A Chicago concealed carry class is the 16-hour, Illinois State Police-approved course you must complete before you can apply for an Illinois concealed carry license (CCL). It covers firearm safety, marksmanship, state and federal firearms law, and a live-fire qualification on a range. Expect to pay a certified instructor $200 to $300 for the class itself, with the $150 state application fee separate.
What the 16 Hours Cover
The course has to be taught by an instructor who holds current certification from the Illinois State Police, and it must run at least 16 hours including time on the range. Any instructor who can’t show you a current ISP certification isn’t qualified to issue the certificate you need. Confirm this before you pay.
The curriculum covers five required subjects:1Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 66/75 – Applicant Firearm Training
- Firearm safety, including handling and storage.
- Marksmanship basics: stance, grip, sight alignment, and trigger control.
- Handgun care, including cleaning, loading, and unloading a concealable firearm.
- State and federal firearms law covering ownership, storage, carry, and transportation.
- Interacting with law enforcement while armed, including traffic stops.
Pay close attention to that last block. Illinois does not require you to volunteer that you’re carrying during a police encounter, but you must answer truthfully if an officer asks. Instructors drill this protocol because getting it wrong during a traffic stop can turn a routine stop into an arrest.
The Live-Fire Qualification Test
Part of your 16 hours happens on a firing range. You shoot 30 rounds at a B-27 silhouette target from three distances: 10 rounds from 5 yards, 10 from 7 yards, and 10 from 10 yards. You need to hit the target with at least 70 percent of your rounds to pass.1Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 66/75 – Applicant Firearm Training
Accuracy isn’t the only thing being graded. Your instructor can fail you for unsafe behavior on the range, even if your shots land where they need to. Refusing a range command or handling a firearm in a way that endangers anyone there is grounds for withholding your certificate. Fail the live-fire portion and you’ll need to repeat that segment before the instructor can sign off.
What the Class Costs
Private classes in and around Chicago generally run $200 to $300, depending on the instructor and location. Some prices include range fees and ammunition; others charge those on top. Ask what’s included before you book, and factor in a few boxes of practice ammunition if the class expects you to supply your own.
The class fee is separate from everything else you’ll pay the state. The CCL application is $150 for Illinois residents and $300 for non-residents, paid through the Illinois State Police online portal. Fingerprinting is optional, but if you choose live scan to shorten your processing time, that’s generally another $30 to $70 in the Chicago area.
Who Can Take the Class and Apply
You can sit through a class at any time, but to actually use the certificate you must be at least 21 and hold a valid Illinois Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card when you apply for the CCL. The FOID has its own eligibility screening, so by the time you reach the CCL stage the state has already run you through one background check.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 66/25 – Qualifications for a License
Several things that happened in the five years before you apply will disqualify you, regardless of how well you do in class:
- A misdemeanor conviction in Illinois or any other state involving the use or threat of force.
- Two or more DUI-related offenses. The threshold is two, not three.
- Residential or court-ordered treatment for alcoholism or drug abuse.
- An outstanding arrest warrant or pending prosecution that could lead to a firearms disqualification.
Federal law adds a permanent bar for anyone who has been involuntarily committed to a mental institution or formally adjudicated as mentally unfit. Voluntary admissions and observation holds don’t trigger this.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal Firearms Prohibition Under 18 USC 922(g)(4) If any of this applies to you, resolve the eligibility question before you spend money on a class.
What You’ll Need After Class
When your instructor issues the training certificate, you’ll log into the Illinois State Police Firearm Services Bureau portal to apply. Have these ready:4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 66/30 – Application
- An electronic copy of the training certificate from your ISP-certified instructor.
- Your valid FOID card number.
- Every address where you lived for more than 30 days during the past 10 years.
- A color head-and-shoulders photograph taken within 30 days of your application, with a plain background and your face clearly visible, meeting ISP digital specifications.
- Optional electronic fingerprints. You can apply without them, but processing takes noticeably longer.
The 10-year address history catches more applicants off guard than anything else on the form. If you’ve moved often, reconstruct the list before you sit down at the portal.
How Long the State Takes
With electronic fingerprints submitted, the Illinois State Police have 90 days from receipt of a completed application to issue or deny the license. Skip the fingerprints and the state gets an additional 30 days, for 120 total.4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 66/30 – Application You can watch your application status on the ISP dashboard.
If the state denies the application, it must notify you in writing with the specific grounds, and you have the right to appeal through administrative and judicial review.5Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 66/10 – Issuance of Licenses to Carry a Concealed Firearm
What the License Doesn’t Let You Do in Chicago
Finishing the class and receiving the license does not mean you can carry everywhere in the city. Illinois lists a long set of prohibited locations, and in Chicago you’ll run into them constantly: all K-12 schools, preschools, and daycare centers; government buildings and courthouses; hospitals, mental health facilities, and nursing homes; the CTA, Metra, and Pace, including stations and parking areas; bars where alcohol accounts for more than half of gross receipts over the prior three months; public parks and playgrounds, including Cook County Forest Preserve property; college and university buildings and parking; jails; gaming facilities; and any public event requiring a local government permit.6Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 66/65 – Prohibited Areas Private businesses can also ban carry with properly posted signage, and in Chicago those signs are common at restaurants and entertainment venues.
Federal law adds post offices, federal courthouses, Social Security offices, and any other building where federal employees regularly work. Violating that carries up to a year in federal prison, or up to five years if the firearm is connected to another crime.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities When you hit a prohibited location, Illinois lets you store the firearm in your vehicle, concealed in a case within a locked car or in a locked container inside the car, out of plain view. A glove compartment, console, trunk, or dedicated carry case all qualify. The firearm cannot come out of the vehicle and into the building.
Good classes spend real time on these restrictions. If an instructor glosses over them, that’s a signal to find another instructor.