For the first time since the 1990s, the Oak Lawn Village Board voted Tuesday to update village gun regulations, opening the door for up to five appointment-only gun shops to operate from people’s homes.
Mayor Terry Vorderer said the new classification for gun dealers came after a resident asked to open a gun repair business from home. Though the resident does not plan to sell firearms, the ordinance creates an avenue for home sales and repairs when state and federal requirements are met.
More Top Picks Best Stainless Steel Fermenters
“When I first became a policeman,” Vorderer said, “there were three gun shops in Oak Lawn. They disappeared decades ago, but society has changed.”
The mayor said he didn’t know of many remaining successful gun retailers in Cook County, recalling buying his own guns from the former Chuck’s Gun Shop and Pistol Range in Riverdale.
The firearms store was once described as “Chicago’s most notorious gun shop,” closing down after years of drawing protests including by the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and the Rev. Michael Pfleger.
The former Glenwood Gun and Pistol Range building was listed for sale earlier this year. Eagle Gun Range, which remains open in Oak Forest, was burglarized in 2022, when four people drove a stolen vehicle into the store and took 23 firearms.
Vorderer said he supports the opening of home gun businesses but is unaware of any already operating in the village. The village will prioritize giving licenses to preexisting dealers in good standing, according to a village summary of the ordinance.
Ernie’s Arms advertises itself as an appointment-only licensed gun dealer operating near South 51st Avenue and West 91st Street in Oak Lawn.
The owner declined to answer questions Wednesday about the new licensing guidelines. The website for Ernie’s Arms says the business operates with the philosophy that “every customer deserves focused, one-on-one time with a dealer who knows the products, understands the law and genuinely cares about helping people make the right choice for their needs.”
The Oak Lawn home-based gun store application process aims to ensure each dealer has a federal firearms license along with Illinois State Police certification, according to the ordinance.
Unlike traditional gun retailers, home-based dealers must operate by appointment only, not allowing for walk-in customers. Businesses are required to store all guns and ammunition inside the home or using an “accessory structure,” the ordinance states.
If they meet all necessary conditions, home gun dealers “may engage in the lawful retail sale or transfer of firearms or firearm ammunition and other lawful dealer activities,” according to the ordinance.
Oak Lawn Assistant Village Manager Jerry Dillon said in an email Tuesday the village last updated its gun store regulations in the mid-1990s.
“Since then, the firearm retail market has evolved, with online purchases and home-based dealers becoming more common,” he said.