SPRINGFIELD – With preventable tragedies involving unsecured guns increasingly impacting children and teens, State Senator Laura Ellman advanced a critical public-safety measure to strengthen Illinois’ firearm-storage requirements. The new law helps ensure firearms are safely secured and inaccessible to minors, vulnerable residents, and those who pose a public threat.

“For far too long, our communities have carried the heartbreak of preventable tragedies caused by unsecured firearms,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “A firearm that’s left out or improperly stored isn’t just a hazard, it’s a threat to the safety of everyone in the home. Secure storage is one of the simplest and most effective ways gun owners can protect the people they love.”

Senate Bill 8 requires gun owners to secure their firearms if any minor, regardless of age, is present in the home – ensuring that if a gun owner knows a child may access their firearm, it must be securely stored in a locked container.

Studies show that unsecured firearms, along with lost or stolen guns, are major contributors to suicides, unintentional shootings, mass shootings, and escalating crime. Nearly 54% of gun owners do not securely lock all of their firearms, and in three-fourths of school shootings, the shooter obtained the firearm from a parent or relative. Alarmingly, 82% of adolescent firearm suicides involve a gun that belonged to a family member.

In addition to addressing gun storage, the legislation highlights the broader issue of lost and stolen firearms. An estimated 380,000 firearms are stolen each year from legal gun owners in the U.S., many of which are funneled into illegal markets and used in crimes. Lost firearms are three times more likely to be used in a crime, while stolen guns are nine times more likely to be involved in criminal activity.

Thanks to Ellman’s new law, Illinois is taking a significant step toward curbing these outcomes. States that have adopted secure firearm storage laws have seen up to a 78% decrease in unintentional shootings by children. Similarly, states with lost-and-stolen firearm reporting requirements have experienced a 46% reduction in illegal gun trafficking.

“Children and teens are the most vulnerable to the dangers of unsecured handguns, and the consequences can be irreversible,” said Ellman. “By strengthening Illinois’ storage requirements, we’re taking a meaningful step toward saving lives and reducing the devastating impact of accidental shootings across our state.”

Senate Bill 8 takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.