State police say that's because 70,000 applications have piled up in their outsource processing center - and that's because there are only four state workers doing background checks.
The I-Team has learned that an emergency contract is now in place with a new vendor to process that backlog and to prepare for the onslaught of concealed/carry applications.
In illinois, to legally purchase one of these, you need one of these firearm owner's cards.
And to get a FOID card, you must fill out this application from which a background check can be done.
As five-year FOID cards expired and ten-year cards became the standard-state police were overwhelmed by paperwork, unable to meet the 30-day deadline for processing card applications.
The company, called Rely, was hired last year by the state to transfer applicant information from FOID records into computers.
The firm, headquartered in Hoffman Estates, has been notified by state police officials that they weren't doing the job.
This contract with Rely has been terminated early.
A new deal was struck with a firm called Boland Enterprises - an emergency service purchase under a 90 day contract for the keying and scanning of firearm owners identification card applications to meet the continued need for the Illinois State Police to meet its statutory mandate.
According to Boland's website, the firm had previously handled Illinois FOID applications from 2005 to 2012.
It is unclear tonight why Boland was replaced by a firm that apparently hasn't worked out, but prospective gun buyers have paid the price by having to wait months to make a legal purchase.
The CEO of Rely Services told the I-Team that they were slammed by FOID card applications this year- far more than they could handle. He said the state had no idea there would be so many gun application at once.
And he said that losing the six-figure state contract in mid-stream is devastating for about 20 employees at their downstate facility, who have now lost their jobs.
