Illinois firearms organizations are reporting confusion among gun owners as the state requires registration of “assault” weapons under a new ban.
Jan. 1 is the deadline for Illinoisans to register their assault weapons with the state before a ban signed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker goes into effect on Jan. 10.
However, of the more than 2.4 million Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) cardholders, only 112,350 disclosures filed As of December 31, 2023, according to state police data. Additionally, he has 29,357 completed disclosures.
Illinois enacts 320 new state laws, including bans on semi-automatic weapons and indoor e-cigarettes
Jan. 1 is the deadline for Illinoisans to register their assault weapons with the state before a ban signed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker goes into effect on Jan. 10. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Second Amendment advocacy groups told Fox News Digital that the ambiguity of the new law is causing “confusion” among gun owners in the state.
Dan Eldridge, president of the Illinois Federal Firearms Licensing Association lobbying group, told Fox News Digital that “one aspect” of the violations was simply “ignorance of the law.”
“What's confusing is that no one is telling us what this law covers,” Eldridge said. For example, one county prosecutor posted a notice saying everyone had to register their assault weapons and high-capacity magazines by Jan. 1, but Eldridge said magazines “do not have to be registered. ” he pointed out.
“That can't be true,” Eldridge said. “There is no serial number.”
“Just recently, the governor said on camera that automatic and semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines must be registered,” he said. “Well, automatics are never mentioned in the story, and like I just mentioned, magazines aren't featured either, so, well, one out of three is pretty good when it comes to guns for this governor.”
Eldridge also said “civil disobedience” is another factor in low registration numbers.
“Almost every sheriff and most county state's attorneys have indicated they will not enforce this law,” he said. “So residents in those counties had little incentive to register.”
An Illinois State Police (ISP) spokesperson told Fox News Digital that “not all FOID card holders own guns,” but Eldridge disputed this.
“State Police do not know how many of their FOID card holders are firearm owners, but if they are not, most people have to go through the time, expense, and invasive background checks to obtain a FOID card.” “I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that I have no intention of receiving it. I intend to purchase a firearm.”
John Boch, executive director of Guns Save Life, an Illinois Second Amendment advocacy group, told Fox News Digital that “thousands of people have registered their guns for self-defense, but… “A million people are not registered,” he said. (Chicago Tribune/Getty Images)
“So I would like to reject that opinion and say that 2.4 million people is a pretty accurate representation of the number of firearm owners in the state. The 112,000 number is also wrong, and it should be noted that It’s about how many individuals there are. In that case, we’re talking about 29,357 people.”
“This is a dog's breakfast in public behavior,” Eldridge added. “It was a late-night replacement of the insurance bill in its entirety, violating all public notice provisions of the state constitution.”
John Boch, Executive Director, Illinois Second Amendment Advocates guns save livestold FOX News Digital, “Thousands of people have registered their self-defense guns… but millions have not.”
“98.8% non-compliance speaks volumes about what the average gun owner thinks about gun registries,” Boch said.
“Why is compliance so low?” he continued. “Everyone knows that confiscation happens after registration.”
Boch said there is “confusion” surrounding the ban, and that many gun owners “remain completely unaware that they own a gun that is supposed to be registered.”
“State Police did not mail anything to FOID card holders or even email everyone about their obligation to remain completely legal,” Boch said.
“Many people aren't sure what to do because both the law and the rules of ISPs that don't follow the letter of the law are vague,” he continued.
“We suspect that many people are registering guns that don't need to be registered, such as Glock pistols that come with standard capacity magazines of more than 15 rounds,” he added.
President Ted Riba DeWitt County Sportsman's Club The group's view in Illinois is that the lack of compliance is “a brutal slap in the face to the governor and his traitorous cronies,” the group said in Illinois.
“Compliance numbers are low because law-abiding gun owners are tired of being blamed and punished for the actions of criminals,” Riba said. “We have reached a point where we can no longer tolerate our constitutional rights being trampled upon by politicians sworn to protect those same constitutions.”
“Do not infringe.'' [is] It’s pretty plain and simple language,” he added.
“A number of people have asked questions about the law itself,” Riba said.[state’s] The rush to implement this illegal trash leaves too many questions to answer and continues to confuse law-abiding citizens across the state. ”
Boch said there is “confusion” surrounding the ban, and that many gun owners “remain completely unaware that they own a gun that is supposed to be registered.” (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Eric Pratt, executive vice president of the American Gun Owners Association, told Fox News Digital that “some Illinois gun owners have no idea they are violating this new law. There's no doubt about it,” he said.
“But what is even more striking is that open civil disobedience is very likely to occur.” “Inspired by the wise words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we recognize our moral obligation to challenge laws we deem unconstitutional.”
Gun Owners of America is leading one of the lawsuits challenging the ban.
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FOX News Digital has reached out to Pritzker's office for comment.
illinois state police said on wednesday State residents who registered their properties past the deadline will not be prosecuted.
