"I believe that there was a recent court case in IL that was won... determining that the center console in a vehicle constitutes a "case". "
"Which a recent IL Supreme Court ruling states that lockable center concolse is the same as a case."
Guys, don't be giving legal advice if you don't understand the ruling and from the quoted above you don't understand the ruling. All you'll do is get someone jammed up with the law, charged and possibly convicted a felony. Do you really want that on your conscience?
The recent IL SC ruling did not rule the center console as a "case". It ruled it as a "container". Completely different legal terms. The ruling applied only to the Unlawful Use of a Weapon statute, nothing more. The ruling only clarified the definition of "container" and only as it applied to UUW. The word "container" had been in the UUW statute since the law has been in effect. The ruling does not change anything requiring the firearm to be in a case. Even if transported in a console it still has to be in a firearm case which is defined by statute.
IL has a Cased Gun statute, which is a separate statute from the UUW, which requires the firearm to be in a case. Case is not the same as container in the UUW statute. The ILSC ruling has no bearing on the Cased Gun statute. The definition of a case is set by statute: "a container specifically designed for the purpose of housing a gun or bow and arrow device which completely encloses such gun or bow and arrow device by being zipped, snapped, buckled, tied, or otherwise fastened with no portion of the gun or bow and arrow device exposed." Nothing requires the firearm to be locked in the case. The case has to have some method of closure as defined above.
All the ILSC ruling did was address UUW statute. That was the only issue before the court. A person would not be charged with UUW but they could still be charged with an uncased gun.
RXtion gave a good explanation, as long as the firearm is properly cased as defined above and not just laying in a console or glovebox uncased.
IL law only requires the gun has to be unloaded and in a case which is defined above. The unloaded, cased gun does not have to be inaccessible to the occupants but it is recommended as that is part of FOPA. IL law does not require it tho.
The ammo does not have to be separate from the gun and can be in same case as the gun as long as it is not inserted in the gun. Mags can be loaded but loaded mags cannot be inserted in the gun. Empty mags can be in the gun. Ammo does not have to be in any case. No restrictions on where the ammo can be carried as long as none is in the gun.
There are some municipalities which have ordinances more restrictive than state law. If a person is traveling as defined by FOPA then they would be in compliance with federal law which trumps local ordinances and the local ordinances would not apply.