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Unlawful Possession of Firearms and Firearm Ammunition

Under Illinois statute 720 ILCS 5/24-3.1 a person commits the offense of unlawful possession of firearms or firearm ammunition when he is under 18 years of age and possesses any firearm of a size which may be concealed upon the person, or he is under 21 years of age, has been convicted of a misdemeanor other than a traffic offense or adjudged delinquent and has any firearms or firearm ammunition in his possession, or he is a narcotic addict and has any firearms or firearm ammunition in his possession, or he has been a patient in a mental hospital within the past 5 years and has any firearms or firearm ammunition in his possession; or he is mentally retarded and has any firearms or firearm ammunition in his possession, or he has in his possession any explosive bullet.

Unlawful Possession of Firearms, other than handguns, and firearm ammunition is a Class a Misdemeanor punishable up to 364 days in the County jail and fines up to $2500. Unlawful possession of handguns is a Class 4 Felony punishable from 1 to 3 years in the State penitentiary and a fine up to $25,000. the possession of each firearm or firearm ammunition in violation of this law constitutes a single and separate violation.

This law does no prevent a person under 18 years of age from participating in any lawful recreational activity with a firearm such as, but not limited to, practice shooting at targets upon established public or private target ranges or hunting, trapping, or fishing in accordance with the Wildlife Code or the Fish and Aquatic Life Code.