imported post
Maybe I can clear it up. Keep in mind IANAL.
Nothing in the law has changed with this case. The IL SC just stated what everyone involved knew all along - that specifically a center console meets the requirements of the UUW act for the exemption to the general rule that you can't have a gun in your car. The exemption states:
iii) are unloaded and enclosed in a case, firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container by a person who has been issued a currently valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card;
Why the phrase "other container" has confounded LE and SA in the state (at least in a few areas) is amazing to me (note use of sarcasm).
Note that the way the law is written,non-residents are not eligible for this exception as they cannot get a FOID. NR would have to comply with one of the other 2 exceptions.
(i) are broken down in a non-functioning state; or
(ii) are not immediately accessible;
So, a NR would need to break down his gun or make it not immediately accessible to avoid tripping up over the UUW act.
Nothing in this case changes anything in the Wildlife Code which has more stringent requirements for having a gun in your car. Despite what some people have claimed, the WC does not limit the applicability of the requirements to only those engaged in hunting, and people have been charged and convicted over WC gun in car violations who were not hunting.
You might think that exception(ii) would allow you to keep a loaded gun in the trunk. It really does nothing of the sort. It just means it is might not bea UUW charge. Its still a class B WC violation. 180 days in jail is nothing to sneeze at.
As for the Chicago issue, IL has something enshrined in its state constitution called home rule. Basically, any home rule entity (Chicago is one) can make up just about any law they want. They can criminalize anything. They can't make it a felony though. So several home rule entities have passed various laws on firearms that are more restictive than the state law. Pre-emption of firearms regulations would be nice, but it will be hard to get. Presumably if you are passing through Chicago in compliance with FOPA rules, you would be OK, but Chicago PD plays by its own rules sometimes.