Illinois' rules requiring residents to register guns the state classifies as “assault weapons” are final, putting an end to months of ambiguity and acrimony over the specifics of a 2023 law — even as lawsuits seek to strike down the law completely.

In November 2023, a US appeals court upheld the Illinois assault weapons ban, rejecting appeals that challenged the law by claiming it violated the second amendment of the US constitution. The law goes into effect on 1 January.

While the federal 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court both declined to block enforcement of the law temporarily, a gun rights group has said it will appeal to the full U.S. high court to challenge the law's legality on federal constitutional grounds.

Buying, Selling, or Transferring Assault Weapons Illinois residents cannot lawfully purchase an AR 15 or assault weapon after January 11, 2023, unless subject to one of the narrow exemptions listed in section 720 ILCS 5/24-1.9(e) within the link above.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the ban on the sale, possession and manufacture of a long list of firearms, high-capacity magazines and certain accessories in January 2023.

The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) asked the Supreme Court on Monday to review an Illinois assault weapons ban that a federal appeals court upheld last year. The 7th Circuit found in November that the assault weapons ban constitutes a reasonable limit on the Second Amendment, which the NAGR challenges.

Semiautomatic rifles are prohibited. AR or AK pattern receivers are prohibited. Lever-action rifles of any caliber with a tubular feeding device are permitted. Bolt-action rifles of any caliber with a fixed or detachable magazine that does not exceed 10 rounds are permitted.