because these devices aren’t firearms. Illinois regulates them under the same licensing system anyway, and possessing one without a FOID card can result in felony charges.
The Firearm Owners Identification Card Act states that no person may acquire or possess any firearm, stun gun, or taser in Illinois without a valid FOID card.1Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 65/2 – Firearm Owners Identification Card Act Stun guns and tasers appear as their own category in the statute, but the card, background check, and penalty structure track those for firearms.
How To Get a FOID Card
The application goes through the Illinois State Police, costs $10, and is submitted online through the Firearm Services Bureau portal.2Illinois State Police. FOID Frequently Asked Questions You’ll need a valid Illinois driver’s license or state ID to apply. The statutory processing window is 30 days, though delays are common in practice. Once issued, the card is valid for 10 years.
You must meet these eligibility criteria:
- Be 21 or older. Applicants under 21 need written, notarized consent from a parent or legal guardian who is themselves FOID-eligible, and cannot have misdemeanor convictions other than traffic offenses.3Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 65/4 – Application for Firearm Owners Identification Cards
- Have no felony convictions under Illinois or any other state’s laws. This disqualification is permanent.3Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 65/4 – Application for Firearm Owners Identification Cards
- Have no convictions for domestic battery or aggravated domestic battery, and no active order of protection prohibiting firearm possession.
- Not have been a patient in a mental health facility within the past five years, not have been involuntarily admitted, and not have been adjudicated as a person with a mental disability.
- Have no active narcotics addiction.
- Have no convictions within the past five years for battery, assault, aggravated assault, or violation of an order of protection involving a firearm.
Where You Can and Cannot Carry
A FOID card doesn’t authorize carrying a stun gun anywhere you please. Under the Unlawful Use of Weapons statute, you cannot carry a stun gun concealed on your person or in a vehicle unless you’re at your own home, your fixed place of business, or on another person’s property with their permission.4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 720 ILCS 5/24-1 – Unlawful Use of Weapons FOID holders get one narrow exception: transport in a case, unloaded. Concealed carry license holders get a broader exception and may carry in accordance with the Firearm Concealed Carry Act.
Several locations bring enhanced penalties. Carrying a stun gun in or within 1,000 feet of any of the following bumps the offense from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class 3 felony:4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 720 ILCS 5/24-1 – Unlawful Use of Weapons
- Any school property, regardless of the time of day or whether school is in session
- Public parks and courthouses
- Vehicles or facilities owned, leased, or contracted by a public transportation agency
- Residential property owned, operated, or managed by a public housing agency
Bars and public events are also off-limits. You cannot carry a stun gun in any establishment licensed to sell alcohol or at any public gathering that charges admission or requires a government-issued permit. Violating this restriction is a Class 4 felony.4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 720 ILCS 5/24-1 – Unlawful Use of Weapons
Publicly funded buildings carry their own rule. Possessing a weapon in any building or on any land supported by public funds, without written permission from the chief security officer, is a Class A misdemeanor.5Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 720 ILCS 5/21-6 – Unauthorized Possession or Storage of Weapons
How To Transport a Stun Gun
To move a stun gun from one place to another, Illinois law requires it to be unloaded and enclosed in a case.4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 720 ILCS 5/24-1 – Unlawful Use of Weapons A firearm carrying box, shipping box, or similar hard-sided container satisfies this requirement. Tossing a stun gun loose in your glove compartment does not.
Illinois law doesn’t impose specific storage requirements at home. Keeping the device secured in a lockbox or safe is still the sensible move, especially in households with children. If an unauthorized person accesses your stun gun and causes harm, civil liability is possible even where no criminal storage law applies.
Using a Stun Gun in Self-Defense
Illinois allows the use of force in self-defense when you reasonably believe it’s necessary to protect yourself or someone else from an imminent threat of unlawful force.6Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 720 ILCS 5/7-1 – Use of Force in Defense of Person A stun gun is generally treated as non-lethal force, so the threshold for justified use is lower than it would be for a firearm. You don’t need to fear for your life; a reasonable belief that someone is about to use unlawful physical force against you is enough.
Context still matters. Using a stun gun where no reasonable person would perceive a threat costs you the self-defense justification and can bring assault or battery charges. The force must also be proportional. Deploying a stun gun against someone who merely insulted you would not qualify. When use of force is found justified, the law shields you from civil liability brought by the aggressor or their family.
Penalties for Illegal Possession or Use
Penalties depend heavily on the circumstances, and the aggravated unlawful use of weapons statute creates felony exposure that the basic misdemeanor provision might lead you to overlook.
Possession Without a FOID Card
Carrying a stun gun concealed or in a vehicle without any FOID card is a first-offense Class A misdemeanor under the basic unlawful use of weapons statute, carrying up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 720 ILCS 5/24-1 – Unlawful Use of Weapons Prosecutors can also charge under the aggravated unlawful use of weapons statute, which specifically targets people who possess a weapon without a currently valid FOID card. That offense is a Class 4 felony, punishable by one to three years in prison. A second or subsequent aggravated offense is a Class 2 felony with a mandatory sentence of three to seven years.7Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 720 ILCS 5/24-1.6 – Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon
Which charge a prosecutor files often depends on criminal history and the circumstances of the arrest. Carrying without a FOID card exposes you to felony prosecution, not just a misdemeanor.
Carrying in Restricted Locations
Carrying near schools, courthouses, public parks, public transportation, or public housing elevates the offense to a Class 3 felony, which carries two to five years in prison. A second or subsequent violation of the basic carrying offense, even outside restricted areas, is also a Class 3 felony.4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 720 ILCS 5/24-1 – Unlawful Use of Weapons
Using a Stun Gun During Another Crime
Committing a robbery while armed with a stun gun can result in armed robbery charges. Because a stun gun qualifies as a dangerous weapon other than a firearm, this is a Class X felony carrying six to thirty years in prison.8Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 720 ILCS 5/18-2 – Armed Robbery Class X felonies are the most serious category below first-degree murder in Illinois, and they carry no possibility of probation.
Traveling Outside Illinois
Your FOID card is an Illinois document. Once you leave the state, federal law and each state you pass through set their own rules.
Federal law prohibits bringing any dangerous weapon into a federal facility, including federal courthouses and government office buildings. The penalty is up to one year in prison for most federal buildings and up to two years for federal court facilities.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities Stun guns fall within the statute’s broad definition of “dangerous weapon.”
For air travel, the TSA prohibits stun guns and tasers in carry-on luggage. You may pack them in checked bags, but the device must be transported in a manner that prevents accidental discharge, and lithium battery rules may add airline-specific restrictions. The TSA officer at the checkpoint has final say on whether your device gets through.10Transportation Security Administration. Stun Guns/Shocking Devices
No federal law specifically regulates driving across state lines with a stun gun, but several states still ban or heavily restrict them. Crossing into one of those states can put you in criminal jeopardy the moment you cross the line. Check the destination state’s laws before any trip.
Local Ordinances
Illinois preempts local regulation of handguns and firearm transportation by FOID card holders, but the preemption statute does not clearly extend that protection to stun guns.11Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 65/13.1 – Preemption Some municipalities may add restrictions on where stun guns can be carried, or require registration beyond the FOID card. Before relying on state law alone, check your city or county ordinances. A call to your local police department’s non-emergency line is usually the fastest way to confirm what applies where you live.