Expandable baton legal to have in my bag in Illinois?

[Sylvain]

I dont know if that's the correct place to ask this question.I was looking online to know what is the law about expandable batons in the state of Illinois.I found that it was illegal to carry but legal to own in your home.
I am not even sure if that's true or not.

Here is my situation, im actually in a foreign country where its legal for me to own an expandable baton.When I come back to the great state of Indiana my flight lands in Chicago first.Then I have a second flight to Indianapolis.
I know that its legal for me to have a baton in my bag where I am, its fine with the airlines as long as its in a checked baggage, and its legal to own in Indiana.
Im just wondering about the few hours where I will be in Illinois with my bags inside the airport.
Is there a problem about having a checked luggage with a baton inside?
My bags are locked and I dont even know if I will have to handle them or if they airline will carry them from one plane to another for me.

Is it not like carrying if its not in my person and therefore legal?

Sorry if my questions are not really clear.I just would not worry about that if I had a flight straight to Indy but that part of my journey in Illinois got me thinking about the legality of having an expandable baton in your luggage when you travel by plane there.

Well thanks to anyone who could throw me some light in that regard.

 

[Benny]

I don't know how legit this site is, but:

Self Defense Laws: Baton Laws

Also factoring in the fact that it's just being in your luggage and not on your person(or carry-on) and I'm guessing you'd be fine.

 

[Sylvain]

I don't know how legit this site is, but:

Self Defense Laws: Baton Laws

Also factoring in the fact that it's just being in your luggage and not on your person(or carry-on) and I'm guessing you'd be fine.

Yeah im not really worried, I never had any problem carrying blades and other tools in my checked baggage.My bags have never been checked by the customs or airport security.
Im talking about my checked bags not my carry-on who are searched, which I dont like but that's another story.
But I figured that they may have some special laws in Illinois who somehow make an expandable baton a very dangerous weapon where carrying golf clubs in your bags would not break any law.

 

[Benny]

Yeah im not really worried, I never had any problem carrying blades and other tools in my checked baggage.My bags have never been checked by the customs or airport security.
Im talking about my checked bags not my carry-on who are searched, which I dont like but that's another story.
But I figured that they may have some special laws in Illinois who somehow make an expandable baton a very dangerous weapon where carrying golf clubs in your bags would not break any law.

I also found this...It certainly isn't a legal document, so take it at face value.

They're not explicitly illegal in Illinois, but you need to have a genuine reason to carry one. If you're carrying one "for self defense," it becomes a weapon under Illinois law and is not allowable (it becomes a bludgeon). If you're a security guard on duty, or a store owner (or employee) within your business, you're okay. But an ordinary schmoe would need a stronger reason than self-defense: this is to prevent criminals from carrying weapons by claiming they're for self-defense purposes. ("I know it's a weapon, officer, but... uh... it's for self-defense! Yeah, that's right... he hit me!")

There are loopholes to get around that prohibition (by design), but you get into tricky wordplay that's probably best avoided in my opinion. For example, I know a guy who carried one for years without challenge or question: he always claimed it was job related as he did, actually, work in a gun store. Law enforcement saw him with it all the time and never even asked. So like most things in Illinois, these can be "over looked" if you're a decent guy in a decent location at a decent time. Less so, if you look and act the part of a bad guy.

In your case, they're illegal in Chicago across the board, as is everything that could be considered a weapon. Which explains Chicago's non-existent violent crime rate.

Given the trickiness of Illinois law multiplied by the absolute defeatism of Chicago ordinance, I'd recommend a different solution for you if you're looking to carry one.

 

[Sylvain]

Thanks, in my case I think carrying it locked in my checked bags while I travel to and from a location where I can legally own and carry it should make it a genuine reason.
Also I think by carry they mean in your person ready to be used and not stored away in a locked bag.

 

[Benny]

Thanks, in my case I think carrying it locked in my checked bags while I travel to and from a location where I can legally own and carry it should make it a genuine reason.
Also I think by carry they mean in your person ready to be used and not stored away in a locked bag.

I'm SURE that's what they mean, but you can't take too many precautions in a commie state like IL.