72-Waiting Period for Gun Purchases Goes into Effect in Illinois

By Ready to Fire News On Jan 2, 2019

Remember those scenes from Judge Dredd where he continued to get fined for every activity that wasn’t “socially acceptable” such as cursing in public? (If you haven’t watched Judge Dredd lately, you’re missing out!). Well, it’s starting to feel a lot like that in the good old USA, with the Second Amendment under continuous fire from lawmakers both at the state and national level.

The most recent example comes from Illinois, where law-abiding Americans are now faced with yet another barrier to purchasing a weapon — a minimum 72-hour waiting period. Unfortunately, this law even extends to gun shows, and is likely to have a negative long-term impact on gun retailers who do the majority of their trade at these open selling opportunities.

A waiting period is not unusual, as 10 states plus the District of Columbia currently require individuals to wait before buying particular types of guns. However, the newest law in Illinois doesn’t discriminate — all gun purchases will require the waiting period. What’s worse is that none of the other gun-buying requirements are being waived. Gun owners will still be required to apply for and present their FOID card: Firearm Owners Identification card. Residents of the state have been required to present this identification since back in 1968, but the requirements continue to expand and become more stringent over time.

As if the idea that you must wait 72 hours isn’t enough, it should be clarified that this is in fact the minimum. The actual wait time could be much longer depending on how quickly the request is processed. The time clock officially begins on the waiting period once the buyer and the seller reach an agreement to purchase a firearm. As of June 1, 2019, the 24-hour period required for long guns will be expanded to the full 72 hours that are currently only required for handguns.

Of course, this waiting period is just one of the many blatant constitutional offenses gun owners no face in many states today. How can you determine that someone is “too dangerous” to own a gun? It feels like a slippery slope, and it is — but that doesn’t stop Illinois lawmakers from pushing through a law that allows family or the police to essentially strip away the rights of an individual to purchase, receive, possess or control a firearm. It is expected that this type of case will spend a fair amount of time in litigation before a judge eventually determines whether an individual qualifies as being too dangerous for gun ownership. Additionally, there are no requirements around notification that the gun has been removed from the individual’s possession, as this action can be taken without their knowledge.

It’s a sad day when we learn that the Second Amendment rights of Americans continue to be quietly eroded by the legislative bodies across our country. While it’s certainly important to protect the public from harm, it leaves us to wonder how far we will go to restrict access to firearms.

~ Ready to Fire News