ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

DENNIS CONRAD

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP)—The key provision of the federal Brady bill, a five-day waiting period to purchase handguns, won’t affect Illinois residents directly but it could cut the flow of guns into the state, officials say.

Under the measure signed Tuesday by President Clinton, the waiting period and background check on handgun buyers will take effect in 90 days in more than two dozen states with weaker restrictions than Illinois.

The law will be imposed for five years, while states move toward a computerized national instant background check system that will allow for the backgrounds of both handgun and long-gun buyers to be checked.

‘‘It will not affect Illinois,’‘ said John Pastuovic, spokesman for the Illinois State Police. ‘‘We already have the background check in place.’‘

In Illinois, gun buyers must first have a Firearm Owners Identification Card, which can take a month or more to obtain and includes a check of criminal and mental-health records. Buyers must then wait for their weapon—24 hours for a rifle or shotgun and 72 hours for handguns.

Groups frequently on different sides of the gun control issue praise the Illinois law as a model for the nation.

‘‘Basically, Illinois’ system is what other states are moving toward,‘’ said Phil Andrew, executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.

‘‘The Illinois law has proven to be very workable and effective,’‘ said James Valentino, president of the Illinois State Rifle Association.

Andrew said the real benefit of the Brady law to Illinoisans is that it will prevent people who have been rejected from buying a handgun in the state from purchasing one in another state.

Jerry Singer, a special agent for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, agreed, noting that about 30 percent of the guns seized on the streets of Chicago had their last legitimate owner in another state.

‘‘People go to places like Texas, Florida and Arkansas—states with less restrictive laws—buy guns, drive back to Chicago and sell them on the streets,’‘ he said. ‘‘We do believe the Brady bill will lessen the amount of firearms coming from source states.’‘

Singer said the Brady law will also affect 11,056 Illinois gun dealers because of rising license fees. The cost of a three-year renewal will triple to $90, while new dealers will have to pay $200 for three years.