Minnesota Gun Laws: Concealed Carry, Open Carry and Buying a Gun

No. A person who carries, holds or possesses a pistol in a motor vehicle, snowmobile or boat, on or about the person, or otherwise in a public place without first obtaining a permit to carry is guilty of a gross misdemeanor (felony for a second or later conviction). No permit is needed to keep or carry a pistol at one's home, business or land; to carry it between the place of purchase, home, business and a repair shop; while hunting or target shooting in the woods, fields or waters; or to transport it unloaded in a closed and fastened case, gunbox or securely tied package.

Permit to carry a pistol, issued by the county sheriff where the applicant resides (nonresidents may apply to any sheriff). Shall-issue: the sheriff 'must issue a permit' to an applicant who has pistol training, meets the age requirement, is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, is not prohibited from possessing firearms and is not in the criminal gang database, unless there is a substantial likelihood the applicant is a danger to self or the public. The statute sets the age at 21, but the portion barring ages 18 to 20 was held unconstitutional in Worth v. Jacobson (8th Cir. 2024), cert. denied (2025). Training within one year before applying must cover the fundamentals of pistol use, an actual shooting qualification exercise, and the legal aspects of carry and use of deadly force, taught by a certified instructor. The sheriff must decide within 30 days. Fees: up to $100 for a new application and up to $75 for a renewal (actual cost if lower). A permit expires five years after issue.

Minnesota's permit to carry covers carrying a pistol in public whether openly or concealed; the statute does not distinguish. Without a permit, carrying a pistol in public is a gross misdemeanor. Carrying a rifle or shotgun on or about the person in a public place is also a gross misdemeanor unless the person has a permit to carry, the gun is unloaded and fully cased, or another exception applies (such as going to or from hunting, a range or a gun shop). A person under 21 who carries a semiautomatic military-style assault weapon in a public place commits a felony.

A person under 18 may not possess a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon (or ammunition), except with a parent or guardian present, for military drill, at an approved range under supervision, or after an approved safety course; violation is a felony. Furnishing a firearm or ammunition to a minor under 18 in a municipality without the prior consent of the parent/guardian or the police is a felony (up to 10 years). Transfers of pistols and semiautomatic military-style assault weapons to persons under 18 are separately penalized under the transfer-report law. No separate state minimum age to buy a long gun was found beyond these rules.

Yes, for pistols and semiautomatic military-style assault weapons. An unlicensed person may not transfer a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon to another unlicensed person unless the transfer is done through a federally licensed dealer (who runs the background check as if selling from inventory) or the buyer shows a valid transferee permit and photo ID. A transferee permit (issued by the local police chief or sheriff after a state and NICS check, free of charge, within 30 days) is valid for one year; a permit to carry also counts as a transferee permit. Private sales of other rifles and shotguns are not covered.

For pistols and semiautomatic military-style assault weapons transferred under a report of transfer (the route used when the buyer has no transferee permit or carry permit), the gun may not be delivered until 30 days after the transfer report is delivered to the police chief or sheriff, unless the chief or sheriff waives all or part of the wait (for example after finding the buyer is not disqualified). There is no wait when the buyer presents a valid transferee permit or permit to carry. No waiting period applies to other long guns.

Yes. A petition for an extreme risk protection order may be filed by the chief law enforcement officer or designee, a city or county attorney, any family or household member of the respondent, or the respondent's guardian. The court must hold a hearing within 14 days; the petitioner must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the respondent poses a significant danger to others or is at significant risk of suicide by possessing a firearm. A final order lasts between six months and one year, subject to renewal. An emergency order may issue for a fixed period of 14 days.

Minnesota has no state law that bans assault weapons or limits magazine capacity. 'Semiautomatic military-style assault weapons' are instead regulated like pistols: transfers require a transferee permit, permit to carry, or a transfer report (with background check), persons under 18 may not possess them, and persons under 21 may not carry them in a public place. Owning or possessing a machine gun, trigger activator (such as a binary trigger) or machine gun conversion kit is a crime (up to 20 years and/or $35,000).

A firearm may be transported in a motor vehicle only if it is unloaded and in a fully enclosed, fastened gun case, unloaded and in the closed trunk, or a handgun carried in compliance with the permit-to-carry law. Without a permit, a pistol may be transported only unloaded in a closed and fastened case, gunbox or securely tied package. Limited exceptions allow unloaded, uncased long guns (not pistols) at ranges and while hunting outside the Twin Cities metro counties and larger cities.

Minnesota honors permits from states not on the Department of Public Safety's annual 'not similar' list. As published by DPS, out-of-state permits valid in Minnesota: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado (permits issued or renewed on or after 8/1/24), Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho (enhanced only), Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts (issued or renewed on or after 8/1/24), Michigan, Mississippi (enhanced only), Missouri, Montana (enhanced only), Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota (Class 1 only), Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota (enhanced only), Tennessee (enhanced only), Texas and West Virginia. Not valid: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Nonresidents may also apply to any Minnesota sheriff for a Minnesota permit.

Possessing a dangerous weapon on school property (public or private K-12 school buildings and improved grounds, school buses, and posted school-use areas) is a felony; for a permit holder carrying a firearm it is a misdemeanor, and permit holders may keep a pistol in their vehicle or carry while placing it in or retrieving it from the vehicle. Weapons are banned (felony) in any courthouse complex and in state buildings in the Capitol Area (other than the National Guard Armory), except that permit holders may carry a pistol if they notify the sheriff or the commissioner of public safety (the permit itself counts as notice to the commissioner for Capitol Area buildings). Private establishments may ban guns by posting the required sign at every entrance or by personally telling the person; refusing to leave is a petty misdemeanor ($25 maximum for a first offense). Parking areas cannot be posted, and landlords may not restrict tenants' lawful carry.

Receiving or possessing a firearm that is not identified by a serial number, or one whose serial number has been removed or altered, is a crime punishable by up to five years and/or a $10,000 fine. The statute defines 'serial number or other identification' by reference to the federal National Firearms Act marking rules (26 U.S.C. 5842). No separate Minnesota law on unfinished frames, receivers or kits was found.