State CCW Information
Application Form for CCW
Minnesota Statutes 1
Minnesota Statutes 2
Frequently Asked Questions
Transporting Firearms in a Vehicle
State Administrative Rules
Minnesota Reciprocity Information
Attorney General of Minnesota
Laws on Firearms
State Secretary

Minnesota honors licenses from 23 states including the following: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee. Non-resident permits from the states that Minnesota honors are also recognized.

624.714, 16. Recognition of Permits from Other States.
An individual who is issued a permit in a state that is not included on the list honored by Minnesota, he may apply for a license or permit in this state provided that he meets the requirements to be able to obtain the permit.

A person with a permit issued in another state and is prohibited by the law to possess a firearm shall not be allowed to possess a firearm in the state of Minnesota.

Police officers and county sheriffs have the right to file petition to suspend a person’s permit from another state if he is proven to violate the regulations. The petitioner must be able to provide substantial evidence to prove the accusations. Otherwise, the court will deny his petition and the permit holder will be obligated for the costs and expenses for the case including lawyer fees.

Minnesota residents may have the application form printed and bring it to the sheriff of the county they live in.

Listed below are the requirements to be able to obtain a permit in the state:
• You must be 21 years or older.
• You must have a completed application form.
• You must not be prohibited by the law to possess a firearm.
• You must not have criminal records.
• You must be a resident of the county where you want to obtain a carry permit. Non-residents may submit their application to any county in Minnesota.
• You must have completed a firearms training that is accredited by Minnesota from a certified instructor.

Validity of a permit is up to 5 years.
Renewal applicants are required to undergo additional training.

624.714. Subdivision 2. Where Application Made; Authority to Issue Permit; Criteria; Scope.
Minnesota residents who wish to apply for carry permit must submit their application forms to the county sheriff of their county residence. Meanwhile, non-residents who would like to obtain their permit from Minnesota may submit their application forms to any county sheriff. Applicants must be at least 21 years old. The county sheriff will provide the information needed to be able to proceed with the processing of the carry permit.

There are places where carrying of firearms is not allowed even for permit holders. They include the following:
• Private and public schools and any other property owned by the schools
• Day care centers
• Any facility or establishment controlled by a public or private school or a school district
• Areas used by private and public schools for curricular, co-curricular, extra-curricular and non-curricular activities
• Private establishments that prohibit the possession of firearms
• Business that does not permit carrying of firearms for its employees
• Public secondary schools may establish their own regulations to prohibit the students from carrying firearms while inside the property of the school; carrying firearms on the parking lot of such schools may be allowed
• Correctional facilities and hospitals controlled by the state
• Courtrooms and offices of the Supreme Court of Minnesota and the Court of Appeals
• Facilities owned by the federal court
• Churches may ban handguns in the establishments and parking lots.

609.66 1g. Felony; Possession in Courthouse or Certain State Buildings
An individual is guilty of a felony if he commits any of the following acts:
• Possession of deadly weapons, ammunition or dangerous explosives within the courthouse
• Possession of deadly weapons, ammunition or dangerous explosives within any building on the Capitol Area.
This may result to a punishment of five years or less of imprisonment or a fine not exceeding $10,000, or the two.

The following are exempted from this subdivision:
• Certified peace officers or members of the military force who are on active duty
• Individuals who are carrying firearms to the terms of a permit issued under section 624.714 and who inform the sheriff • An individual who uses a firearm during a court trial as an evidence of a crime committed

Note: Most of the judicial districts and judges in Minnesota have issued Court Orders prohibiting firearms inside their courts. If an individual is carrying inside the court and he immediately inform the authorities about it, he will be charged with contempt of court and may be expelled from the building. If he fails to disclose about it, he will be charged with felony.

Possession of firearms inside the school is permitted for the following conditions:

609.66 609.66 Dangerous Weapons.
Subd. 1d.Possession on school property; penalty
“School property” refers to the following:
• Public and private elementary, middle and secondary schools and the property they own • Day care centers
• Areas where school buses are picking up and dropping off one or more elementary, middle or secondary students • Any facility or establishment controlled by a public or private school and is used for curricular, co-curricular, noncurricular and extracurricular activities.

