Chicago's new gun law goes into effect today

Chicago's newly minted handgun regulation law goes into effect today, less than a month after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the city's ban on handguns.

The new ordinance bans gun shops in Chicago and prohibits gun owners from stepping outside their homes, even onto their porches or in their garages, with a handgun.

"Our big thing is knowing who has weapons," Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis. "Believe it or not, we are trying to make it as easy as possible for people to register their weapon."

The police department has posted forms and other information on permits and registration on its Web site, the superintendent said.

Lawsuits have already been filed by a man who wants to open a gun shop in Lincoln Park, by four residents and a gun sellers group. They claim the ordinance is unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court ruled in June that Americans have the right to have handguns for self-defense. The ruling effectively made the city's 28-year-old gun ban unenforceable.

Starting today, anyone who wants to get a handgun must obtain a Chicago firearm permit. People who have committed violent crimes, or have two or more convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, will not be allowed permits.

To apply for a gun permit, applicants must be 21 years old or older (or 18, with parents' permission), have a valid FOID card and an affidavit signed by a state-certified firearms instructor, among other requirements. The permit fee is $100, the permit itself expires in three years and the application must be submitted in person at police headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave., though applicants were advised not to bring their weapons with them.

Key provisions of the ordinance include:

• Firearm sales will be banned in the city.
• Gun training totaling four hours in a classroom and an hour on a firing range will be required before getting a permit. But firing ranges are banned, so training must be completed outside Chicago.
• To transport a gun, it will have to be "broken down," not immediately accessible, unloaded, and in a firearm case.
• Firearms may be possessed only inside the dwelling. It will be illegal to have a gun in the garage, on porches or in the yard. Guns also will not be allowed in hotels, dorms and group-living facilities.

Permit-bearing owners also must individually register each gun they own within five days of purchase and are allowed to register only one handgun per 30-day period, Weis said. The registration fee is $15.

-- Staff report, Associated Press