ILLINOIS, USA — Hunters across Illinois will soon enjoy their first-ever rifle deer hunting season.
Starting Friday and running through Sunday, hunters will be able to use single-shot centerfire rifles. Firearm hunting seasons were previously restricted to muzzleloaders, shotguns and handguns, and Illinois officials anticipate the new season will open the practice up to many more hunters.
Recent statewide firearm restrictions, however, have brought into question exactly which guns hunters can use. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA) earlier this year, and after a federal appeals court recently upheld the law, it mandates restrictions on how assault weapons and other firearms can be sold and possessed in the state.
The new restrictions have some hunters asking not only if they'll be able to use single-shot centerfire rifles this year, but also if they'll still be able to use the shotguns and handguns they've used in previous seasons.
Our VERIFY team dug into the new restrictions to find the answer.
The question
Are Illinois hunters banned from using certain guns under the state's new assault weapon restrictions?
Our sources
The answer
No, Illinois hunters aren't banned from using assault weapons as long as they are approved under the state's Wildlife Code.
What we found
Under PICA, hunters are permitted to use firearms classified by the law as "assault weapons" while hunting, as long as the guns are authorized under the Illinois Wildlife Code and have the appropriate licenses and permits usually required for hunting.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources also specifies what firearms and ammunition are allowed in Illinois during deer and turkey hunting.
Any Illinois resident who owns a firearm considered an "assault weapon" under the restrictions must register it with the state by submitting an endorsement affidavit through their Firearm Owner's Identification Card account by Jan. 1, 2024.
However, PICA has an exemption for the hunting season. Hunters cannot be compelled to show proof of an endorsement affidavit while they are actively hunting or when they are traveling to and from hunting. The law says:
"[The endorsement affidavit] section does not apply to or affect any of the following: ... Possession of a weapon only for hunting use expressly permitted under the Wildlife Code, or while traveling to or from a location authorized for this hunting use under the Wildlife Code if the weapon is broken down in a nonfunctioning state, is not immediately accessible, or is unloaded and enclosed in a firearm case, carrying box, shipping box, or other similar portable container designed for the safe transportation of firearms."
The PICA endorsement affidavit section has 10 other exemptions, mainly related to law enforcement officers, security personnel and military members.
ISP created a video tutorial to walk people through the process of submitting an endorsement affidavit:
PICA makes a slight change to the Illinois Wildlife Code, but it does not affect what firearms hunters are allowed to use during hunting seasons. The change it makes relates to the state's Apprentice Hunter License Program.
"When the [apprentice hunter] is hunting with a firearm under the supervision of a resident adult who is 21 years of age or older, the adult must also possess a valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card," the change reads.
So, we can VERIFY: Illinois hunters are not banned from using assault weapons while hunting under PICA, as long as they are approved under the state's Wildlife Code.
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