Why might a resident of VIRGINIA want to obtain an ILLINOIS Concealed Carry License?

For VIRGINIA residents, an ILLINOIS Concealed Carry License would add reciprocity in some additional states with which we currently do not have (and cannot easily obtain) reciprocity, with a VIRGINIA Concealed Handgun Permit ("CHP"), or a non-resident permit from some other state (e.g., UT, FL, AZ, etc.). 

TWO states, with which reciprocity may be of particular interest to VIRGINIA residents, are:  ILLINOIS and MINNESOTA.

ILLINOIS:

At present, for those living in/near our area here in northern Virginia (VA, MD, DC, PA, WV, DE), ONLY VA Residents may apply for an ILLINOIS Concealed Carry License, but those who hold a valid concealed carry permit from any state may carry in their carry (and only in their car), while traveling through the state of Illinois.  Again, this is permitted ONLY if you already possess a valid concealed carry permit (resident or non-resident) from another state.  AND, once a VA Resident obtains an ILLINOIS Concealed Carry License, then they will be allowed to carry outside their vehicle, as well. 

If you desire to apply for an ILLINOIS Concealed Carry License, we can refer you to an ILLINOIS-approved instructor (unless/until we receive official credentials to do so, ourselves, in the future).

***PLEASE NOTE, however, that there are some jurisdictional exceptions within ILLINOIS, where carry still is NOT permitted – including within the City of Chicago!  Therefore, be VERY careful to double-check the law, before you plan to carry in ILLINOIS!*** 

MINNESOTA:

Minnesota has dropped reciprocity with a number of states, and therefore Utah, Florida, and Arizona non-Resident permit holders no longer have reciprocity with Minnesota. 

BUT, if you are a Virginia resident, who obtains an ILLINOIS Concealed Carry License, you’ll be able to carry in Minnesota, too.   PLUS, you could obtain training for an Illinois Concealed Carry License – without having to leave Virginia!  

Presently, the only other way to be able to carry in Minnesota, is to obtain a Minnesota non-resident permit.  Just be aware that the path to be able to obtain a Minnesota non-resident permit does involve a more complicated set of procedures.  Either, you must travel to Minnesota and take training from a Minnesota certified instructor. If you would like to do your training with a Minnesota certified instructor in this area, we can refer you to one we know. Be aware, however, that whether you take your training in Minnesota, or locally, the next step is that you must file your application – in person – in Minnesota!  Again, it's not a quick and easy process, but it is possible to accomplish, if you're willing to go through the steps.

MORE INFO:

DISCOVER SHOOTING presently does not have any staff member who possesses ILLINOIS -or- MINNESOTA instructor certification credentials, so we cannot officially teach ILLINOIS training classes, here in Northern Virginia.  We may obtain ILLINOIS instructor certification credentials in the future, if there is enough interest in permits — but, in the meanwhile, we can refer you to an Illinois certified instructor, or a MINNESOTA certified instructor.  Also, we wish to remind customers in our area, that *only* VA Residents may apply for an ILLINOIS Concealed Carry License!   Ask us for more details. 

Again, DISCOVER SHOOTING may obtain official ILLINOIS and/or MINNESOTA instructor credentials, so that we may offer classes in the future – but, as always, we'll continue to offer referrals for training (with other instructors), on an individual basis, so as to best meet the scheduling needs of our students.   

HOW TO REACH US:

To register for a class, or obtain more information, please click the "Contact Us" link on the website, and fill in your contact details, or email us directly at: 

DiscoverShooting@gmail.com