This is more of a General Question except that it’s specifically about Chicago. I heard that one cannot ever walk the streets with a gun on their hip. This is an exposed gun, nothing that is concealed. True/False … what’s up with that?
It’s not a Chicago thing, it’s an Illinois thing. Open carry is prohibited in Illinois, as it is in a few other states (most notably California and New York.)
One assumes you could carry a gun on your hip provided you wore a coat over it (also assuming you have a concealed carry permit).
Thank you MikeS and Ethilrist … the link above answers my question.
So open carry is banned, but concealed carry is allowed? What is the logic behind that?
Some folks are scared by the sight of a weapon carried by anyone not easily identified as law enforcement.
That’s a different article, concealed carry is allowed in Illinois only if the criteria are met and a license issued.
Texas too, which surprises a whole lot of people.
But really, I chimed in to ask how easy it is to obtain a CHL in Illinois. Not that I’m interested, I just wondered how much if at all, cases like McDonald v Chicago have changed the landscape?
Well, it’s possible, which it previously wasn’t. Illinois does have pretty stringent requirements compared to many states, you can read about it here.
The process is very new, and there are still kinks being worked out. Recently, there have been a number of lawsuits by people who were denied, without having a reason given, who appear to meet all of the requirements.
Different states do it differently. In many states, such as Arizona, pretty much anyone can carry a gun openly (provided they can legally carry a gun), without any special permit. In some states, like Minnesota, you can carry openly with some sort of license, while some, such as Illinois, prohibit it entirely. All states now have some sort of conceal carry, but all require at least some sort permit and training (how extensive that is varies).
In Minnesota, for example, there is no such thing as a “conceal carry permit”, but rather a “permit to carry”, which allows you to carry a gun either concealed or openly.
I’ve seen people carrying a gun cowboy-style in my state (Arizona).
That’s not correct. 12.5% of all U.S. states allow concealed carry in public with no permit or training required.
My mistake. Where do you get the 12.5% figure? That would be 6.25 out of 50 states, which I find hard to believe. From that diagram you linked I see 5: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, and Wyoming, which is 10%.
You forgot Vermont.
And I mistyped.
And just to add to the fun, there are some states that allow for open carry of firearms with no permitting or training requirements. Nevada would be one such example.
Yeah, but that doesn’t mean people won’t mess with you or ask stupid questions or make demands they have no right to make. And then there are know it all cops.
Over the years I repeatedly warned other law enforcement officers that OC was legal in Wisconsin and not disorderly conduct. Some refused to listen and lost law suites over it.
This happened enough that the state actually changed the disorderly conduct law to read that openly carrying a firearm was specifically not DC. Can’t say I didn’t tell them so.
McDonald v Chicago wasn’t about concealed carry - it was about incorporating the 2nd against the states, which at the SCOTUS level currently encompasses the home.
In Chicago, currently Moore vs. Madigan controls, and there are permits being issued. I’d have to dig to find the exact number, but it’s not yet Texas.
I get what you mean by “know it all cops” and I agree with you. At the same time, they can be awfully wiley and carrying a gun can put you in a corner if you aren’t following ALL laws as in this WV, a traditionally gun friendly state, case. Hard to argue against a cops nose and who knows what else in Illinois. I only know this about guns: if you incorporate them in your daily life then you better be a straight edger. Carrying is a lifestyle change for many, it isn’t no monkey business.