Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in Cook County. Chicago sits on the southwest shore of Lake Michigan where the river was reversed to run inland, a rail and freight city of neighbourhoods stretching thirty miles along the water. Orders ship to dealers across Cook County and the collar counties.
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where Illinois law allows.
Illinois requires a Firearm Owner's Identification card, issued by the Illinois State Police, before you may buy or possess a firearm or ammunition. Dealer background checks run through the state police rather than the federal system, and a seventy-two hour waiting period applies before a firearm may be released. Illinois also restricts a defined list of firearms, attachments and larger-capacity magazines, and Chicago and Cook County add local rules. Confirm a model can lawfully be transferred in Illinois before you order.
Dealers in these communities all work for Chicago-area buyers:
Illinois issues the concealed carry licence through the Illinois State Police, and there is no permitless carry. Applicants must be at least twenty-one, hold a valid Firearm Owner's Identification card, and complete sixteen hours of approved training including live fire. State law lists a long set of places where carrying is prohibited even with a licence, including public transport, schools and licensed premises. Chicago and Cook County add ordinances of their own, so read both.
Illinois runs a long archery deer season from the beginning of October into January, a firearm deer season split into two blocks in late November and early December, a muzzleloader season after that, and late-winter antlerless hunts in selected counties. Centerfire rifles are not legal for deer; hunters use shotgun slugs, muzzleloaders, handguns of approved calibres and single-shot rifles in approved straight-wall cartridges. Permits are county based and some counties fill quickly, so read the current Department of Natural Resources digest.
Cook County has very limited deer hunting, and Illinois does not allow ordinary centerfire rifles for deer anywhere, so hunters use shotgun slugs, muzzleloaders, handguns or approved single-shot straight-wall rifles. The state range at Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area near Wilmington is the closest public facility.
Illinois shooters here plan around the Firearm Owner's Identification card and a seventy-two hour hold, and the nearest state shooting facilities are the Des Plaines area ranges southwest of the city.
Every range below is operated or published by a state wildlife agency, a state forest or the Forest Service near the cities we serve. Most need a hunting licence, a range permit or a small day fee, and seasonal hours change without much notice, so check the agency page before you drive out.
Source: State wildlife agency, state forest and U.S. Forest Service public range listings, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.
Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Evanston, Oak Park, Cicero, Chicago or anywhere in Cook County, and we ship the firearm to them. You fill out ATF Form 4473 at their counter and they run the background check.
A Firearm Owner's Identification card from the Illinois State Police. You need it before buying or possessing a firearm or ammunition in Illinois, and a dealer cannot transfer without it.
Seventy-two hours before a firearm may be released, and the check runs through the Illinois State Police rather than the federal system.
Not an ordinary centerfire rifle. Illinois allows shotgun slugs, muzzleloaders, handguns of approved calibres and single-shot rifles in approved straight-wall cartridges. Read the current digest before buying.
A compact or mid-size 9mm pistol for the range and home, or a pump shotgun if storage allows it. Work out where you can legally shoot and how your state expects a firearm to be transported before you choose.
Each dealer sets its own fee, commonly $20 to $75. Call before you order to confirm the price and that they accept firearms shipped from an online store.
General information, not legal advice. Rules current as of September 2026. See our buying guide and check with Illinois State Police (Firearms Services Bureau) or a local attorney about your own situation.