Illinois Gun-Owner ID Law Violates Second Amendment, Suit Says

May 19, 2026, 4:16 PM UTC

Illinois’ law requiring a special identification card for anyone possessing firearms violates the Second Amendment by making would-be gun owners wade through the state’s bureaucratic requirements, according to a new federal lawsuit.

Two plaintiffs say in a complaint filed Tuesday they’d buy guns for self-defense, but they refuse to apply for a Firearm Owners Identification Card “because they believe they should not have to seek the government’s permission to exercise their fundamental constitutional right to possess a firearm.”

A third plaintiff has a FOID card but doesn’t want to keep it with him whenever he carries a gun or ammunition, ...

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