Applicants have a few steps to go through to apply for a concealed carry license through the Illinois State Police. The law goes into effect on Jan. 5, 2014. The first step will be signing up for a digital ID online, similar to a user ID and password that you'd have at most any other website.

Armed with their ID, applicants can go to the Illinois State Police concealed carry website to start the application process. For that part of the process, a driver’s license number and Firearm Owners ID card number are required.

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IL State Police: Concealed Carry Licensing

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Chicago Tonight: Concealed Carry in Illinois