Handgun Ammunition Serialization & Registry
Would require all handgun ammunition sold or possessed in Illinois to be individually serialized and registered with the state
Sponsored by Rep. Anne Stava-Murray · Democratic · District 81
Hearing in -44 Days
2026-03-24 · 4:00 PM
Stratton Building Room D-1, Springfield, IL
Impact Tags
What This Bill Does
Starting January 1, 2027, all handgun ammunition manufactured, imported, sold, given, or possessed in public in Illinois must carry a unique serial number traceable to the buyer. The Illinois State Police would maintain a centralized registry of every handgun ammo transaction. A new fee of up to 5 cents per round would fund the program. Possessing non-serialized ammo in public would become a Class C misdemeanor; manufacturing or selling it, a Class A misdemeanor.
Fiscal Impact: A new fee of up to $0.05 per round of handgun ammunition would be collected by the Illinois State Police to fund the registry infrastructure. Total revenue projection not yet published.
What Supporters Say
- +Serialized ammunition helps law enforcement trace bullets recovered at crime scenes back to the original purchaser
- +Creates an accountability chain from manufacturer to end user, similar to vehicle registration
- +Provides a new investigative tool for solving gun crimes in Chicago and Cook County
What Critics Say
- −Creates a state registry of law-abiding gun owners' purchase patterns — a privacy concern
- −Criminals will acquire ammo outside legal channels; only law-abiding owners are burdened
- −The up-to-5-cent-per-round fee increases the cost of legal, responsible ammo ownership
- −Non-serialized ammo already in circulation cannot be grandfathered — enforcement is unclear
- −Manufacturing feasibility of individual bullet serialization at scale is disputed
Bill Timeline
2026-01-13 · House
Filed with Clerk by Rep. Anne Stava-Murray
2026-01-14 · House
First Reading
2026-01-14 · House
Referred to Rules Committee
2026-03-12 · House
Assigned to Judiciary - Criminal Committee
2026-03-24 · Houseupcoming
Committee Hearing scheduled
Statutes Affected
Take Action
Effective date: Immediately upon signing; ammo serialization requirements effective January 1, 2027
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