Raoul’s Law Moves Illinois Toward Universal Background Checks

Measure closes private sale loophole, requires reporting of lost/stolen guns

CHICAGO, IL — Landmark public safety legislation sponsored by State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago 13th) was signed yesterday and will help law enforcement crack down on two key gun trafficking pipelines. Raoul’s law requires anyone who sells or transfers a firearm to verify that the recipient has a valid FOID Card; it also establishes that gun owners must report lost or stolen weapons within 72 hours of discovering the loss.

“Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle acknowledged the threat of gun trafficking and came together to pass this commonsense legislation,” Raoul said. “Illinoisans have a wide variety of opinions about guns — but we can all agree it should be harder for criminals to obtain them.”

In Cook County alone, more than 4,000 FOID Cards have been revoked but have not expired. They appear valid but are not, for reasons ranging from a felony conviction to mental illness. House Bill 1189 will require anyone selling or giving away a gun in a private transaction to verify with the State Police that the recipient’s FOID Card is still valid. It also imposes criminal penalties on people who use revoked FOID Cards to purchase guns. Because an individual must undergo a background check before being issued a FOID Card, the verification requirement will result more scrutiny of gun buyers’ backgrounds.

“As a father living in a neighborhood that has seen the murder of promising young people like Hadiya Pendleton, I am impatient for action on illegal guns,” Raoul said. “This law shows parents in violence-plagued communities that we know this is a tough fight, and we’re on their side.”

The new law, which passed May 31 with bipartisan support in both chambers, takes effect immediately.