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Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4504

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4504

Introduced 1/26/2026, by Rep. Wayne A. Rosenthal

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

520 ILCS 5/2.25

from Ch. 61, par. 2.25
520 ILCS 5/2.33
520 ILCS 5/1.2bb rep.

Amends the Wildlife Code. In provisions regarding deer hunting,
limits legal handguns and rifles to centerfire revolvers, centerfire
handguns capable of holding not more than 3 rounds in the magazine and
chamber combined, and centerfire rifles capable of holding not more than 3
rounds in the magazine and chamber combined. Provides that, if a
centerfire handgun or centerfire rifle is capable of holding more than 3
rounds, it must be fitted with a one-piece plug that is irremovable without
dismantling the handgun or rifle, or it must be otherwise altered to render
it incapable of holding more than 3 rounds in the magazine and chamber
combined. Requires the Department of Natural Resources to adopt rules. In
provisions regarding prohibitions, provides that it is unlawful while deer
hunting to be in possession of or in close proximity to a magazine that is
capable of holding more than 2 rounds (rather than capable of making a
rifle not single shot) or to possess a handgun or rifle otherwise capable
of holding more than 3 rounds in the magazine and chamber combined. Repeals
the definition of "single shot".
LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b

A BILL FOR

HB4504
LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1

AN ACT concerning wildlife.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 5.
The Wildlife Code is amended by changing
5
Sections 2.25 and 2.33 as follows:

6

(520 ILCS 5/2.25)

(from Ch. 61, par. 2.25)
7

Sec. 2.25.
It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer
8
except (i) with a shotgun, handgun,
single shot
centerfire
9
rifle, or muzzleloading rifle or (ii) as provided by
10
administrative rule, with a bow and arrow, during the open
11
season of not more than 14 days which will be set annually by
12
the Director between the dates of November 1st and December
13
31st, both inclusive, or a special 3-day, youth-only season
14
between the dates of September 1 and October 31. For the
15
purposes of this Section, legal handguns and rifles are
16
limited to
: (i) centerfire revolvers; (ii) centerfire handguns
17
capable of holding not more than 3 rounds in the magazine and
18
chamber combined; and (iii) centerfire rifles capable of
19
holding not more than 3 rounds in the magazine and chamber
20
combined. If a centerfire handgun or centerfire rifle is
21
capable of holding more than 3 rounds, then, for it to be a
22
legal handgun or rifle under this Section, it must be fitted
23
with a one-piece plug that is irremovable without dismantling

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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1
the handgun or rifle, or it must be otherwise altered to render
2
it incapable of holding more than 3 rounds in the magazine and
3
chamber combined

centerfire handguns that are either a single
4
shot or revolver and centerfire rifles that are single shot
.
5
The only legal ammunition for a centerfire handgun or rifle is
6
a bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger
7
with a case length not exceeding one and two-fifths inches, or
8
a straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or
9
larger, both of which must be available as a factory load with
10
the published ballistic tables of the manufacturer showing a
11
capability of at least 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle.
12
The barrel of a handgun shall be at least 4 inches. Full metal
13
jacket bullets may not be used to harvest deer.
14

The Department shall
adopt

make administrative
rules
15
concerning management restrictions applicable to the firearm
16
and bow and arrow season.
Additionally, the Department shall
17
adopt rules implementing and administering the changes made to
18
the Wildlife Code by this amendatory Act of the 104th General
19
Assembly.

20

It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
21
with a bow and arrow during the open season for bow and arrow
22
set annually by the Director between the dates of September
23
1st and January 31st, both inclusive.
24

It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
25
with (i) a muzzleloading rifle or (ii) bow and arrow during the
26
open season for muzzleloading rifles set annually by the

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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1
Director.
2

The Director shall cause an administrative rule setting
3
forth the prescribed rules and regulations, including bag and
4
possession limits and those counties of the State where open
5
seasons are established, to be published in accordance with
6
Sections 1.3 and 1.13 of this Act.
7

