Prospective Gun Owners In Illinois Frustrated By FOID Backlog
By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 4, 2013 10:25PM
As the Illinois State Police braces for receiving concealed carry permits next year they have to first deal with a backlog of Firearms Owner Identification Card (FOID) applications.
The State Journal-Register reports the department has over 49,000 FOID applications awaiting approval. That is down from a backlog of 114,000 applications in April. The State Police blame the backlog on an outdated processing system and understaffing. The agency is required by state law to approve or deny a FOID application within 30 days.
Gov. Pat Quinn said he plans on speaking with state lawmakers to ensure the State Police have the necessary resources to begin processing concealed carry permits. Illinois became the last state in the union to pass a concealed carry law in July and the agency estimates 400,000 permits will be filed in the first year the law is in effect.