You can legally put a laser sight on a gun in Illinois almost everywhere in the state. No Illinois statute prohibits owning, buying, or mounting one on a lawfully possessed firearm. Chicago is the exception: the city bans laser sight accessories outright. And statewide, pointing a firearm-mounted laser at or near another person is a Class 4 felony.
What Illinois State Law Says
Illinois does not broadly prohibit laser sights. The Criminal Code defines a laser sight as a laser pointer that can be attached to a firearm and used to improve accuracy, and that definition sits in Article 24.6 alongside rules about laser pointer conduct rather than inside any general ban.1Justia. Illinois Code Chapter 720 Criminal Offenses – Article 24.6 Laser Pointers The unlawful-use-of-weapons statute, 720 ILCS 5/24-1, lists many prohibited items and attachments and does not mention laser sights.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/24-1
The Protect Illinois Communities Act, which restricts assault weapons and certain attachments, explicitly excludes laser sighting devices from the definition of “assault weapon attachment.”3Illinois State Police. Protect Illinois Communities Act, Regulation on Assault Weapons If you live outside Chicago and lawfully own a firearm, you can buy and mount a laser sight without violating state law. Where laser sights create legal trouble is in how they are used.
Chicago Bans Laser Sights Entirely
Under Chicago Municipal Code Section 8-20-060, no person may carry, possess, display for sale, sell, or transfer a laser sight accessory within city limits. The ordinance treats laser sights the same way it treats silencers: as contraband subject to seizure and forfeiture.4American Legal Publishing. Chicago Municipal Code 8-20-060 – Possession of a Laser Sight Accessory, Firearm Silencer or Muffler A federal court upheld the ban in 2024.
If police find a laser sight accessory in your vehicle anywhere in Chicago, the car is subject to impoundment, and the registered owner faces a $2,000 administrative penalty on top of towing and storage fees.5American Legal Publishing. Chicago Municipal Code 8-20-070 – Unlawful Firearm, Laser Sight Accessory, or Firearm Silencer or Muffler in a Motor Vehicle – Impoundment That penalty attaches to the vehicle’s owner of record regardless of who put the laser sight there.
The only exemptions are peace officers and members of the U.S. military, National Guard, or organized state militia who are authorized to possess laser sights and are acting within the scope of their duties.4American Legal Publishing. Chicago Municipal Code 8-20-060 – Possession of a Laser Sight Accessory, Firearm Silencer or Muffler There is no exemption for civilian firearm instructors or range operators.
Pointing a Firearm-Mounted Laser at a Person Is a Felony
Statewide, 720 ILCS 5/12-2 makes it aggravated assault to knowingly shine or flash a laser gun sight or other laser device attached to a firearm so that the beam strikes near or in the immediate vicinity of any person. This is a Class 4 felony, punishable by one to three years in prison.6Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/12-2 – Aggravated Assault7Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-45 – Class 4 Felony
No contact or injury is required. The beam striking near another person is enough. The statute also reaches laser devices “used in concert with a firearm,” so a handheld laser pointer used alongside a gun during threatening behavior falls within the same offense.6Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/12-2 – Aggravated Assault Sweeping a laser-equipped firearm across a crowd, or pointing one at someone during an argument, can be charged under this statute.
Aiming a Laser Pointer at a Peace Officer
A separate offense under Article 24.6 makes it a crime to intentionally or knowingly aim an operating laser pointer at someone you know or reasonably should know is a peace officer. That charge is a Class A misdemeanor, carrying up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.1Justia. Illinois Code Chapter 720 Criminal Offenses – Article 24.6 Laser Pointers8Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-55 – Class A Misdemeanor The presence of a firearm is what elevates the conduct to the felony aggravated assault charge above.
Do You Need a Permit or Extra License?
No. Every person who owns or possesses a firearm in Illinois must hold a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card issued by the Illinois State Police.9Justia. Illinois Compiled Statutes 430 ILCS 65 – Firearm Owners Identification Card Act Attaching a laser sight does not add any licensing step. The Illinois Concealed Carry Act does not restrict or prohibit laser sights on a concealed firearm either; a valid concealed carry license covers the firearm and its lawful accessories. Chicago is still the exception. A valid state license does not override the city’s ordinance.
Transporting a Firearm With a Laser Sight
Illinois law requires that any firearm being transported be broken down into a non-functioning state, not immediately accessible, or unloaded and enclosed in a case by someone with a valid FOID card. A person with a valid concealed carry license may transport in accordance with that license.10Illinois State Police. Transporting Your Firearm These rules apply to all firearms regardless of attachments, so a laser sight mounted on a cased, unloaded firearm raises no separate transport issue.
The real risk is routing. If your drive passes through Chicago, the laser sight itself becomes contraband under the municipal code, even on a lawfully cased firearm. The only ways to stay legal if you are not covered by the law enforcement or military exemption are to remove the laser before entering the city or to route around it.
Hunting With a Laser Sight
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources sets hunting equipment rules separately from the criminal code. For coyote, the state explicitly allows laser sights and night-vision scopes with no restrictions.11Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations Scopes are permitted on legal firearms for deer, and the digest does not explicitly prohibit laser sights for most game. Turkey and waterfowl rules restrict certain devices without naming laser sights specifically.
Because the regulations do not spell out laser-sight treatment for every species and are updated annually, check the current season’s digest and contact your local IDNR office before hunting with a laser-equipped firearm.