In December of 2017, there were 2,467 federally licensed firearm dealers in Illinois. After new legislation goes into effect this summer, there will be at least one fewer dealer in the state, local media reports.
Lost Creek Trading Post has been raising the alert about Illinois’s new legislation regarding firearm dealers. The new laws duplicate many of the federal requirements and impose more strict and specific guidelines that dealers must follow or risk losing their license to sell.
Federal Firearms Licenses, FFLs, include a lot of paperwork and a $90 fee for a three-year license. Illinois’s new laws allow the State Police Department to charge up to $1,500 on top of that for a three-year license for a brick-and-mortar retail location, and up to $300 for those dealing out of their homes. That represents a significant financial burden for small businesses. Businesses that license more than one location for firearm sales will not be charged more than $40,000 for the three-year license. For a business like Walmart, which licenses more than 50 stores in Illinois, that’s a comparatively good deal.
Lost Creek Trading Post says that the new laws are so burdensome and onerous that they will be ceasing gun sales as of July 14th and closing their shop early this Fall and moving to Indiana. They have been in business in Marshall for more than 14 years.
“The Illinois Legislature’s Gun Dealer Licensing Act is unreasonable and cost prohibitive for us at this time. As of July 14th, we will be unable to sell firearms to you in Illinois. After this date, we may remain open a short time for sales of gun-related items, but no firearms,” Lost Creek posted on their Facebook page. “We would like to thank our friends and customers who have supported us over the years. It is sad that because of the lawmakers in Illinois, we are forced to close our store in Marshall.”
The Gun Dealer Licensing Act was originally vetoed in 2018 by the state’s Republican governor, Bruce Rauner. But the new Democratic governor, J.B. Pritzker, signed it into law in January 2019, just three days after taking office. Click here for a summary of the act’s requirements.
Dealers in Illinois were recently notified that they had only until June 17 to apply for licensure and until July 17th to become fully compliant. Lost Creek claims this deadline is too “burdensome and not to mention expensive.”
The licensing fees are to be reserved by the State Police to fund the licensing of dealers. Assuming there are still about 2,400 dealers in Illinois, the State Police certainly have their work cut out for them. Licensure requires not only paperwork but also onsite inspections of all licensed locations, including verifying adequate video surveillance. Additionally, anyone who fails the initial inspection will be re-inspected.
Lost Creek Trading Post claims that this sort of legislation without representation is a bad precedent for the country. On their Facebook page, which they offer updates about this legislation, they call on all gun owners to contact their legislators and quote German pastor Martin Niemöller’s poem, “First They Came…”
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Hard for the Illinois take away a Federal Firearm License to sell weapons when the Federal government is the one that provides the FFL. it is ripe for a good court case or supreme court ruling.
It really is an abomination. 102 counties and one runs the whole place.
I’m glad I got out when I did! Moved to a state with much less restrictive gun laws, MUCH LESS crime, and lawmakers who hunt and enjoy the shooting sports. Illinois is run by a small group of rich Democrats who only think of their constituents as “votes”. Illinois is losing 1,000 people everyday due to high taxes, poor economy, overzealous and misguided leadership, and high ( Cook County ) crime rates. J.B. Pritzker, from that trillionare family, and Mike Madigan, 32 yrs. leader of the House ( Poster child for term limits ) have a grip on the whole state even tough the majority of the state is Republican and is considered rural! People of Illinois, get out before you lose more of your God-given rights!
Well at least one Illinois FFL will no longer be killing people on the south and west sides of Chicago. Huh?
Your comment shows how truly ignorant you are. Marshall is nowhere near the Democratic cesspool of Chicago yet the politicians there dictate what “free people” in Illinois can or cannot do under the US Constitution. Maybe there needs to be separate laws governing the apes and animals in Chicago and other Democratic strongholds and let the rest of the citizens in the state live by the guarantees found in the Bill of Rights!
You are an idiot. The ones doing the killing are not getting the guns from a FFL Dealer. They get the black market created by the ridiculous laws in Illinois. Think prohibition, AL Capone.
Those dangerous FFL are only targeting the hapless residents of the south and west sides of Chicago?
Of course you know that your comments have little basis in any reality.
FFL dealers are prohibited from transferring or selling a firearm to a prohibited person, as are private sales/transfers.
The law does not apply to criminals because in the liberal dystopia there are no criminals, only crime. Chicago is a bastion of liberals and the proof that liberalism is a failure.
Sarcasm ?
Remember Illinois is controlled Chicago democrats, Down State has no say so.