SPRINGFIELD – As the first wave of the 10-year Firearm Owners Identification card come due for renewal, Illinois State Police Director Leo Schmitz is urging FOID card holders to apply early to remain active.
“We expect tens of thousands of renewal applications to come in over the next few months,” Schmitz said. “We recommend gun owners get their renewal applications in at least one to two months in advance so we have adequate time to process them and get a new card out before expiration.”
More than 50,000 FOID cards are due for renewal between June 1 and August 1. The General Assembly amended the state’s law that requires gun owners to carry a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card in 2008, allowing the cards to be valid for ten years.
The Illinois State Police (ISP) oversees the FOID card system and issues the cards. They’ve already sent renewal notices to people whose cards will expire June 1.
Applicants can visit the ISP’s Firearm Services Bureau website at www.ispfsb.com to renew online. Anyone who needs assistance with FOID card renewal, and those who prefer paper applications, can call 217-782-7980 and select menu option 0.
Applicants should make sure the name and address on FOID applications match the records on file for them at the Secretary of State’s Office, otherwise the renewal process will be delayed.