Open Carry in Illinois State Parks

[junglebob]

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Does anyone know is open carry prohibited in state parks or does each one make up its own rules on this? Also wondering if open carry is prohibited on a bicycle? Inside a motor vehicle is, is it when riding a motorcycle?

 

[GJD]

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I live to close to Illinois. I'm almost sure that carrying a gun is illegal anywhere that you would go, except maybe your bedroom or your kitchen if you are lucky.

 

[junglebob]

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GJD, I think you're wrong about that. Looking at Illinois statute 720/5 it looks like open carry could be illegal in a state park in a rural area, since there is mention of a prohibition in public parks. On one website they said its legal while hunting to open carry, but I see nothing in that statute about the necessity of hunting.

 

[ilbob]

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(720 ILCS 5/21‑6) (from Ch. 38, par. 21‑6)
Sec. 21‑6. Unauthorized Possession or Storage of Weapons.
(a) Whoever possesses or stores any weapon enumerated in Section 33A‑1 in any building or on land supported in whole or in part with public funds or in any building on such land without prior written permission from the chief security officer for such land or building commits a Class A misdemeanor.

I think that about covers whether you can carry in public parks.

 

[junglebob]

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That is something that someone mentioned once as being so all encomposing that it isn't enforced. It doesn't even give an exemption for law enforcement. I guess one could ask permission from the sheriff.

 

[lockman]

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Yes you can get permission from an official in charge of the facility/property.

720 ILCS 5/21‑6 is what they charged a woman with a few years back when she went through a metal detector at a court building with a cased unloaded firearm in her purse. At that time she was exempted under the UUW statutes because of the cased/unloaded/FOID exemption. Trespass under 5/21-6 was the only charge they could file that could be applied.

 

[Hawk82]

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I added this question at the bottom of my fanny-pack post, but then I found this thread and thought this would be a better place.

I was also curious about state parks. I have a business that operates in a state park. I lease the facility from DNR. I know that the statute indicates that you can have a firearm on your person in your home or business. Since that portion of my park is my business, does that mean I can keep a firearm there? I think firearms are prohibited from state parks here, but then again I didn't see it mentioned in my lease.

It's an interesting situation, as the two laws are at odds with each other. Which one prevails? One says that I can keep a firearm in my place of business even on my person (which I lease just like the majority of businesses), and the other forbids firearms on public financed property (the park boundary is also the city boundary, so it's just barely inside an incorporated area). And if I am allowed a firearm, how do you get it to my business inside the park, drive it in unassembled? An interesting little puzzle.

 

[Bill Starks]

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Its amazing how different it is between the states. Here in Washington if its publically funded (city, county, state) they can't prohibit you from carrying.