Concealed carry gun legislation passes

In July the Illinois General Assembly voted to override Governor Quinn’s veto of HB 183, concealed carry legislation originally passed on May 31. The state was under court order to come up with a law ­governing this matter no later than July 9.

The vote to override was 77-31 in the House and 41-17 in the Senate. Under the provisions of HB 183, residents and non-residents who meet specified qualifications will be able to apply for a license to carry a concealed firearm in Illinois.

The license is valid for five years and the license fee is $150 for a ­resident, and $300 for a non-resident. The law requires new license ­applicants to complete a 16-hour training course, with a three-hour course for license renewals. Licensees will be prohibited from carrying a concealed handgun into certain ­specified locations. The legislation gave the state police 60 days to license firearm instructors and ­training courses, which the agency will place on its website, www.isp.state.il.us.