§134-9 Licenses to carry. (a) The chief of police of a county shall grant a license to an applicant to carry a pistol or revolver and ammunition concealed on the licensee's person within the State, if the applicant:
(b) The chief of police of a county may grant to an applicant a license to carry a pistol or revolver and ammunition unconcealed on the licensee's person within the county where the license is granted, if the applicant:
(c) The chief of police of the appropriate county, or a designated representative of the chief of police, shall perform an inquiry on an applicant by using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, to include a check of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement databases if the applicant is not a citizen of the United States, before any determination to grant a concealed or unconcealed license is made.
(d) To be eligible to receive a license to carry a concealed or unconcealed pistol or revolver on the licensee's person, the applicant shall:
(e) The course of training for issuance of a license under this section may be any course acceptable to the licensing authority that meets all of the following criteria:
(f) Upon passing the course of training identified in subsection (e), the applicant shall obtain from the instructor, and include as part of the applicant's application package, a certification as to the following:
The certification of the above information, signed by the firearms instructor who conducted or taught the course, providing the name, address, and phone number of the instructor, shall constitute evidence of successful completion of the course; provided that the instructor shall not submit a certification signed by the instructor for the instructor's own license application. The course of training for issuance of a license under this section shall be undertaken at the licensee's expense.
(g) An applicant for a license under this section shall:
(h) In determining whether a person lacks the essential character or temperament necessary to be entrusted with a firearm, the licensing authority shall consider whether the person poses a danger of causing a self-inflicted bodily injury or unlawful injury to another person, as evidenced by:
(i) A nonrefundable fee of $150 shall be charged for each license application submitted under this section. The fee shall be chargeable by and payable to the appropriate county and shall be used for expenses related to police services. The issuing authority shall waive the fee required by this subsection upon a showing of financial hardship by the applicant.
(j) If the applicant satisfies each of the requirements for a concealed carry license, an application for a concealed carry license submitted to the chief of police of the appropriate county under this section shall be approved within a reasonable time after receipt of all required application materials. If the applicant does not satisfy one or more of the requirements for a concealed carry license, the license shall be denied within a reasonable time after receipt of the application materials. If an application is denied, the chief of police or a designee of the chief of police shall notify the applicant of the denial in writing, stating the ground or grounds for the denial and informing the applicant of the right to seek review of the denial through a hearing pursuant to subsection (k). If the chief of police does not grant or deny a submitted application for a concealed carry license within one hundred twenty days following the date of the application, the application shall be deemed denied as of that date for purposes of subsection (k).
(k) If an application under this section is denied, a person or entity aggrieved by the denial shall be entitled to a hearing before the chief of police of the appropriate county or a designee of the chief of police. A person or entity aggrieved by the denial shall submit a request for a hearing in writing to the chief of police of the appropriate county no later than thirty days following the date of the decision or determination notice. The hearing shall constitute a contested case hearing for purposes of chapter 91. Following the hearing and final decision, an aggrieved party shall be entitled to a judicial review proceeding in state circuit court in accordance with section 91-14.
(l) If an application pursuant to this section is approved, the chief of police shall issue the applicant a license that contains, at minimum:
The license issued under this subsection shall not constitute a government-issued photo identification document under federal or state law.
(m) Unless renewed, a concealed or unconcealed license shall expire four years from the date of issue.
(n) A license to carry issued under this section shall be void if a licensee becomes disqualified from the ownership, possession, or control of a firearm pursuant to section 134-7(a), (b), (d), or (f). If a licensee for any other reason becomes disqualified under section 134-7 from the ownership, possession, or control of a firearm, the license shall be subject to revocation under section 134-13. A license that is void or revoked shall be returned to the chief of police of the appropriate county within forty-eight hours after the license becomes void or is revoked.
(o) The chief of police of each county shall adopt procedures to implement this section.
(p) The chief of police of each county shall establish procedures and criteria for the renewal of licenses issued under this section. No license renewal shall be granted if an applicant for a renewed license does not satisfy, or no longer satisfies, the eligibility criteria for a new license set forth in subsections (a) through (d). As a precondition for the renewal of licenses issued under this section, the chief of police of each county may establish reasonable continuing education, training, and certification requirements, including requirements pertaining to the safe handling of firearms and shooting proficiency. A nonrefundable fee of $50 shall be charged for each license renewal application submitted under this section. The fee shall be chargeable by and payable to the appropriate county and shall be used for expenses related to police services. The issuing authority shall waive the fee required by this subsection upon a showing of financial hardship by the applicant.
(q) No person carrying a firearm pursuant to a license issued under this section shall intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carry more than one firearm on the licensee's person at one time.
(r) A license issued by the chief of police of a county within the State under subsection (a) to carry a pistol or revolver and ammunition concealed on the licensee's person shall be valid for use in each county within the State. [L 1988, c 275, pt of §2; am L 1994, c 204, §8; am L 1997, c 254, §§2, 4; am L 2000, c 96, §1; am L 2002, c 79, §1; am L 2006, c 27, §3 and c 66, §3; am L 2007, c 9, §8; am L 2023, c 52, §7]