To get a concealed carry license in Illinois, you need to be at least 21, hold a valid Illinois Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card, complete a 16-hour firearm training course from an instructor approved by the Illinois State Police, and submit an online application with a $150 fee. Processing takes 90 days if you provide fingerprints, up to 120 days if you don’t. The Concealed Carry License (CCL) is separate from the FOID card and covers only handguns carried concealed in public.
Start With a FOID Card
The FOID card is the prerequisite. Illinois requires it for anyone who wants to possess firearms or ammunition, and the Illinois State Police issues it to qualified applicants.1Illinois State Police. Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) Card Information It lets you buy and keep firearms at home or your business. It does not authorize carrying a loaded handgun in public. That is what the CCL is for, and the CCL has its own application, training, and fee on top of the FOID.
If your FOID lapses or is revoked at any point, your CCL becomes invalid too, regardless of what date is printed on it. Keep the FOID current for the entire life of the CCL.
Confirm You Qualify
Three baseline requirements: you must be at least 21 years old, hold a valid FOID card, and have a current Illinois driver’s license or state ID.2Illinois State Police. Concealed Carry License Meeting those gets you in the door. Most denials come from the disqualifier list.
The Illinois State Police will deny a CCL if any of the following apply:
- A conviction for a misdemeanor involving the threat of physical force or violence within the past five years.2Illinois State Police. Concealed Carry License
- Two or more DUI-related violations within the past five years.
- Residential or court-ordered treatment for alcoholism or drug addiction within the past five years.
- Admission to a mental health facility within the past five years, unless your firearm rights have been restored through the FOID Card Review Board.3Illinois State Police. Mental Health Admissions / Clear and Present Danger Incidents
- An outstanding arrest warrant or a pending prosecution that could result in disqualification.
The five-year lookback on most of these means they eventually clear on their own. If five years have passed since a mental health facility admission, for example, you can submit a new FOID application with the required mental health certification rather than petitioning the Review Board.3Illinois State Police. Mental Health Admissions / Clear and Present Danger Incidents
Complete 16 Hours of Approved Training
Every applicant must finish a 16-hour firearm training course taught by an instructor approved by the Illinois State Police.2Illinois State Police. Concealed Carry License The curriculum covers firearm safety, basic marksmanship, maintenance, and the legal framework around concealed carry in Illinois.
The course ends with a live-fire qualification. You fire a minimum of 30 rounds: 10 rounds each at 5, 7, and 10 yards on a standardized target. This is not a formality. Miss the qualification and you don’t get the certificate.
Instructors set their own schedules, so a course may run over one long day or split across a weekend. Pricing and quality vary. The Illinois State Police maintains an approved-instructor list, and using anyone off that list will get your certificate rejected at the application stage. Verify approval before you pay.
Submit Your Application and Fee
The entire CCL application is handled online through the Illinois State Police Firearm Services Bureau portal. You create an account, upload your training certificate, provide an electronic headshot, and pay the fee.1Illinois State Police. Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) Card Information
The application fee is $150 for Illinois residents and $300 for non-residents from eligible states. Both are non-refundable, even on denial. Payment runs through Illinois ePay, which adds a 2.25% service fee (minimum $1.00) for credit or debit cards. Electronic checks work too. Cash, paper checks, and money orders are not accepted.4IL Firearm Applicant Portal. CCL Frequently Asked Questions
Electronic fingerprints are optional and worth the extra step. Submit them and the ISP targets a 90-day processing window. Skip them and it can take up to 120 days.2Illinois State Police. Concealed Carry License Fingerprinting is done at a private Live Scan vendor and costs an additional fee on top of the CCL application. You can check your application status any time through the ISP portal.
How Long the License Lasts
A newly issued Illinois CCL is valid for five years from the date of issue.4IL Firearm Applicant Portal. CCL Frequently Asked Questions Renew before it expires or you lose the ability to carry until you reapply. The renewal runs through the ISP portal and requires a shorter refresher training course rather than the full 16 hours. Again, your FOID must remain valid the entire time. A revoked or expired FOID kills the CCL.
What the License Does and Doesn’t Cover
A valid CCL lets you carry a concealed handgun on your person or in your vehicle throughout Illinois. The key word is concealed. The firearm must not be openly visible. Illinois generally prohibits open carry in public, even for license holders; the exception is your own property, your home, or your fixed place of business.5Illinois General Assembly. 430 ILCS 66/65 – Prohibited Areas
Even with the license, Illinois bars carry in a long list of places under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, including schools and child care facilities, government buildings and courthouses, jails and prisons, public transportation, airports, hospitals and nursing homes, bars whose primary business is on-site alcohol sales, public parks and playgrounds, casinos, racetracks, libraries, and museums.5Illinois General Assembly. 430 ILCS 66/65 – Prohibited Areas Private property owners can also prohibit firearms by posting a standardized 4-by-6-inch sign at every entrance.6Illinois State Police Firearms Services. Requirements for Concealed Carry Signage Read the full statute before you carry regularly.
One rule catches people who otherwise follow the law: carrying a concealed firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a criminal offense, judged by the same standard used for DUI. A first or second violation is a Class A misdemeanor. A third is a Class 4 felony. The ISP can suspend your CCL for up to six months after a second violation and will permanently revoke it after a third.7Illinois General Assembly. 430 ILCS 66/70 – Violations If you are carrying, don’t drink.
If You Live Outside Illinois
Illinois does not broadly recognize other states’ concealed carry permits. Non-residents can apply for an Illinois CCL only if they live in a state the Illinois State Police has designated as having substantially similar firearm laws. As of the most recent update those states are Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas, and Virginia.8Illinois State Police Firearm Services Bureau. Concealed Carry License (CCL) The list changes as the ISP evaluates additional states.
Non-residents from qualifying states go through the same 16-hour training and the same online application, but the fee is $300 rather than $150.4IL Firearm Applicant Portal. CCL Frequently Asked Questions A permit from a state not on the list carries no legal weight in Illinois, and carrying a concealed handgun in Illinois without a valid Illinois CCL can bring felony charges.