The best gun charge is the one that doesn’t happen. However, even though it is prudent for gun owners in Illinois to always know what the gun laws in the state are, it can still be possible to make a mistake and find yourself facing serious allegations of committing a crime. Illinois gun laws are notoriously strict, and carrying a concealed firearm without a Concealed Carry License (CCL) is not something you’d want to do. It can come with serious repercussions such as:
- Felony conviction
- Imprisonment
- Many other long-term consequences
You must protect yourself if you are being charged with having a concealed gun without a valid CCL where required. Contacting the Schaumburg weapons defense lawyers at Glasgow & Olsson is your best course of action. This is because the legal team at Glasgow & Olsson has a deep understanding of Illinois gun laws. It is essential to understand that not every CCL-related case will necessarily result in a felony conviction. An experienced attorney can help you understand your legal options and improve the chances that you can avoid the harshest outcomes like being convicted of a felony.
Possible Penalties For Not Having A CCL In Illinois
You can face serious penalties if you conceal carry a weapon in Illinois without a valid CCL. Here are some of the possible punishments that could happen.
- First offense, with no prior felony conviction and the specified statutory factors present: Class 4 felony with up to 3 years in prison.
- Second or subsequent offense: Class 2 felony with up to seven years in prison.
- Person has a prior felony conviction: Class 2 felony with up to seven years in prison.
- Person possesses a firearm while wearing or possessing certain body armor and lacks a valid FOID card: Class X felony with up to 30 years in prison.
Other possible penalties:
- Establishing a criminal record
- Loss of firearm rights
- Fines and court costs
All of these penalties are substantial and can affect your life for a very long time, even beyond your time served. Still, Illinois law does consider several factors when evaluating a CCL-related case. Some situations that can affect how someone is charged could include:
- Did the person have a valid FOID card?
- Does a statutory exception apply?
- Was the firearm immediately accessible?
- Was the firearm uncased?
- Was the firearm loaded?
Given this, a good example of how charges can vary from case to case would be if one person has a valid CCL, but they violate a restriction under the Illinois Firearm Concealed Carry Act, they may face a completely different penalty than another person who has no CCL at all.
Each case is unique, and the outcome of your case will depend on the circumstances surrounding it. It may be possible that exceptions apply in your case that would not warrant a felony charge.
Get Qualified Legal Help Today
Understanding your rights and obtaining legal representation early when you are facing allegations of gun law violations in Illinois best positions you for the most favorable results. For more information, please speak with our Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Glasgow & Olsson today and learn how decades of trusted experience can protect what matters most to you.
Our law firm is widely recognized as a leading authority in criminal law. For this reason, Attorney Thomas T. Glasgow is a trusted legal voice who is regularly invited to appear on major networks, including ABC, CNN, NBC, CBS, and Fox News.
When your rights and freedoms are on the line, having an attorney on your side with an excellent reputation and unimpeachable experience matters.