The law in Illinois says the Illinois State Police are to process FOID applications in 30 days.
We’ll save you the time and trouble of following the link and finding the relevant section. Here it us: “The Department of State Police shall either approve or deny all applications within 30 days from the date they are received, and every applicant found qualified pursuant to Section 8 of this Act by the Department shall be entitled to a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card upon the payment of a $10 fee.”
The reality in Illinois is much different, particularly in light of record numbers of applications arriving each day at the Illinois State Police’s FOID application mailbox.
(Factoid of the day: Actually, a bank picks up the applications at the mailbox, pulls out the checks and forwards the apps to the ISP’s FOID section.)
The ISP, by its own admission, acknowledges they are running 64 days to process form. That’s what they are saying publicly, to the press.
CHICAGO (AP) – People applying for Illinois Firearm Owner’s Identification cards are waiting more than 60 days as the State Police experience one of its busiest months ever processing applications, spokeswoman Monique Bond said Tuesday.
More than 70,000 FOID card applications have been received in March, Bond said, putting it on track to be the record month so far for the program.
Every month since December has seen a record number of Illinois residents applying for FOID cards. Officials say 31,249 applications were received in December. In January, 61,172 people applied for a card, and there were 56,078 applications in February. State officials noted that at the end of January the backlog on processing FOID cards was more than 70,000.
However, the state police’s contention that applicants have to wait 64 days for a card is disputed by Greg Tropino Sr., president of GAT Guns in East Dundee. He told The (Elgin) Courier-News that he is hearing from his customers that it is taking them 10 to 15 weeks to receive a FOID card that gun owners in Illinois are required to have. Tropino says the cards are supposed to be in the hands of gun buyers in 30 days or less.
Gun owners are contesting that, some claiming a four month or greater wait, and they’ve got the cancelled checks to prove it.
In our opinion, it’s high time to eliminate the Firearms Owners Identification Card if the State of Illinois is so mismanaged that it cannot process them as required by law.
After all, a right delayed is a right denied, as Martin Luther King once noted.
FOID is unjustifiable on any level. It constitutes a poll tax and a permission slip required for ownership of even one cartridge. It’s ridiculous.
It makes people criminals by no action of their own – just a tic of a clock.
It does show one reality though. Illinois could not make FOID work in three decades. Carry permit structure will operate no better and FOID demonstration proves it. FOID has to go and no “other card” shall come. It’s time the law in Illinois target criminals instead of harassing innocent people making exercise of their rights out to be a crime.
I’m sure glad my renewal was due last year, I was lucky, it was right at 4 weeks to get the new one back to me, and good for 10 years, too (my last one was the last of the 5 year ones). With the way things are going in Springfield, they will probably not have “right-to-carry” legislation in place by the 10th of June and the FOID card will be the “de-facto” carry “permission slip”. Many first-time firearm owners want that ability, just like many of us long-time firearms owners, as they see the “National Socialist” polit-o-crats trying to infringe upon their God-given, Constitutional Rights. They are voting with their pocketbooks for something they never dreamed would be “abolished”, “…the Right of the people to keep and bear arms ….”.
Now, ….sure wish I could find some ammo for the .357 I just got last month, with warm weather coming, I’d sure like to try it out. When do you suppose the government will quit stockpiling mega-millions of rounds of ammo so us normal people will be able to buy and stockpile our own ammo?
DLM.
Never if they have their way.
If state law requires that I do something within 30 days and I don’t, I’ll likely be fined and eventually arrested. For an example, consider your Illinois driver’s license renewal or car registration.
Need I wonder why the AG hasn’t filed a warrant to arrest the ISP management for breaking this state law?
Yep, in this state some citizens are more equal than others and the law only applies to the less equal.
I’ve got 6 more years on my FOID. Maybe I should send in my renewal now…
Why is there so little outcry against this ignorant law?
Is because the NRA/ISRA had a hand in writting the law in the first place?
Whats wrong with people that they are so willing to accept tyranny.
In Mexico a 1500 man militia has taken over a town because of coruption. They have arrested their own police and ran the rest out of town.
Maybe we need to find some Mexicans willing to come to Illinois and show the rest of us how men should act.
We should never have had the FOID card law or the 68 GCA.
Well,…..why don’t you and Ashrak start running for political office to start getting it repealed/replaced. There have been bills written, don’t know if they ever made it to committee or the floor, but …..find your representative and senator to get working on it. Personally, I get tired of reading you and Ashrak pissn’-n-moanin’ about it and “permission slips”, …get busy and DO something about it Bill, or deal with it. GIT-R-DUN!
DLM.
