National carry reciprocity would force Illinois to recognize other states’ permits

[January 21, 2025]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – With the U.S. Congress in Republican control and the new Trump administration in power, the possibility of a national concealed carry reciprocity law is increasing. Some are speculating how that will impact Illinois.

Every state in the nation has some sort of concealed carry law. The requirements vary state by state. Some allow concealed carry without a permit. Other states like Illinois require a permit. Illinois was the last state in the nation to implement a law allowing carrying concealed firearms outside the home in 2013.

U.S. Lawshield’s Kirk Evans said national concealed carry reciprocity would be similar to how states recognize driver’s licenses from other states.

“But the general concept is if you’ve got a concealed carry permit in, say, Virginia, then Illinois is going to be required to recognize that permit,” Evans told The Center Square.

In 2018, gun control advocates Everytown posted on Twitter, now X, that "’Concealed Carry Reciprocity’ would force every state to accept other states' concealed carry standards, even states that have weaker standards, or, worse, no standards at all,” and “would undermine the standards that states have set for who can carry hidden, loaded guns in public.”

With Illinois’ firearms regulations among the most strict in the nation, Evans expects some to be “kicking and screaming” from gun control groups in Illinois if national reciprocity is enacted.

“The better news for Illinois is while you have to recognize that permit, you can still regulate the how, where and why of carrying,” Evans said.

Bills filed in the U.S. House and Senate have been endorsed by the National Rifle Association, U.S. Concealed Carry Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation and Gun Owners of America.

Maxon Shooter’s Supplies owner Dan Eldridge said a national concealed carry reciprocity law could increase tourism to Chicago and elsewhere.

“If indeed there is national reciprocity, I think there would be a boom in gun tourism in New York and Chicago,” Eldridge told The Center Square. “People that otherwise wouldn’t come here will.”

But, Evans said if a reciprocity law were enacted, there would still be carve outs for any so-called “sensitive places” states could restrict concealed firearms.

“That part is extraordinarily difficult when you’ve got these ongoing legal battles to figure out what the status is in any given second,” Evans said.

In Illinois, concealed carry is prohibited on mass transit. That law was found to be unconstitutional by a federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois in October, but the ruling only impacts the plaintiffs that sued the state. Benjamin Schoenthal, et al v. Eileen O'Neill Burke is pending in the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

In November, President-elect Donald Trump announced he would sign a concealed carry reciprocity bill into law. The bill is expected to pass Congress. After Trump signs it into law, it would go into effect within 90 days, according to the bill language.

Bethany Blankley contributed to this report.