There’s a scene in a popular science fiction action film where two of the main characters hold back their coats to reveal that they have a virtual armory of weapons strapped to their bodies. For many people, the idea of concealed weaponry aligns with this image of people carrying powerful weapons with the intention to cause structural damage to a facility and bodily harm to its occupants.
However, not everyone who was accused of carrying a concealed weapon had something that they considered dangerous on their person, let alone the intention to cause harm to others. Could you wind up facing weapons charges in Illinois without knowing you’ve broken the law?
Anyone concealing a firearm has to have a permit in Illinois
When it comes to firearms, there is no permissible way to carry a concealed weapon on your person without a permit legally. A firearm that other people can’t readily see is a concealed firearm under state law. Open carry is also subject to many restrictions in Illinois.
Without a Concealed Carry License (CCL), if you get stopped by law enforcement, you could very well get charged with the weapons offense. In other words, if you don’t have a CCL, you should not carry your firearm in public.
For many people, knives are more of a gray area
You may already know that Illinois has rules against mechanized blades. Switchblades, ballistic knives and similar devices violate state law and could result in charges just for you having them in your possession. However, there are other knives and blades that are legal to own but not to carry when you are out in public places.
If you have a folding knife with a blade that is longer than three inches on public property, that could be sufficient for you to face weapons charges under Illinois law. People who might carry these knives on them without thinking about it include people who install carpet, work with drywall, hunt or open packages frequently in their line of work.
If you leave your job with a blade in your pocket and then get stopped by police, it could result in an unfortunate situation for you despite having no intention to break the law or cause harm to others. Anyone facing weapons offenses in Illinois should look at their options for rigorously defending against such charges and the criminal consequences that they carry.