Transporting firearms in Illinois

[wlemay]

Here is a little question I have regarding transporting firearms in Illinois law.

I understand that the firearm must be:

Unloaded, in a closed case/container, (*or* broken down, unloaded, & out of reach), and the firearms must be in possession of a person with valid FOID card (or a non state resident who can legally own a gun).

I also understand that the location of ammunition is NOT regulated: You can have loaded magazines or bullets: in the gun case, in your pockets, in the glove box... etc.

Just as long as it is not physically loaded in the firearm.

All of this is from The Illinois State Police's official website:

http://www.isp.state.il.us/docs/1-154.pdf


NOW HERE IS MY QUESTION. (This is a curiosity only, I am not saying I plan on doing this)

I was thinking that if you wanted a legal self defense firearm in your vehicle in IL, you could have a rifle / shotgun leaning so that the muzzle end was under the dashboard where the passenger would rest his feet and the stock would be against the center console pointing towards the passenger side head rest. Loaded magazines in the center console. The firearm would be in a case with the zippers (all the way zipped) on the butt stock end so you could easily unzip it and pull it out. I figure a carbine or a rifle/ shotgun with a folding stock would be ideal for this.... but a handgun would be better.

Under my interpretation of the law, this would appear to be legal; but it seems to good to be true: is it?

Of course there is always the problem with leaving your firearm in open view, which is why I would not do this... So a pistol would make more sense; but I do not own a handgun and do not really want one. Anyways this was just an idea I thought of while I was driving home; I am going to a 4 year university right now so I would not want to have a firearm in my vehicle at all times; the campus police take stuff like that very seriously and I do not want to risk being arrested and showing up on the evening news!

I have heard of a number of legal or legally grey areas on IL "carry", I figure this may be another one to add to the pile. But as far as I can tell this one seems 100% legit in most parts of IL (cook county & other non gun friendly areas excluded).

What do you guys think?

 

[BassHunter]

Perfectly legal, so long as the zipper is fully closed on the case. Bad idea, but perfectly legal.

Cook County has different transport laws than the rest of the state, though. I wouldn't try out your idea up there, unless you have a lot of money, a good lawyer, and some free time to spend in court.

 

[wlemay]

Bad idea

Well yea I agree 100%, I don't plan on trying this in the way I described; it was more of a curious legal question.

When I owned my last truck I had no where else to put my guns, aside from the front seat; I only did this on my way to and from the shooting range / hunting grounds & did not have loaded mags. I sure as heck was not going to leave them in the bed of the truck where someone could grab them when I was stopped at a red light. They also would not fit behind the seat so I had no other choice.

I just wish IL would create some sort of carry law, so people could protect themselves and not have to jump through all these hoops. Armed car jackings are common around here, I would fell alot safer with a loaded gun in the car.

 

[leadaddict]

In my years in Illinois I often 'transported' a handgun in a zipped case stuck right between my seat and the center console. I kept a loaded magazine in the same case with the gun, just not in the gun. According to the State Police brochure this is perfectly legal regardless what type of gun it is.

 

[PapaG]

I don't believe that the "broken down" rule applies any longer, at least it is not part of the brochure that the ISP provided to our shop. Also, although the ISP brochure states that the ammunition can be "anywhere" there are municipalities where you will be arrested if you are found to have ammo or loaded magazines or speed loaders in the case with the gun. You have to know your local ordinances.