Chicago used to have a city-wide ban on the possession of all firearms. Over this past summer, however, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to completely ban firearm ownership and possession. Now, Chicago has new gun laws that are very strict.

Highlights of the new firearm statute are:

1. Guns may only be possessed inside the home. They are not allowed to be possessed even on your own porch, in your own yard, or in your own garage.
2. You may only have one loaded and accessible gun in your home. All other guns must be broken down and unloaded.
3. You must have a Chicago Firearms Permit (CFP) as well as a state-issued Firearms Owner's Identification Card (FOID) in order to purchase or possess a gun.
4. You have to have completed four hours of classroom weapons training and one hour of training at a shooting range in order to get a FOID.
5. All firearms must be registered with the city police.

If you have any questions about the new gun laws, or if you have been charged with a weapons violation, you should contact a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney at soon as possible.