The Department may establish separate harvest periods for
8
the purpose of managing or eradicating disease that has been
9
found in the deer herd. This season shall be restricted to gun
10
or bow and arrow hunting only. The Department shall publicly
11
announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and
12
shooting hours, the counties and sites open to hunting.
13

The Department is authorized to establish a separate
14
harvest period at specific sites within the State for the
15
purpose of harvesting surplus deer that cannot be taken during
16
the regular season provided for the taking of deer. This
17
season shall be restricted to gun or bow and arrow hunting only
18
and shall be established during the period of September 1st to
19
February 15th, both inclusive. The Department shall publicly
20
announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and
21
shooting hours, and the counties and sites open to hunting.
22
The Department shall publish suitable prescribed rules and
23
regulations established by administrative rule pertaining to
24
management restrictions applicable to this special harvest
25
program. The Department shall allow unused gun deer permits
26
that are left over from a regular season for the taking of deer

HB4504
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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1
to be rolled over and used during any separate harvest period
2
held within 6 months of the season for which those tags were
3
issued at no additional cost to the permit holder subject to
4
the management restrictions applicable to the special harvest
5
program.
6

If the Department is using its sharpshooting program to
7
manage chronic wasting disease in a deer herd that is found in
8
a county in the State and if no cases of that disease have been
9
identified in that herd in the preceding 3 calendar years,
10
then the Department shall end the use of that program to manage
11
chronic wasting disease in that county. However, the program
12
may be reinstituted within the county if chronic wasting
13
disease is again identified in that herd.
14

Beginning July 1, 2019, and on an annual basis thereafter,
15
the Department shall provide a report to the General Assembly
16
providing information regarding deer management programs
17
established by the Code or by administrative rule that
18
includes: (1) the number of surplus deer taken during each
19
separate harvest season; (2) the number of deer found to have a
20
communicable disease or other abnormality; and (3) what
21
happens to the deer taken during each separate harvest season.
22
(Source: P.A. 104-58, eff. 1-1-26
.)

23

(520 ILCS 5/2.33)
24

Sec. 2.33.
Prohibitions.
25

(a) It is unlawful to carry or possess any gun in any State

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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1
refuge unless otherwise permitted by administrative rule.
2

(b) It is unlawful to use or possess any snare or
3
snare-like device, deadfall, net, or pit trap to take any
4
species, except that snares not powered by springs or other
5
mechanical devices may be used to trap fur-bearing mammals, in
6
water sets only, if at least one-half of the snare noose is
7
located underwater at all times.
8

(c) It is unlawful for any person at any time to take a
9
wild mammal protected by this Act from its den by means of any
10
mechanical device, spade, or digging device or to use smoke or
11
other gases to dislodge or remove such mammal except as
12
provided in Section 2.37.
13

(d) It is unlawful to use a ferret or any other small
14
mammal which is used in the same or similar manner for which
15
ferrets are used for the purpose of frightening or driving any
16
mammals from their dens or hiding places.
17

(e) (Blank).
18

(f) It is unlawful to use spears, gigs, hooks, or any like
19
device to take any species protected by this Act.
20

(g) It is unlawful to use poisons, chemicals, or
21
explosives for the purpose of taking any species protected by
22
this Act.
23

(h) It is unlawful to hunt adjacent to or near any peat,
24
grass, brush, or other inflammable substance when it is
25
burning.
26

