MINNESOTA GUN LAWS
minnesota ccw QUICK FACTS
Contents
Permit Information
Minnesota gun laws operate on a “Shall Issue” policy. Resident and non-resident permits are available. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and complete a firearms training course. Applications are made at the local level to the county sheriff’s office in the person's county of residence. Non-residents can apply at any sheriff's office. Permits are not required for transporting a firearm, keeping it at home or in a place of business.
Minnesota Reciprocity Map
minnesota
Minnesota CCW permit recognition
Idaho – Honors ID Enhanced Only
Minnesota CCW Permit
Minnesota is a “shall issue” state.
Non-resident permits available.
The permit is valid for 5 years.
- Must be at least 21 years of age
- Must complete an application form
- Must not be prohibited from possessing a firearm under Minnesota law
- Must not be listed in the criminal gang investigation system
- Must be a resident of the county from which you are requesting a permit, if you reside in Minnesota. Non-residents may apply to any Minnesota county sheriff.
- Must provide certificate of completed authorized firearms training.
- Federal Law – Prohibits the following persons
WITH CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT
Where You Can Carry
- State parks
- State and national forests
- Road side rest areas
- Vehicle
- All areas of the state – except those listed below
Where You Cannot Carry
- Public or private elementary, middle, or secondary school building and grounds
- A child care center while children are present
- School bus
- Portion of a building or facility under the temporary, exclusive control of a public or private school where signs are posted.
- Public colleges and universities – may have policy restricting the carrying of weapons on their premises by employees and students while on campus
- Private establishments that have posted a sign banning guns on their premises
- Places of employment, public or private, if employer restricts the carry or possession of firearms by is employees
- State correctional facilities
- State hospitals and grounds
- Any jail, lockup or correctional facility
- Courthouse complexes
- Churches and parking area if posted
- Offices and courtrooms of the Minnesota Supreme Court and Court of Appeals
- Any state building
- Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by Federal Law.
Details on Minnesota Gun Laws
Minnesota Contacts
Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Hours
Monday – Friday 8am – 4pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
Contact
Address 1430 Maryland Ave. East
CitySt. Paul, MN 55106
Phone (651) 793-7000
My permit expired on 10/31/2019. Will I have to pay full price to renew or just the ‘renew’ price?
I am living in North Carolina, I see that MN would not recognize my permit were I to go back to visit friends and family. Does MN offer any form of non resident permit?
Follow up, Is it possible to apply by mail or would I have to either A designate a proxy in state to file on my behalf or B be instate myself?
Someone has 2DUI’s one his record and one is with child endangerment. Can he purchase guns of any kind?
I am not an expert but as far as I understand, If the DUI’s were issued in MN then they should be a felony and that should disqualify him. Problem is the background checks may not ping them. HOWEVER if he got them on the other side of the St Croix in WI then they wouldn’t be classified as a felony and almost certainly wouldn’t get picked up in a background check. The Child Endangerment i believe it depends on the severity of the charge. I am fairly certain there are misdemeanor versions. Again though I will restate I am… Read more »
I see that with a permit to carry in MN one can carry a loaded handgun in their vehicle. I don’t see anything about a loaded long gun, such as an AR-15 or a shotgun, or even a non-NFA shotgun, like a Mossberg 590 Shockwave (where it is not quite a shotgun [too short, no shoulder stock] but not quite a handgun, but falls in between but is still legal to own in MN.) Any idea if I could keep a long gun in my vehicle? Obviously it will be in a locked case, stowed away out of sight, &… Read more »
Obviously I mean carrying a long gun in a vehicle with a permit to carry, sorry I forgot to add that in.
Minnesota carry law says nothing about whether the gun is carried open or concealed. It also says nothing about the size of the gun. So, open or concealed, handgun or long gun. All the same as far as the carry law. However, if you carry a loaded long gun out in the country during hunting season, you won’t be breaking any carry laws, but the DNR will confiscate your car for breaking hunting laws.
That is incorrect actually. Minnesota does specify that a carry conceal must be a hand gun.
“ Under Minnesota law, individuals must obtain a permit to carry a handgun in public.” I have searched here, legislature website and many other places. They only specify a carry conceal with either a pistol or handgun.
https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca/bca-divisions/administrative/Pages/firearms-permit-to-carry.aspx
Ok sorry I was corrected. It has to be an AR PISTOL to carry, cannot be a riffle.
Minnesota does not honor Wisconsin CCW permits. The site here says you can carry a loaded handgun in a vehicle if you have a CCW but does not say whether or not non resident CCW license holders are ok/permitted to carry a loaded handgun in the vehicle, such as in Illinois. My CCW is not valid in Illinois to carry concealed, but is valid to carry a loaded/concealed handgun in Illinois. Can you please clear this up?
Quick question
I recently purchased my licens to Carry and obtained a dwi does that take my licens away?
Yes. You must surrender your permit to carry
I’ll be visiting Minnesota for a week and plan to conceal carry, being from is we don’t need permits for anything. Can I conceal carry for safety in MN without a permit.
Meant Kansas, not is
No, Concealed carry is not allowed without a Permit. If you have a valid KS permit it would be valid in MN.
I am 16, living in Minnesota. As of recently, I have been harrassed on more than one account by an unknown adult male and I feel a serious need to have reliable protection on my person in case I cannot get help immediately when caught in another situation. The last two encounters, I was extremely lucky to have had an escape route but my guardian cannot afford pepper spray or other such things at the moment. Gun safety costs would obviously have to wait as well. Is there any way for me as a minor to have a carry permit… Read more »
I do not believe so. You can however, carry a pocket knife (obviously, in school for example, you cannot and could get into some trouble. It only takes you sitting down and the teacher walking by and seeing the outline and to begin to question it). Just remember, anything can be used as a weapon. Just depends on how you look at it, and use it.