Dangerous weapons are not permitted inside the school property. Violation of the law may result to an imprisonment not exceeding five years or a fine not exceeding $10,000, or the two. Under this section, the following are exempted from the law:
• Certified peace officers
• Members of the military force who are on active duty
• Individuals who are authorized to carry firearms while riding in a vehicle provided that the firearms are in the vehicle’s trunk
Tenants should not be prohibited by the landlords to carry their firearms legally.

“No Gun” signs in Minnesota do not necessarily have the force of law. Even if a private business or any establishment have posted a sign requesting the visitors not to carry their firearms within the premises, and even if the owner complies to the terms of the laws, he still needs to request for a person to leave the property if he is carrying a firearm before a petty misdemeanor trespass can be charged.

As per recommendation of nationalcarryacademy.com, when you notice that an establishment has a sign saying guns are not allowed in the premises, you should leave the area at once. It is also recommended that you print out No Firearms = No Money cards and hand one to business owner. As a responsible gun owner and upholder of the 2nd Amendment, you must also respect the owner’s right for his property.

When asked to leave a property for carrying a firearm, you must leave and not insist on entering. Failure to leave means you break the law and may result to a petty misdemeanor charges.

A permit holder is not obliged to inform a police officer on contact immediately when he is carrying a firearm. However, he must always carry his identification card, driver’s license, and permit to carry and other ID issued by the state when he is carrying concealed. When demanded by the law enforcement officer, he must show the permit to carry and the identification card. Violation of this law is considered a petty misdemeanor and will be subjected to a fine of not more than $25. A firearm that is carried in violation of the law will not be forfeited.

624.714 Subd. 18. Employers; Public Colleges and Universities.

Employers and public postsecondary institutions are allowed to establish their own policies regarding carrying of firearms inside their property. However, leaving a firearm inside the vehicle in the parking lot should not be prohibited.

Possession of firearms on state parks, national forests and other public lands is allowed in Minnesota.

Carrying a firearm that is loaded in a vehicle is not allowed within the state of Minnesota.

624.714 Carrying Of Weapons Without Permit; Penalties.
Subd. 9. An individual will be allowed to carry a firearm in a motor vehicle or boat if it is unloaded and locked in a container or package.

97B.045 Transportation of Firearms.
Subdivision 1. Restrictions. A person is not allowed to transport a firearm if the following conditions are not met:
• The gun is unloaded and locked in a container that is designed to keep a firearm. No portion of the firearm must be exposed.
• The gun is unloaded and is at the trunk of the vehicle.

Subd. 3. Exceptions; Hunting and Shooting Ranges
An individual is allowed to carry a firearm in a motor vehicle when in a shooting range or private and public land for hunting, provided that the person is authorized by the owner to discharge his firearm.

Open Carrying is allowed in the state of Minnesota but there must be a valid permit/license. However, open carrying is not permitted on places that are “off limits” See “Carry Permit Limitations” section above to know more about this. To know more about carrying a firearm in a vehicle, read the “Traveling in a Vehicle with a Firearm without a Minnesota Permit” section above.

State and local authorities are not allowed to pass ordinances/laws that are against open carrying. Carriers, when asked to leave a property, must leave at once. Otherwise, he will be charged with Criminal Trespass.

For some states, there are places that allow concealed carrying but not open carrying. For more information about this, visit www.opencarry.org or search the keywords “Minnesota Open Carry” on Google, Also check the “Relevant Court Cases and Opinions of Minnesota AG” section below to know the opinions of the Attorney General of Minnesota on Open Carrying.

471.633.

Minnesota Statutes 2003
Chapter 609
609.06 Authorized use of force.
609.065 Justifiable taking of life
609.066 Authorized use of deadly force by peace officers.

To know more about the laws for carrying knives within Michigan, visit this link.

