Two bills have been signed into law that will have an impact on gun laws in Illinois. State Senator Laura Ellman passed a critical public safety law to strengthen gun storage standards in Illinois, ensuring firearms are kept out of the hands of children, vulnerable populations, and criminals.
Studies show that unsecured firearms, along with lost or stolen guns, are major contributors to suicides, unintentional shootings, mass shootings, and escalating crime. Nearly 54% of gun owners do not securely lock all of their firearms, and in three-fourths of school shootings, the shooter obtained the firearm from a parent or relative. Alarmingly, 82% of adolescent firearm suicides involve a gun that belonged to a family member.
Expanding existing law, Ellman’s new law requires gun owners to secure their firearms if any minor, regardless of age, is present in the home – ensuring that if a gun owner knows a child may access their firearm, it must be securely stored in a locked container.
In addition to addressing gun storage, the legislation highlights the broader issue of lost and stolen firearms. An estimated 380,000 firearms are stolen each year from legal gun owners in the U.S., many of which are funneled into illegal markets and used in crimes. Lost firearms are three times more likely to be used in a crime, while stolen guns are nine times more likely to be involved in criminal activity.
Senator Ellman says that Illinois is now taking a significant step toward curbing these outcomes. States that have adopted secure firearm storage laws have seen up to a 78% decrease in unintentional shootings by children. Similarly, states with lost-and-stolen firearm reporting requirements have experienced a 46% reduction in illegal gun trafficking.
State Senator Bill Cunningham’s measure to give law enforcement stronger tools to track down the criminals bringing illegal guns into Illinois neighborhoods was also signed into law.
Under current law, firearm tracing is limited to specific scenarios. Cunningham’s measure broadens that scope by requiring firearm tracing in all cases where a gun is recovered at the scene of a crime, is used unlawfully, or is believed to be associated with a crime. The new law also asks every law enforcement agency in Illinois to participate in the federal eTrace program, providing investigators with faster, more complete data on gun origins, trafficking patterns and crime links. This will ensure consistent reporting and firearm tracing across all counties, helping to close investigative loopholes and make communities safer statewide.
Senate Bill 8 and Senate Bill 1373 were signed into law on Monday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026.
