Wood River City Council Meeting
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WOOD RIVER – The Wood River City Council voted on Monday to add certain exceptions to the City Code regarding Unlawful Use of Weapons.
City Council members unanimously approved an ordinance amending the City Code to allow certain exceptions consistent with state law, as the city’s current weapon use laws were “overbroad in their restrictions,” according to the ordinance.
Previously, the City Code made it illegal to carry “a tear gas projector or bomb, or any object containing noxious liquid gas or substances” on one’s person or in any vehicle. The recently passed ordinance adds exceptions for objects containing “a non-lethal noxious liquid gas” and substances “designed solely for personal defense carried by a person 18 years of age or older.” This would apply to substances like pepper spray, often carried for self-defense, which were technically illegal under the old City Code.
Exceptions have also been added when carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle or a concealed weapon on one’s person outside of their “own abode or fixed place of business.” This section now no longer applies to weapons that are “broken down in a non-functioning state” or “not immediately accessible.”
Also exempt from this section are weapons carried “unloaded and enclosed” in a container by a person with a valid Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card, as well as weapons carried in compliance with the Illinois Firearm Concealed Carry Act by an individual with a valid Concealed Carry License (CCL).
A section of the city code banning the possession of deadly weapons in any place licensed to sell alcohol, or at any event pursuant to a government license or where admission is charged, now carries additional exclusions on top of existing exceptions for events involving unloaded firearms within city limits. This section now also no longer applies to “any auction or raffle of a firearm held pursuant to a license or permit issued by a governmental body, nor does it apply to persons engaged in firearm safety training courses.”
The ordinance updating the City Code to be compliant with state law on the subject of unlawful weapon use was passed unanimously and without further discussion or debate.
A full recording of the June 16, 2025 Wood River City Council meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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