FOID Card Review Board

Public Act 102-237 amended the FOID Act to create the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Card Review Board (FCRB). Effective January 1, 2023, pursuant to Section 10(a-5) of the FOID Act, the Firearm Owners Identification Card Review Board (FCRB) shall consider any request for relief under subsection (a), other than an appeal directed to the circuit court and except when the applicant is challenging the record upon which the decision to deny or revoke was based as provided in subsection (a-10) of the Act.

In practice this means

  • Anyone requesting relief from the denial of a FOID Card application or the revocation of a FOID Card dated on or after December 31, 2022, shall file their request for relief with the FCRB if such denial or revocation was for any of the following reasons:
    • Developmental or Intellectual Disabilities
    • Mental Health Admissions / Clear & Present Danger Incidents that were less than 5 years ago.
    • Law Enforcement Requested for Expedited Relief from a Mental Health Admission
    • Certain Misdemeanors as provided in Section 8k of the FOID Act
    • Felonies other than:
      • Forcible felonies,
      • Stalking,
      • Aggravate stalking,
      • Domestic battery,
      • Any violation of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, or the Cannabis Control Act that is classified as a Class 2 or greater felony,
      • Any felony conviction of Article 24 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or
      • Any adjudication as delinquent minor for the commission of an offense that if committed by an adult would be a felony.
  • Please Note:
    • If your filing was complete prior to January 1, 2023, and you have not yet received a decision from the Illinois State Police (ISP), your file will either be transitioned to the FCRB by the ISP or you will receive further direction from the ISP.
    • If you filed materials after January 1, 2023, with the ISP, they will be provided to the FCRB as a part of the transition.

For additional information, please refer to the Office of Firearms Safety Webpage.

What am I required to do if my FOID Card was revoked?

The FOID Act (430 ILCS 65/9.5) requires within 48 hours of receiving notification of the revocation or suspension of your FOID Card, that you:

  1. Surrender your Firearm Owner's Identification Card to the local law enforcement agency where you reside;
  2. Transfer all firearms in your possession or control; and

  3. Complete a Firearm Disposition Record, which can be found here.

    Instructions are included on the form; failure to comply with this statute constitutes a Class A misdemeanor.

  4. If your FOID Card was revoked because you no longer reside in Illinois, please destroy your FOID card and ensure you are in compliance with the laws of the state in which your reside.
  5. If you are the sponsor of a minor(s) who has a FOID card, the minor's FOID card has also been revoked and must be immediately surrendered; please have the minor complete a Firearm Disposition Record as well.

What do I do if I think there has been a mistake, and my FOID Card was incorrectly revoked or my application was incorrectly denied?

If you believe the ISP's records have inaccurately identified you as prohibited from possessing a FOID Card, you do not need to request relief from the FCRB. Rather, you will need to use the ISP, Office of Firearms Safety, Types of Appeals Tab and select I Inadvertently Answered Yes or Need to Challenge My Record.

My FOID Card was revoked or my application was denied. How do I appeal this decision?

  • Section 10 of the FOID Act provides that when a FOID card is revoked or an application is denied, the aggrieved party may appeal to the FCRB for relief unless the r evocation or denial was based upon certain felony convictions.
    For additional information regarding how to appeal to the FCRB, please utilize the Types of Appeals Tab above.
  • If you were a patient in a Mental Health Facility or reported as a Clear & Present Danger due to an incident more than five years ago, you do not need to appeal to the FCRB for relief. Rather, you will need to utilize the Illinois State Police, Office of Firearms Safety, Types of Appeals Tab and select Mental Health Admission / Clear and Present Danger Over five years ago.
  • If you were convicted of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence, you cannot appeal to the FCRB for relief. Rather, you will need to utilize the Illinois State Police, Office of Firearms Safety, Types of Appeals Tab and select Misdemeanor Crimes of Domestic Violence.
  • If you were convicted of a forcible felony, stalking, aggravated stalking, domestic battery, any violation of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act that is Classified as a Class 2 or greater felony, a violation of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act that is classified as a Class 2 or greater felony, or a violation of the Cannabis Control Act that is classified as a Class 2 or greater felony, a felony violation of Article 24 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or any adjudication as a delinquent minor for the commission of an offense that if committed by an adult would be a felony ; you cannot appeal to the FCRB for relief. Rather, you will need to utilize the Illinois State Police, Office of Firearms Safety, Types of Appeals Tab and select FOID Denial or Revocation Court Ordered Relief Needed.
  • If you were revoked or denied pursuant to Section 8.2 of the FOID Act, you are not eligible for reinstatement of your firearms rights until the order of protection or firearms restraining order expires or is dismissed or vacated.

What do I do if I don’t understand why my FOID Card was revoked or my FOID Application was denied or otherwise cannot find what I need on this webpage?

Please refer to the Illinois State Police, Office of Firearms Safety webpage.