In Illinois, the most rounds you can carry in a concealed handgun magazine is 15. That ceiling comes from the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA), which took effect on January 10, 2023, and defines any handgun magazine holding more than 15 rounds as a prohibited “large capacity ammunition feeding device.”1Illinois State Police. Protect Illinois Communities Act, Regulation on Assault Weapons A federal court struck the magazine ban down in late 2024, but the state’s appeal is pending at the Seventh Circuit and the limit remains enforceable in the meantime.
The 15-Round Cap for Concealed Carry
PICA sets two magazine thresholds: more than 15 rounds for a handgun, more than 10 rounds for a long gun.1Illinois State Police. Protect Illinois Communities Act, Regulation on Assault Weapons Because a Concealed Carry License (CCL) only authorizes handguns, the 15-round number is the one that governs what you can carry. A magazine designed to hold exactly 15 rounds is legal. A magazine designed to hold 16 or more is not, and selling, buying, or manufacturing one inside Illinois is separately prohibited.2Illinois General Assembly. 720 ILCS 5/24-1.10 – Manufacture, Delivery, Sale, and Possession of Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Devices
Two narrow exceptions exist, and neither helps a concealed carrier: attached tubular devices designed exclusively for .22 rimfire ammunition, and tubular magazines built into lever-action firearms. Those don’t count as large-capacity devices regardless of round count.
Grandfathered Magazines Don’t Travel With You
If you legally owned a higher-capacity handgun magazine before January 10, 2023, you can keep it. But the statute defines “keep” narrowly. A grandfathered magazine may only be possessed on private property you own or control (or someone else’s private, non-public property with permission), at a licensed dealer or gunsmith for repair, at a properly licensed firing range or competition venue, or during transport between those places while unloaded and enclosed in a case.2Illinois General Assembly. 720 ILCS 5/24-1.10 – Manufacture, Delivery, Sale, and Possession of Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Devices
Carrying a grandfathered 17-round magazine loaded into your concealed handgun as you go about your day is not on that list. The Illinois State Police has confirmed the point directly: a handgun carried under a CCL cannot use a magazine exceeding 15 rounds.1Illinois State Police. Protect Illinois Communities Act, Regulation on Assault Weapons Owning it and carrying it are two different things.
One clarification worth making: grandfathered magazines do not require an endorsement affidavit through your FOID account. That affidavit process applies to assault weapons and certain attachments, not to magazines.
Local Ordinances Don’t Lower Your Limit
Some Illinois municipalities have magazine rules stricter than the state cap. Cook County, for instance, has a 10-round limit on its books. Those local ceilings don’t apply to CCL holders.
The Firearm Concealed Carry Act contains a preemption clause making the regulation of handguns and handgun ammunition for licensees an exclusive state function. Any local ordinance imposing inconsistent restrictions on CCL holders is invalid as applied to them.3Illinois General Assembly. 430 ILCS 66/90 – Preemption A licensee carrying a 15-round magazine in Cook County is following the law even though the county ordinance says otherwise.
Preemption is limited to handguns carried by licensees. Local rules on long guns, accessories, and possession by non-licensees are still enforceable, so if you don’t hold a CCL a tighter municipal cap can reach you.
Out-of-State and Through-State Carriers
Illinois does not honor concealed carry permits from any other state. A Texas or Florida license has no legal effect here, and you cannot carry concealed on foot.
There is a vehicle exception. A non-resident with a valid home-state carry permit may transport a loaded, concealed handgun inside a vehicle. If you leave the vehicle, the firearm must be stored in a locked container (not the glove box or console) and out of plain view; you can handle it only briefly to move it to or from the trunk.
The 15-round cap still applies. Illinois magazine law binds everyone inside the state’s borders, not just residents. If you’re driving in from a state with no magazine restrictions, swap out anything over 15 rounds before you cross the line.
If you’re only passing through, the federal Firearm Owners Protection Act offers some cover for the transport itself. It permits interstate transport of a firearm between two states where you may legally possess it, provided the firearm is unloaded and neither it nor any ammunition is readily accessible from the passenger compartment. In a vehicle without a separate trunk, both must be in a locked container other than the glove box or console.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms That safe passage covers the drive, not an overnight hotel stay or a prolonged detour. Once you stop being in transit, Illinois law and the 15-round limit apply in full.
Penalties for Going Over
Possessing a prohibited large-capacity magazine is a petty offense carrying a $1,000 fine per device.2Illinois General Assembly. 720 ILCS 5/24-1.10 – Manufacture, Delivery, Sale, and Possession of Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Devices Per device matters if you’re caught with more than one.
The fine isn’t necessarily where the consequences stop. A CCL holder who violates the Concealed Carry Act faces a Class B misdemeanor on the first offense and a Class A misdemeanor on subsequent violations. Three or more violations of the Act’s carry restrictions trigger permanent license revocation.5Illinois General Assembly. 430 ILCS 66/70 – Violations A magazine fine layered onto a carry-act violation stacks quickly.
Your CCL is also tied to your FOID eligibility. Any firearms-related conviction, even a petty offense, can prompt a review that costs you the license.
Where the Law Stands in Court
PICA’s magazine ban has been in court almost continuously. In November 2023, the Seventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction in Herrera v. Raoul, finding the state likely to prevail on the merits. A year later, a federal judge in the Southern District of Illinois ruled the magazine ban unconstitutional. The state appealed, and the Seventh Circuit has heard oral arguments but has not ruled.
Until the appellate court rules, the ban is enforceable and the 15-round limit is the law you’ll be measured against. Count your rounds before you leave the house.