SPRINGFIELD — The state immediately banned the sale of the military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines Tuesday evening, with Gov. (D) J.B. Pritzker’s signature on a bill the House had passed just hours earlier.
“Today, we made history, becoming the ninth state﹡ to institute an assault weapons ban —and one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the nation,” Pritzker said before signing the bill in a ceremony quickly put together at the state Capitol.
“I’m grateful that people cared enough to get this done now,” the governor said moments later, after holding up the signed bill. “This will save lives.” His signature shortly before 8:30 p.m. immediately bans the sale of assault weapons in Illinois and caps the purchase of magazines at 10 rounds for long guns and 15 for handguns. It also makes rapid-fire devices, known as “switches,” illegal because they turn firearms into fully automatic weapons.
Those who currently own any of the items being banned, who will be grandfathered in, will have to report the model, caliber and serial numbers of the weapons they own by Oct. 1.
The Illinois State Rifle Association said the ban will impact nearly 2.5 million Illinois gun owners. They plan to fight in court.
Pritzker has signed other notable pieces of gun control legislation during his tenure as governor, including a law last year that banned “ghost guns” — unregistered and untraceable homemade weapons — making Illinois the first Midwestern state to do so. In 2021, he signed a law expanding background checks on gun sales statewide.
﹡California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — as well as the District of Columbia,
