Illinois Concealed Carry Classes: Hours, Cost, and Requirements

Illinois concealed carry classes are 16-hour, state-approved courses that you must complete before you can apply for a Concealed Carry License (CCL). The class blends classroom instruction on firearms law and safety with a live-fire qualification at a shooting range, and most instructors run it across two days. Expect to pay the instructor somewhere between $125 and $350, and plan on another $150 for the state application fee once your certificate is in hand.

Who Can Take the Class

Instructors verify a few things before issuing a completion certificate, so it’s worth confirming you qualify before you pay for a seat. You must be at least 21 years old and hold a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card.¹ The FOID is a separate credential confirming you’ve passed an Illinois background check for firearm ownership, and you need it before registering for a class.²

Illinois also disqualifies anyone convicted of a misdemeanor involving physical force or violence in the past five years, anyone with two or more DUI convictions in that window, anyone who has been in residential or court-ordered treatment for alcoholism or drug use in the past five years, and anyone subject to a pending arrest warrant or prosecution that would bar firearm ownership.¹

Federal law adds its own bars under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g): felony convictions, adjudications of mental defect, unlawful drug use, certain domestic violence restraining orders, and misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, among others.³ These apply regardless of what Illinois allows.

How Many Hours the Class Runs

The standard course is 16 hours, including the live-fire qualification.⁴ Most instructors split that across two full days. The classroom portions take up the bulk of the schedule, with the range qualification at the end.

Active-duty service members, retirees, and honorably discharged veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces receive eight hours of credit for their military training.⁴ That means an eight-hour condensed course that still covers Illinois firearms law and includes the full live-fire qualification. Instructors typically ask for a DD-214 or military ID to confirm eligibility. Former law enforcement and corrections officers who separated in good standing can also receive up to eight hours of credit.

The statute allows credit for other training the Illinois State Police has approved, up to eight hours total.⁴ No credit, however, exempts you from the state and federal carry law section or the live-fire qualification. Those two components are mandatory for everyone.

What the Class Covers

Illinois mandates five classroom subject areas for every approved course:⁴

Firearm safety, including safe handling, storage, and the rules that prevent negligent discharges.
Principles of marksmanship: grip, stance, sight alignment, and trigger control.
Care and cleaning of a handgun, including loading, unloading, and inspection.
State and federal firearms law, including the legal standards for owning, storing, carrying, and transporting a firearm, and where carrying is prohibited.
How to interact with law enforcement during a traffic stop or similar encounter while armed.

The legal portion is where most students learn something genuinely new. Instructors walk through the specific locations where Illinois bans concealed carry, when deadly force is legally justified, and the gap between what feels threatening and what the law treats as imminent. This is the content that gets tested in real life, and it’s the section the state requires even for applicants with training-hour credits.

The Live-Fire Qualification

The course ends at a range. You fire 30 rounds at a B-27 silhouette: 10 from 5 yards, 10 from 7 yards, and 10 from 10 yards.⁴ You need at least 70 percent hits to pass. Fail, and the instructor cannot issue a completion certificate until you retake the qualification.

Most shooters handle the 5- and 7-yard stages without trouble. The 10-yard stage is where people who haven’t practiced tend to struggle. If you aren’t comfortable shooting a handgun at roughly 30 feet, book some range time before class. Showing up cold is the most common way people fail.

What It Costs

Instructor fees for the full 16-hour course usually run $125 to $350, depending on the provider and what’s included. Some bundle ammunition and range time; others charge separately. The eight-hour condensed course for veterans and law enforcement generally costs less, though not always half. Ask what’s covered before you book, and whether you need to bring your own firearm and ammunition.

Beyond the class, budget for the $150 state application fee when you submit your CCL. Electronic fingerprints, which are optional, typically add $30 to $70 at a livescan vendor and shorten the ISP processing window. All told, expect $300 to $575 from course registration through license approval.

What to Bring to Class

Bring your FOID card (or at least the number) and a valid state-issued ID. For the live-fire portion, bring a concealable handgun in good working order and at least 30 rounds of ammunition. Most instructors recommend extra rounds in case of malfunctions or a second attempt at qualification. Some providers rent handguns to students who don’t yet own one.

You’ll also need a head-and-shoulder digital photograph for the CCL application itself. The photo must be taken within 30 days of your application, show you against a plain white or light background, and cannot include sunglasses or hats. Some instructors help students take the photo during class. Others expect you to arrive with one ready. Ask ahead so you aren’t scrambling after the course ends.

After the Class

Your instructor issues a certificate of completion when you pass. Check every field for accuracy: your name, the training dates, and the instructor’s ISP certification number. Errors delay your application, and fixing them later means tracking the instructor down again.

You submit your application through the Illinois State Police online portal, uploading the training certificate and your photo, and paying the $150 fee electronically.⁵ Make sure the personal information you enter matches what the Secretary of State has on file. Without fingerprints, the ISP has up to 120 days to process your application. With them, that window drops to 90 days.

Renewal Classes

An Illinois CCL is valid for five years. Renewal requires a three-hour refresher course approved by the Illinois State Police, taught by a certified instructor.⁴ Don’t wait until the week your license expires. Processing times still apply, and carrying on an expired license is illegal even with a renewal pending. The renewal application fee is $150, and if your FOID is also near expiration, renew that first, because an active FOID remains a prerequisite for holding a CCL.

Non-Residents

Illinois issues CCLs to non-residents, but only from states the Illinois State Police considers “substantially similar” to Illinois in their firearms laws.⁶ If your state isn’t on the ISP’s approved list, you cannot apply for a non-resident CCL regardless of what permits you already hold. Approved non-residents must still complete the full 16-hour training and meet every other qualification, substituting documentation of federal and home-state eligibility in place of the FOID card.

1
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 66/25 – License Qualifications
2
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 65/4 – Application for Firearm Owners Identification Cards
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
4
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 66/75 – Applicant Firearm Training
5
Illinois State Police. Concealed Carry License
6
Justia. Illinois Code 430 ILCS 66 – Firearm Concealed Carry Act