(i) It is unlawful to take, pursue or intentionally harass

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1
or disturb in any manner any wild birds or mammals by use or
2
aid of any vehicle, conveyance, or unmanned aircraft as
3
defined by the Illinois Aeronautics Act, except as permitted
4
by the Code of Federal Regulations for the taking of
5
waterfowl; except that nothing in this subsection shall
6
prohibit the use of unmanned aircraft in the inspection of a
7
public utility facility, tower, or structure or a mobile
8
service facility, tower, or structure by a public utility, as
9
defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act, or a
10
provider of mobile services as defined in Section 153 of Title
11
47 of the United States Code. It is also unlawful to use the
12
lights of any vehicle or conveyance, any light connected to
13
any vehicle or conveyance, or any other lighting device or
14
mechanism from inside or on a vehicle or conveyance in any area
15
where wildlife may be found except in accordance with Section
16
2.37 of this Act; however, nothing in this Section shall
17
prohibit the normal use of headlamps for the purpose of
18
driving upon a roadway. For purposes of this Section, any
19
other lighting device or mechanism shall include, but not be
20
limited to, any device that uses infrared or other light not
21
visible to the naked eye, electronic image intensification,
22
active illumination, thermal imaging, or night vision. Striped
23
skunk, opossum, red fox, gray fox, raccoon, bobcat, and coyote
24
may be taken during the open season by use of a small light
25
which is worn on the body or hand-held by a person on foot and
26
not in any vehicle.

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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1

(j) It is unlawful to use any shotgun larger than 10 gauge
2
while taking or attempting to take any of the species
3
protected by this Act.
4

(k) It is unlawful to use or possess in the field any
5
shotgun shell loaded with a shot size larger than lead BB or
6
steel T (.20 diameter) when taking or attempting to take any
7
species of wild game mammals (excluding white-tailed deer),
8
wild game birds, migratory waterfowl or migratory game birds
9
protected by this Act, except white-tailed deer as provided
10
for in Section 2.26 and other species as provided for by
11
subsection (l) or administrative rule.
12

(l) It is unlawful to take any species of wild game, except
13
white-tailed deer and fur-bearing mammals, with a shotgun
14
loaded with slugs unless otherwise provided for by
15
administrative rule.
16

(m) It is unlawful to use any shotgun capable of holding
17
more than 3 shells in the magazine or chamber combined, except
18
on game breeding and hunting preserve areas licensed under
19
Section 3.27 and except as permitted by the Code of Federal
20
Regulations for the taking of waterfowl. If the shotgun is
21
capable of holding more than 3 shells, it shall, while being
22
used on an area other than a game breeding and shooting
23
preserve area licensed pursuant to Section 3.27, be fitted
24
with a one-piece plug that is irremovable without dismantling
25
the shotgun or otherwise altered to render it incapable of
26
holding more than 3 shells in the magazine and chamber,

HB4504
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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1
combined.
2

(n) It is unlawful for any person, except persons who
3
possess a permit to hunt from a vehicle as provided in this
4
Section and persons otherwise permitted by law, to have or
5
carry any gun in or on any vehicle, conveyance, or aircraft,
6
unless such gun is unloaded and enclosed in a case, except that
7
at field trials authorized by Section 2.34 of this Act,
8
unloaded guns or guns loaded with blank cartridges only may be
9
carried on horseback while not contained in a case, or to have
10
or carry any bow or arrow device in or on any vehicle unless
11
such bow or arrow device is unstrung or enclosed in a case, or
12
otherwise made inoperable unless in accordance with the
13
Firearm Concealed Carry Act.
14

(o) (Blank).
15

(p) It is unlawful to take game birds, migratory game
16
birds or migratory waterfowl with a rifle, pistol, revolver,
17
or air rifle.
18

(q) It is unlawful to fire a rifle, pistol, revolver, or
19
air rifle on, over, or into any waters of this State, including
20
frozen waters.
21

(r) It is unlawful to discharge any gun or bow and arrow
22
device along, upon, across, or from any public right-of-way or
23
highway in this State.
24

(s) It is unlawful to use a silencer or other device to
25
muffle or mute the sound of the explosion or report resulting
26
from the firing of any gun.

