Firearm Owner's Identification Card (FOID)

In 1968 the Illinois legislature enacted the FOID Act, which requires all Illinois residents who acquire or possess a firearm and/or firearm ammunition to maintain a valid Firearm Owner's Identification, or FOID, card.

A FOID card may be issued by the Illinois State Police after submission of a FOID card application, which can be downloaded from the Illinois State Police website. After receipt of any such FOID card application, the Illinois State Police is required to either approve or deny the application within 30 days.

Individuals who have been convicted of a felony are ineligible to receive a FOID card however, there is an appeal process that may result in the granting of a FOID card application. An applicant may proceed with appeal either with the Illinois State Police or in the Circuit Court of the county in which the applicant resides. This process is governed by the FOID Act.

The gun and weapon laws are changing regularly. Issues relating to whether you may possess a gun in your car legally if it is in the trunk, whether a FOID card entitles you to possess someone else's gun, whether a gun is the only weapon you are prohibited from carrying, and other fact patters are complex. Even the change of one detail can mean the difference between imprisonment and a not guilty verdict. Only an attorney with sufficient experience in these matters and who stays abreast of the recent changes can handle your case competently.

At Waltz, Palmer & Dawson, LLC, we assist FOID card applicants who have been denied a FOID card and wish who to appeal the decision at either the Illinois State Police level or in the Circuit Court.

For more information contact us at 847-253-8800 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it