Owners of semi-automatic weapons and certain accessories had until New Year’s Day to register these items with the State Police. This, of course, is step number one in establishing a firearm registry, and the people were not fooled.
So, they did not comply.
But to what extent? As noted in a brilliant piece on the Maxon Shooter’s Blog, there are roughly 2.4 million FOID holders in Illinois.
A 2023 study by the Washington Post revealed that approximately 20% of gun owners possess an AR-15 style weapon. That number is likely low, however, as many semi-automatic rifle owners are reluctant to admit the fact to journalists.
But, for now, let’s stick with 20%. In Illinois, that means there are roughly 500,000 owners of these popular sporting rifles.
According to the State Police, 29,357 individuals registered their firearms out of that estimated half a million owners. The figures show a paltry 5.9% compliance rate — ridiculously low for such a serious matter.
This means that roughly 470,000 otherwise law-abiding citizens decided to forego the state mandate and risk the accompanying penalties for noncompliance.
The blog cited further statistics, such as the Post study’s exclusive quantification of AR-15 rifles and not other popular weapons included in the Illinois law.
In other words, the true compliance rate with the state edict is almost certainly far lower.
Then there’s the all-important issue of enforcement. The ink was not dry on the governor’s signature before many state law enforcement officials declared their intent to not arrest good citizens for noncompliance.
Even the Illinois State Police acknowledged they will not actively search for individuals who they know possess semi-automatic weapons but did not register them. It remains possible that a trooper may stumble across someone with an unregistered firearm and carry out an arrest, but that would be few and far between.
An overwhelming number of county sheriffs pledged to leave the act unenforced, and a majority of county State Attorneys made the same commitment.
So, why would citizens subject themselves to possible confiscation in the future to comply with a law that will go almost entirely unenforced?
Then there’s the registration portal. The state allowed the window to remain open after Jan. 1 on the off chance that a citizen burdened by a guilty conscience would crumble under pressure and register late.
But Maxon Shooting Supplies owner Dan Eldridge wrote that this may not even be legal according to the Protect Illinois Community Act. This law established the ban and registration requirements but apparently did not contain language to extend the deadline for compliance.
Eldridge speculated that a semi-automatic weapon owner may subject themselves to legal liability through late registration.
Even though state officials claim they will not pursue charges to late registrants, can the same be said for anti-gun zealots in Chicago area jurisdictions?
Then there’s the legal challenges still in the court system. There is a more than fair chance that this controversial Illinois law will be mothballed by a federal judge who recognizes the authority of the Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court.
With the massive wave of civil disobedience and strong legal challenges, there is yet hope for Illinois gun owners. And it is refreshing to see so many good citizens stand up for their rights against state pressure.