HB4504
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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1

(t) It is unlawful for any person to take or attempt to
2
take any species of wildlife or parts thereof, or allow a dog
3
to hunt, within or upon the land of another, or upon waters
4
flowing over or standing on the land of another, or to
5
knowingly shoot a gun or bow and arrow device at any wildlife
6
physically on or flying over the property of another without
7
first obtaining permission from the owner or the owner's
8
designee. For the purposes of this Section, the owner's
9
designee means anyone who the owner designates in a written
10
authorization and the authorization must contain (i) the legal
11
or common description of property for which such authority is
12
given, (ii) the extent that the owner's designee is authorized
13
to make decisions regarding who is allowed to take or attempt
14
to take any species of wildlife or parts thereof, and (iii) the
15
owner's notarized signature. Before enforcing this Section,
16
the law enforcement officer must have received notice from the
17
owner or the owner's designee of a violation of this Section.
18
Statements made to the law enforcement officer regarding this
19
notice shall not be rendered inadmissible by the hearsay rule
20
when offered for the purpose of showing the required notice.
21

(u) It is unlawful for any person to discharge any firearm
22
for the purpose of taking any of the species protected by this
23
Act, or hunt with gun or dog, or allow a dog to hunt, within
24
300 yards of an inhabited dwelling without first obtaining
25
permission from the owner or tenant, except that while
26
trapping, hunting with bow and arrow, hunting with dog and

HB4504
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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1
shotgun using shot shells only, or hunting with shotgun using
2
shot shells only, or providing outfitting services under a
3
waterfowl outfitter permit, or on licensed game breeding and
4
hunting preserve areas, as defined in Section 3.27, on
5
federally owned and managed lands and on Department owned,
6
managed, leased, or controlled lands, a 100 yard restriction
7
shall apply.
8

(v) It is unlawful for any person to remove fur-bearing
9
mammals from, or to move or disturb in any manner, the traps
10
owned by another person without written authorization of the
11
owner to do so.
12

(w) It is unlawful for any owner of a dog to allow his or
13
her dog to pursue, harass, or kill deer, except that nothing in
14
this Section shall prohibit the tracking of wounded deer with
15
a dog in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.26 of this
16
Code.
17

(x) It is unlawful for any person to wantonly or
18
carelessly injure or destroy, in any manner whatsoever, any
19
real or personal property on the land of another while engaged
20
in hunting or trapping thereon.
21

(y) It is unlawful to hunt wild game protected by this Act
22
between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before
23
sunrise, except that hunting hours between one-half hour after
24
sunset and one-half hour before sunrise may be established by
25
administrative rule for fur-bearing mammals.
26

(z) It is unlawful to take any game bird (excluding wild

HB4504
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1
turkeys and crippled pheasants not capable of normal flight
2
and otherwise irretrievable) protected by this Act when not
3
flying. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a person from
4
carrying an uncased, unloaded shotgun in a boat, while in
5
pursuit of a crippled migratory waterfowl that is incapable of
6
normal flight, for the purpose of attempting to reduce the
7
migratory waterfowl to possession, provided that the attempt
8
is made immediately upon downing the migratory waterfowl and
9
is done within 400 yards of the blind from which the migratory
10
waterfowl was downed. This exception shall apply only to
11
migratory game birds that are not capable of normal flight.
12
Migratory waterfowl that are crippled may be taken only with a
13
shotgun as regulated by subsection (j) of this Section using
14
shotgun shells as regulated in subsection (k) of this Section.
15

(aa) It is unlawful to use or possess any device that may
16
be used for tree climbing or cutting while hunting fur-bearing
17
mammals, excluding coyotes. However, coyotes may not be hunted
18
utilizing these devices during open season for deer except by
19
properly licensed deer hunters.
20

(bb) It is unlawful for any person, except licensed game
21
breeders, pursuant to Section 2.29 to import, carry into, or
22
possess alive in this State any species of wildlife taken
23
outside of this State, without obtaining permission to do so
24
from the Director.
25

(cc) It is unlawful for any person to have in his or her
26
possession any freshly killed species protected by this Act

HB4504
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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1
during the season closed for taking.
2

(dd) It is unlawful to take any species protected by this
3
Act and retain it alive except as provided by administrative
4
rule.
5

(ee) It is unlawful to possess any rifle while in the field
6
during gun deer season except as provided in Sections 2.25 and
7
2.26 and administrative rules.
8

