Less than 1% of Illinois gun owners have registered so-called assault weapons

A new Illinois law requires AK-47 and AR-15 owners to register their firearms with Illinois State Police, but less than 1% has done so.

The Protect Illinois Communities Act, which banned the possession and sale of so-called assault weapons requires individuals who already possess these weapons to register them with the Illinois State Police if individuals want to still possess the weapons.

According to ISP, 4,089 individuals have registered their assault weapons out of 2,415,481 state residents who possess Firearms Owners Identification cards. Gun owners have until January 1 to be in compliance.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office made a statement in November, “The Governor is confident that gun owners will find the time to register their firearms, as they are required by law to do. Those who don’t, will at some point be breaking the law and will face the legal consequences for doing so.”

“There’s a lot of people that the Illinois State Police would have to go look for and give felonies to,” said Steven King, owner of Metro Shooting Supplies in Belleville. “It’s not surprising. They are targeting law abiding citizens who bought these firearms--legally passed a background check.”

Several law enforcement agencies in southern Illinois have denounced the new law.

“I don’t see anyone in the criminal element going to be standing in line at the state police headquarters or the sheriff’s office here registering any firearms,” said Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing.

According to the law signed by Pritzker in January, a person violating the registration law could face a fine up to $25,000 and or up to several years in prison.

The law prohibits the sale and manufacturing of assault weapon attachments, .50 caliber cartridges, any .50 caliber rifle and certain pistols. It defines assault rifles as any rifle that carries more than 15 rounds of ammunition. Pistols that carry more than 10 rounds of ammunition are also banned. Lastly, under PICA, anyone who was already in possession of newly outlawed weapons had until October 1 to report their ownership to the state government.

In November, Illinois guns rights advocates asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Protect Illinois Communities Act after an Illinois appeals court refused.