No, the simple truth is that you must wait until you are of age. In the meantime, I would recommend partnering with an adult or law enforcement and get the support you need. Obviously, you have a concern, but a gun will not solve this issue. You have to keep in mind that even if you are of age and you do have a gun, that still does not guarantee your safety. I like to tell people that the best course of action, is no course of action. A weapon should only be used in the final moment of your… Read more »
If an adult lets you have a gun and something bad happens, the adult will be charged with a felony.
Hi,
I’m 18 with no history of violence or anything that says I’m not allowed a firearm. The BCA website says that you cannot purchase a handgun before 21 from a federally recognized dealer, however; it doesn’t say that I cannot have a permit to carry. So is there some grey area, that if I’m gifted a handgun, I can still get an open carry license?
MN doesn’t have an open carry license. It is only called “permit to carry”. So, sadly no, you’d have to wait until you’re 21 in order to carry it on your person.
I’m in Minnesota with conceal carry permit. Do I have to have my gun on me while in the vehicle? Lock box? Or can I put in center council?
You do not have to have your gun on you while in your vehicle but you can. You can have it on your person or stored away in your glove compartment, trunk, etc. I’m not to sure about center counsel but I don’t see why not! Just as long as you conceal it if you’re pulled over by 5-0. I ride with mine in my lap sometimes-no biggie.
If you have your permit to carry, you can drive with it on your person or in the center council. I have mine in a holster in my driver side door, on the bottom where it has a little spot for like water bottles and paper and what not. Quick enough to grab if needed, but also concealed from view of other people. Now, if you plan to put it in your center council, PLAN AHEAD. By that, I mean don’t have your insurance or any other thing that would be requested by a officer during a stop in the… Read more »
We are from Nebraska can we conceal to carry? Are there special rules in the vehicle?
I’m a Minnesota resident with ccw permit. On usa carry website it shows South Carolina as reciprocity but your website does not show that. Who’s correct?
I am an NRA Certified Instructor, and certified RSO. I also have my CCW. I live in Oklahoma. We honor MN permits, but MN does not honor ours. I was not given a reason why, only that the MN legislative dept. made it so. So I am certified to TEACH in MN, but cannot CARRY in MN?….I’ve reached out to the OK SDA (Self Defense Act) to see if OK can amend the laws, so that MN permits are no longer valid in OK. It only seems fair that we not recognize MN permits, since MN does not recognize ours.
Why wouldn’t you try to lobby MN to change their law?
Making permits more restrictive because one state doesn’t have their act completely together isn’t helpful. More restrictions are not needed; if your are an NRA instructor then you should be advocating to expand people’s ability to carry. If it was the other way around, I would be happy that people from OK could carry in MN even if I couldn’t carry in OK. My beef wouldn’t be with the ability of others to carry but with the state itself. Your logic is flawed and oddly passive aggressive.
I agreed with Chris here.
Minnesota has too many anti-gun liberal legislative members. That’s why
Because our State is run by assholes! Sorry and thank you for honoring ours!
Is a Permit required to carry a pre 1899, antique or reproduction pistol?
Yes any combination of a firearm all steel construction and or polymer frame or any object that can deliver a ballistic gel penetration measurement of greater than 1/947th must be regulated/registered and accompanied with the states rights to bear arms documentations when asked by any law enforcement agency documented encounters.
I have had a conceal carry permit for about three years and now my kid is thinking about getting one. He had a felony dwi ( .17) about five years ago. Will that stop him from getting his permit?
I am not an expert but from what I have read while looking into getting my carry permit, you cannot even receive a permit to purchase a handgun if you have a felony. I’m guessing it’s the same, if not more strict, for a permit to carry
Getting an expungement is relatively easy you don’t necessarily have to have a lawyer to do it either
Being a felon..
Unfortunately yes, any convicted felonies that are permanently on your record will disqualify you from being able to attain your permit.
Can a Felon of the 5th Degree non violent get a CCW in Minnesota as a non resident. Also I have legally passed a federal background check and purchased a fireman. Thanks
You shouldn’t have been able to purchase. When they ask you if you’ve been convicted of a felony did you say yes? That would have been illegal saying no.
Justin, did you get a felony 5th degree drug charge? If so did the felony charge include probation and a stay of imposition? If it did and you completed your probation correctly the felony charge may have been automatically reduced.
I find it interesting that you need to have a permit to open carry in MN. That sounds to me kind of a contradiction of our 2nd amendment right…
Secondly that is upsetting that MN doesn’t respect military training of small arms. If honorably discharged from the military there should be no need for additional training. Seams like MN is just trying to have businesses make money off this conceal and carry permitting process. Someone in legislation is being supported or bought out by trainers that will be making money from this rule.
LOL. Check out our history of governors since 2005 when Shall Issue became law. Not fans of 2A.
our local minnesota dmv, which is a state facility, has signage for no weapons allowed per the building mgmnt. is this possible , (1) without a corresponding statute on the sign? (2) its a public place (RENTED)?
Many places where you get tabs and licenses are local registrars for MN Driver and Vehicle Services that are actually private businesses.
If it is a state run center, then they cannot ban.
No, the can’t legally post that.
It’s great to know that the permit can be given to non-residents as well, but you can get one through the sheriff. I will share this information with a friend of mine since they will be visiting us for a couple of weeks this month and next month. She just talked to me about her concerns with her husband’s gun since he plans to bring it with him no matter where they go. He just got it last month that is why there are some laws and rules that they don’t know yet. Thanks! https://www.osseogunclub.com/mn-permit-to-carry-class.html