travel thru Illinois with a handgun

[MaconGuns]

Unloaded gun 5 feet away locked up behind sheet metal. Might as well leave it at home and put a kids aluminum bat in the back seat. Just say your kid/grandkid forgot it.

 

[toobaroque]

I don't understand why people worry about, or continue to discuss this topic. It's simple... Put your gun wherever you want, loaded or not, drive through the state and don't break any laws and you have nothing to worry about. Everybody acts like there's a checkpoint every mile on Illinois roads. THERE'S NOT!

 

[The Old Jaybird]

Well....back when the national speed limit was 55, I got pulled over by an IL State Cop for running 60 on I-55 near Joliet. And I had IL plates, was a resident. About 1978 or so.

 

[reel1]

I emailed the Ill. State Police a couple years ago and asked them about it- they'll respond to you and they'll tell you what you can legally do or not. I printed the email and had it with me while there.

 

[jeep78]

ttps://dps.georgia.gov/georgias-firearm-permit-reciprocity

If not on the list, unloaded, seperate from ammo and locked in trunk in locked case.

 

[robster31316]

I just returned from Southern Illinois. Presuming you have a valid permit in Georgia you are good to go as long as your pistol is carried on your person while in your vehicle and you remain in the vehicle while in the state of Illinois.
My suggestion is to make any stops you need to make in Paducah, then don’t make any stops until you cross into Missouri. There is road construction on I 57 from Metropolis, IL to north of Marion, IL.

If you stop and exit your vehicle, Illinois law requires you proceed immediately to the trunk of your vehicle, remove your pistol from the holster, unload it, secure the ammo separately from your pistol and to place your pistol in a lock box.

yep, exactly what I did when I passed through. Would've avoided the entire state if I could've.

 

[jeep78]

If no trunk buy a toolbox ,bolt it down in bed, and lock in that.

 

[hikingthehills]

my pickup aint got no trunk

 

[bilgerat]

yep, exactly what I did when I passed through. Would've avoided the entire state if I could've.

I have mapped out a route that avoids Illinois almost all together. from Paducah you can head west and cross the Mississippi river at fort defiance. your only in Illinois for less than a mile and then cross the Ohio river into Missouri. it adds about 45 mins to the over all trip

 

[spencer60]

In a pickup, one of those handgun safes (locked) and stored out of reach, say behind the passenger seat. Ammo locked up separately. Try not to stop at all in IL, even for gas. That way you are complying with FOPA and (in theory) are 100% legal.

IL does NOT honor a GA permit, so having one does no good there, but it looks like you are good on the rest of your trip.
https://www.usacarry.com/concealed_carry_permit_reciprocity_maps.html

As for why you would go through the hassle of doing all the FOPA stuff... simple. Cops love out of staters because they know they won't fight the ticket. And let's not forget IL is broke... they are scrounging for every dime they can get.