I went to every constitutional officer with letters. They ignore them. I pressed Lisa after heller and McDonald. I pushed for targeting Lisa as was done in Wisconsin. That was shunned. I went toy sheriff to. Asking each how I could lawfully and legally exercise my right. I emailed ISP over and over. I signed up to speak at hearings- lobbyist only allowed- imagine that. I openly offered to be arrested for carrying as test case but was told I’m “too much of an activist” by leadership. I’ve talked with Sam for hours. I’ve had a great many letters to the editors published. I made a nice YouTube video and I hammer the newspaper form in the cap city for over a decade now. The only thing I haven’t done is run for office. Cuz I’m poor. DLM, ill put my activism up against yours any day. And I’ll bet you this – I’m still saying the same things I’ve always said. Sorry you think speaking truth is pissing and moaning. Feel free to point anything I say that isn’t true…..ill be happy to learn what u teach me. (No paragraphs hoping this post isn’t rejected with the pass word page).
Mike
Then I guess it is time for you to “deal with it”, you’re “preachin’ to the chior” here and you know it, a$$hat, and Lisa Madigan isn’t going to do anything her daddy doesn’t tell her, ….yer “spinnin’ yer wheels” there, dimwit. Sounds like you have been dis-allowed to have a FOID card, the way you carry on, have you been a felon or something? All you have to do is obey the law, if your (criminal) history is clean, why are they denying you a FOID card? Too much of an “activist”?
DLM.
Methinks you doth protest too much, ….why don’t you and Bill get together and have a good cry, maybe you will feel better, Ashrak.
Like Ashrak I too have worked for a repeal of gun control laws only be undermined by so-called pro-gun groups.
The problem that i see are to many gun owners that are to willing to support gun control.
By the way your felon comment and the end of this thread only proves my point.
Methinks you doth protest too much, ….why don’t you and Ashrak get together and have a good cry, maybe you will feel better, Bill.
You can always do like the thugs/gangsters, and “carry” wherever and whenever you want, after all, the pResident of the US doesn’t abide by the laws and Constitution that he doeasn’t like either. Go for it big boy!
DLM.
Anyone having trouble getting a FOID card renewed or processed after the normal allotted time should call their local Representative or Senator. I’ve found it usually speeds up the process when they have Representatives on their backs.
Mailed application on Dec. 26 after having moved. ISP cashed check on Jan. 23. Multiple calls on multiple days to ISP during business hours and have only ever gotten the recorded message and hung up on. Called pro-gun rep twice and talked to staff each time. Called third time Tuesday and left message but still haven’t been called back. Bottom line, still no replacement FOID. I don’t have even so much as a speeding ticket on my record, but I feel like I am being treated like or set up to be a criminal by State of Ill-annoy…
What the hell do you people think this national background check is all about, THINK
This is bullcrap. These guys were ordered not to process these illegal cards. This came from Obama, to Emanuel, to Quinn.
When mine expires I’m going to continue to take my guns hunting or to the range. Wen I’m arrested this will be my grounds for defense the for a lawsuit against the State Police and the State. Then we can go through the courts to get this damn thing ruled unconstitutional. And I will seek punitive damages.
INDEED!!!!!
My check was cashed Feb 27. Silly me, I thought I would be able to take a class 30 days later because I would have my card. Hopefully, I’ll get it before the end of the year. I got the ear muffs! Now just need to legally be able to buy a gun and start the hunting for ammo.
I forgot to get my FOID back after leaving the range one day in early January 2013. So the range mailed it to my old address on my FOID where someone must have kept it because it was never returned to the range. So I redid the app & sent the money order. I just got thru to a live person (only a 15 minute wait around 1:30pm) who says my application has been received & is still being processed (no lead time available). Uggghhhhh!!!!
Lost my card, sent in application in Dec. 2012, after repeated call to ISP, they told me my background check began March 7th. Said takes 2 months to run check, which is b.s. Called back 5/9, was told to call back in a month! Contacted local, state reps, NRA, and ISRA they were no help at all. Only solution to me is to get the hell out of this cess pool called Illinois.
I applied Jan 2013, My check was cashed 2/13/13. I still have not received as of may 13, 13. Thats 15 weeks guys. Come on. Their lack of timeliness makes me a criminal?
Mailed my void card renewal on 3-5-2013. Check hasn’t cleared yet. Please check. And please text back.
I’m with Cupp. Mailed application 1/23. Check cashed 2/11. E-mailed inquiry three times with no response. Called early May and was told is would mail out sometime mid May. Called again yesterday and was told it was stil in background check. The application has been in background check since 3/13 according to the ISP. I’m figuring sometime in July to get my hands on the card.
who gpts a number are two see when i my card somebody help me
I sent mine off in jan still haven’t received it. My Inlaws sent there’s in 3 weeks ago and both have received theres. What number can I call took check on mine?