Currently, they expire after 10-years. From the McDonough County Voice:
Illinois residents with firearm owner identification cards would have more leeway in renewing them if the General Assembly passes legislation proposed by Rep. Adam Brown, R-Decatur.
As originally written, House Bill 3796 would have eliminated expiration dates on FOID cards, effectively making them valid for as long as the owner lives. FOID cards currently expire after 10 years. However, Brown is considering several amendments to make the bill more palatable to the governor’s office and law enforcement.
More at the link. Instead of not having an expiration date, the bill is being modified to perhaps allow a ‘grace period’ for renewing it without penalty.
From what I understand of the FOID card, it’s relatively cheap and once you have it you can purchase firearms without going through further background checks. Ten-years seems like a reasonable time for that. Of course, not having any required card would be even better.
7 Responses to “IL: FOID Cards Expiration”
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on 08 Feb 2012 at 9:11 am # Chuck Kuecker
How about Illinois simply abolishes the FOID and the Illinois State Police department that operates it, and let gun shops use the FBI E-Check, like I do up here in Wisconsin?
They would save money and remove one infringement on Illinois residents Second Amendment rights.
Then again, that would make sense, and Illinois IS run by Chicago - look what they gave us for a President.
on 08 Feb 2012 at 9:13 am # Chuck Kuecker
Another point - the FOID does not exempt you from background checks - they are performed by the ISP, and you have to call their phone bank and hope they have people available to take the call.
And fill out all the federal paperwork, of course.
on 08 Feb 2012 at 10:05 am # Michael D. Gale
The real problem with IL’s FOID cards are that they create a prior restriction on an enumerated right. Without the FOID card a resident of IL becomes inviolation of felony charges for even holding a round of ammunition or a firearm. Pick up a box of ammo - 50 charges! And a firearm dealer, or private owner, also becomes in violation of the law if they don’t see your FOID card prior to handing you a firearm or ammo. When you move into the state, as soon as you hand over your out of state driver’s license you become in violation of the law for your own firearms because you will not have yet received your FOID card.
The IL FOID card, along with the NJ Firearm Purchase ID, are more vile a violation of the US Constitution as any transgressions by the current sitting president.
Michael
Formerly of NJ & IL. Now in VA!
on 08 Feb 2012 at 12:10 pm # Braden Lynch
@Michael, if they get rid of the IL FOID cards (de facto registration) how will they be able to confiscate all of the firearms when they do eventually pass a law to do so? They need that list to send demand letters, to be followed up with fines and police raids. [end sarcasm]
To hell with the Illinois and New Jersey politicians that continue to infringe on our Constitutionally-enumerated (i.e. not government granted!) rights of their citizens. Add on California where they will soon have me register my long-guns. I’ll buy them before their evil registration scheme activates here.
Molon Labe!
on 08 Feb 2012 at 3:01 pm # Octothorpe
Wow, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a McDonough County publication cited on a blog! My old home county is a sparsely-populated, relatively quiet place (at least, outside of Macomb).
As for the meat of the article, I am in full agreement that one of our rights, to keep and bear arms, is being infringed upon. It is up to the average citizen to stay alert–our elected representatives and court systems have no real urge to protect that right.
on 08 Feb 2012 at 4:31 pm # Clark E Myers
Nope, there’s a long sad story behind the FOID card. Long long ago the gun grabbers promised the gun owners that if only something like a driver’s license applied to gun ownership then there would be no need or reason for further regulation. FOID has none of the benefits of a CCW.
Turned out that was a lie. The FOID is required to buy ammunition and possess firearms - where not otherwise banned in Illinois no license or expansion of rights just another hoop to jump through. FREX if the man in a marriage has guns and an FOID while the wife doesn’t then if he’s killed crossing the street his guns are contraband so far as she’s concerned - no FOID no posession - and so it goes. Hence the renewal issue when renewal delays get too long that makes criminals.
on 29 Feb 2012 at 3:58 pm # megofishing
I haven’t received my ‘renewed’ FOID card yet. It’s been over 90 days since my $10 check to Illinois has cleared. In that 90 days, my FOID card has expired. Apparently, I am a criminal now, let alone not being able to buy ammo or go to the range.
After being on hold to the Illinois State Police for 24 minutes, a very nice and helpful woman told me my application was put in their system in December, 2011, and was ’stopped’—for no reason. She did some further checking and couldn’t find any reason for why this happened. She told me she went ahead and put it through, and that I should receive my FOID card in 7 to 10 days.
I can’t help but think that the state does this purposely, especially with the amount of applications that they receive.
BTW, I purchased a shotgun at Cabela’s in early November 2011.
Even after showing my FOID card, I still had to do a computer background check at the store. Seems rather redundant!
I’m rather tired of being the law-abiding, responsible human that has to jump through a myriad of hoops!!!