(ff) It is unlawful for any person to take any species
9
protected by this Act, except migratory waterfowl, during the
10
gun deer hunting season in those counties open to gun deer
11
hunting, unless he or she wears, when in the field, a cap and
12
upper outer garment of a solid blaze orange color or solid
13
blaze pink color, with such articles of clothing displaying a
14
minimum of 400 square inches of blaze orange or solid blaze
15
pink color material.
16

(gg) It is unlawful during the upland game season for any
17
person to take upland game with a firearm unless he or she
18
wears, while in the field, a cap of solid blaze orange color or
19
solid blaze pink color. For purposes of this Act, upland game
20
is defined as Bobwhite Quail, Hungarian Partridge, Ring-necked
21
Pheasant, Eastern Cottontail, and Swamp Rabbit.
22

(hh) It shall be unlawful to kill or cripple any species
23
protected by this Act for which there is a bag limit without
24
making a reasonable effort to retrieve such species and
25
include such in the bag limit. It shall be unlawful for any
26
person having control over harvested game mammals, game birds,

HB4504
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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1
or migratory game birds for which there is a bag limit to
2
wantonly waste or destroy the usable meat of the game, except
3
this shall not apply to wildlife taken under Sections 2.37 or
4
3.22 of this Code. For purposes of this subsection, "usable
5
meat" means the breast meat of a game bird or migratory game
6
bird and the hind ham and front shoulders of a game mammal. It
7
shall be unlawful for any person to place, leave, dump, or
8
abandon a wildlife carcass or parts of it along or upon a
9
public right-of-way or highway or on public or private
10
property, including a waterway or stream, without the
11
permission of the owner or tenant. It shall not be unlawful to
12
discard game meat that is determined to be unfit for human
13
consumption.
14

(ii) This Section shall apply only to those species
15
protected by this Act taken within the State. Any species or
16
any parts thereof, legally taken in and transported from other
17
states or countries, may be possessed within the State, except
18
as provided in this Section and Sections 2.35, 2.36, and 3.21.
19

(jj) (Blank).
20

(kk) Nothing contained in this Section shall prohibit the
21
Director from issuing permits to paraplegics or to other
22
persons with disabilities who meet the requirements set forth
23
in administrative rule to shoot or hunt from a vehicle as
24
provided by that rule, provided that such is otherwise in
25
accord with this Act.
26

(ll) Nothing contained in this Act shall prohibit the

HB4504
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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1
taking of aquatic life protected by the Fish and Aquatic Life
2
Code or birds and mammals protected by this Act, except deer
3
and fur-bearing mammals, from a boat not camouflaged or
4
disguised to alter its identity or to further provide a place
5
of concealment and not propelled by sail or mechanical power.
6
However, only shotguns not larger than 10 gauge nor smaller
7
than .410 bore loaded with not more than 3 shells of a shot
8
size no larger than lead BB or steel T (.20 diameter) may be
9
used to take species protected by this Act.
10

(mm) Nothing contained in this Act shall prohibit the use
11
of a shotgun, not larger than 10 gauge nor smaller than a 20
12
gauge, with a rifled barrel.
13

(nn) It shall be unlawful to possess any species of
14
wildlife or wildlife parts taken unlawfully in Illinois, any
15
other state, or any other country, whether or not the wildlife
16
or wildlife parts are indigenous to Illinois. For the purposes
17
of this subsection, the statute of limitations for unlawful
18
possession of wildlife or wildlife parts shall not cease until
19
2 years after the possession has permanently ended.
20

(oo) It is unlawful while deer hunting:
21

(1) to possess or be in close proximity to a rifle that
22

is not centerfire;
or
23

(2) to be in possession of or in close proximity to a
24

magazine that is capable of
holding more than 2 rounds; or

25

making a rifle not a single shot.

26

(3) to possess a handgun or rifle otherwise capable of

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LRB104 18460 BDA 31902 b
1

holding more than 3 rounds in the magazine and chamber
2

combined.

3
(Source: P.A. 102-237, eff. 1-1-22; 102-837, eff. 5-13-22;
4
102-932, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)

5

(520 ILCS 5/1.2bb rep.)
6

Section 10.
The Wildlife Code is amended by repealing
7
Section 1.2bb.

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