720 ILCS 5/24-9 – Unlawful Access to Firearms by a Minor
This law says adults must keep guns locked up so kids under 18 can’t get them and hurt someone.
This Illinois law makes it illegal to leave a gun where a child under 18 without a Firearm Owner’s ID can get to it and cause serious injury or death. It explains how guns should be safely stored and what penalties apply if they are not.
(a) It is against the law for anyone to leave or store a gun in their home or property where they know, or should know, that a person under 18 who does not have a Firearm Owner’s ID card could get to it without permission from their parent or guardian, and that child uses it to cause death or serious injury. This does not count if the gun is:
- Locked with a device that keeps it from being fired.
- Put away in a strongly locked box or container.
(b) Sentence: If someone breaks this law, it is a Class C misdemeanor, and they must pay a fine of at least $1,000. If the same person breaks this law again, it is a Class A misdemeanor.
(c) The rule in (a) does not apply when:
- The young person uses the gun legally to protect themselves or someone else.
- The child under 18 only gets the gun because they or someone else broke into the property unlawfully.
(d) The word “firearm” in this law means the same thing as in the Firearm Owner’s Identification Card Act.
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