Like marriage, marijuana, sales tax, and countless other issues, each state has the ability to make its own laws concerning firearms. In Illinois, you are required to have a firearm owner’s identification (FOID) card, which legally states to police and others that you are allowed to own a firearm and ammunition. If you are caught by law enforcement with a firearm and do not have a FOID card or your card has been suspended or revoked, it can result in serious consequences.
The Illinois State Police is the governing body that issues and controls all Illinois FOID cards and they maintain the right to suspend or revoke your card at any time based on criminal charges or convictions you might face.
There are many reasons why your FOID card could be revoked. Most commonly, FOID cards are revoked or suspended if you have violated an eligibility requirement to obtain a FOID card, such as a felony conviction or being the subject of an order of protection. If your card has been suspended or revoked, you will receive a notice of that revocation or suspension in the mail. Your notice will state why your card is being suspended or revoked and how you can file an appeal of that decision. Once you have received your notice, you have 48 hours to comply with the necessary requirements for revocations.
There are two specific things you are required to do once you receive a revocation notice in the mail: you must surrender your FOID card to your local law enforcement agency, which will then send it to the Illinois State Police to be destroyed, and you must fill out a Firearm Disposition Record. This form contains information about your firearms and will include:
The U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens the right to bear arms, but that right is technically a privilege, which can be revoked or suspended if the court deems it necessary. If your FOID card has been revoked or suspended, it is crucial that you obey the provisions or you could make things much worse for yourself. Scott F. Anderson, Attorney at Law has experience dealing with many types of weapons charges, including FOID card violations. Contact our Rolling Meadows, IL weapons charges defense attorney today to discuss your situation and see what legal action is right for you. Call our office at 847-253-3400 to schedule a free consultation.
Sources:
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1657&ChapterID=39
https://www.ispfsb.com/Public/Faq.aspx
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