FOID (firearms)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
FOID is an acronym for Firearm Owners Identification. To legally possess or purchase firearms or ammunition, residents of the state of Illinois are required to have a FOID card.[1] (The term is alternatively pronounced "a foid card" or "an F.O.I.D. card".)
The FOID card is issued by the Illinois State Police, who first perform a check of the applicant on the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), an electronic database maintained by the FBI. Grounds for disqualification include a conviction for a felony or for an act of domestic violence, a conviction for assault or battery within the last five years, or being the subject of an order of protection. The police also check an Illinois Department of Human Services database, to disqualify any applicant who has been adjudicated as a mental defective, or who has been a patient of a mental institution within the last five years.[2] Mental health professionals are required to inform state authorities about patients who display violent, suicidal or threatening behavior, for inclusion in the Human Services database.[3] The police may also check other sources of information. There are additional requirements for applicants under the age of 21.[4]
A FOID card must be granted within 30 days from the date the application is received, unless the applicant does not qualify. A new FOID card is valid for ten years. Cards issued prior to June 1, 2008 were valid for five years.[2] Individuals are required to reapply for a new card at least 30 days before their old one expires. The FOID card will be revoked before its expiration if the individual becomes disqualified as described above.
Illinois law requires that, when a firearm is sold by a Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder or at a gun show, the seller perform a dial-up inquiry to the State Police to verify that the buyer's FOID card is valid. This additional check is known as the Firearm Transfer Inquiry Program (FTIP).
