DeKalb Times

Illinois State Rep. John M. Cabello recently shared an update on the legal battles surrounding the Firearms Owners Identification (FOID) card

"FOID card legal battle moves forward in Sangamon County," Cabello wrote in a June 22 Facebook post. "Attorneys presented oral arguments in the Sangamon County court battle over the constitutionality of FOID cards in Illinois."

In his Facebook post, Rep. Cabello linked to a June 20 report from WAND News, which reported that oral arguments over the constitutionality of FOID cards had begun in Sangamon County. The outlet reported that the plaintiff’s argument is that “the FOID Act burdens actions protected under the second amendment,” and that based on the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision means laws like the FOID Act go against the constitution.

The Illinois State Police is the entity that issues Firearm Owner Identification cards. To be eligible, individuals must not be fugitives from justice, must not have been dishonorably discharged from the military, have no felony convictions on their records, are not or have not been patients in mental institutions, must not be unlawfully present in the United States, among other rules. A pop up on the ISP website for the FOID card has a checklist to follow before applying, check FOID application status, and find information on renewals or what to do if a FOID card is lost or stolen.

In 2022, WSILTV announced that individuals who had a FOID card in Illinois would automatically have cards renewed if they had submitted a full set of fingerprints to the Illinois State Police for their FOID card, concealed carry license, or as part of an approved Firearms Transaction Inquiry Program transaction.

The system has been controversial for many years, with many calling for the FOID card to go away. In 2012, the Chicago Tribune reported that a state audit then found problems with the FOID card system – that individuals who did not qualify could get or keep FOID cards, and that delays in processing card requests were an issue. And the paper reported on the history of the FOID card as well. According to that report, the first cards were issued in 1968, and between 2008 and 2010, there were more than 850,000 FOID card applications processed and approved.