Minnesota allows restaurant carrying, provided that an individual will just sit and eat and will not consume alcohol. “Restaurant carrying” means carrying a firearm inside a place that serves alcohol provided. This may or may not mean that you are allowed to sit at the bar area of the restaurant. For most states, sitting at the bar area is illegal.

Some places post “No Gun” signs to prohibit guests from carrying their guns including Red Lobster and Friday’s. This means you should not enter if you want to carry your firearm with you.

Nationalcarryacademy.com recommends that you should not drink alcohol while carrying a handgun, because some states consider taking just a single drink as illegal already. Check the laws of your state to learn more about the restrictions.

Chemical Sprays & Electric Devices
624.731 Tear Gas and Tear Gas Compounds; Electronic Incapacitation Devices.
Under this section, “authorized tear gas compound” refers to any substance that contains a mixture lachrymator which include chloroacetophenone, alpha-chloroacetophenone; phenylchloromethylketone, orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile or oleoresin capsicum. This is also called as tear gas.

“Electric incapacitation device” is any device that has the capability of immobilizing or incapacitating another person by an electric discharge. Cattle prods and electric fences are not considered as electric incapacitation devices.

Subd. 2. Authorized Possession; Use
A person is allowed to use an authorized tear gas compound only for self-defense purposes. There should be a reasonable evidence of threat and the tear gas should be propelled from an aerosol container that has clear instructions on the risks of using it.

A person is allowed to use an electric incapacitation device only for self-defense purposes. There should be a reasonable evidence of threat and the electric incapacitation device should be accompanied by clear instructions on the risks of using it.

• Information about Minnesota Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act

• Minnesota Supreme Court on Self-defense
• Minnesota Court of Appeals on Banning of Firearms on Church Parking Lots

No laws are found regarding carrying of firearms inside the airport. Once an individual has obtained his driver’s license in Minnesota, he already establishes his residency in the state.

The minimum age for obtaining a carry permit is 21 years old.

Laws on Using Firearms: 624.71 thru 624.74 & 609.66
Laws on Using Deadly Force: 609.06 thru 609.066
Laws on Using Knives: 609.66
Laws on Using Chemical and Electric Weapons: 624.731

There are no laws found on using body armors in Minnesota. Carrying of firearms with a license during hunting is considered legal.

609.666 Negligent storage of firearms
Under this subdivision, the following terms are defined:
• “Firearm” refers to any device that can be used as a weapon and has the ability to expel force.
• “Child” is an individual who is 18 years or younger.
• “Loaded” refers to a firearm with the ammunition attached.
State of Emergency
624.7192 Authority to Seize and Confiscate Firearms
A peace officer has the power to confiscate a firearm from an individual temporarily if it is necessary to protect others’ lives only during a state of emergency that is proclaimed by the governor in relation to a disaster or public crisis. For this case, a warrant is not needed. When the individual is released, the firearm and ammunition must be handed back by the peace officer to him.

Government officials, employees and peace officers are not allowed to do the following for firearms and ammunition:
• Prohibit the legal possession and transportation of the items
• Confiscate the items except when it is necessary not to endanger the lives of the public
• Suspend one’s valid permit
• Suspend businesses that legally sell such items

An individual who is aggrieved by such violation may file charges in the court against the person who committed it. Costs and expenses must be awarded to the aggrieved person if the accused is proven guilty.

12.21 The Powers of the Governor.
The Governor, under the state of emergency, may control the emergency department and may collaborate with the president, Emergency Management Agency of the United States and the federal organizations in emergency preparedness and drills. He may also order public meetings and evacuation of the residents for areas that are affected by the emergency. The federal organizations may also help in the suspension of the utility services within the state including electricity connection.

Note: Federal laws may apply if the state receives financial assistance from the federal government during a public crisis or disaster. To know more about the federal laws for emergency, read the US Code 42-5207.

To be able to legally possess and transport a firearm in a vehicle within Minnesota without the need for any type of permit, an individual must at least be 18 years old.

Note: For some states, there are restrictions in the possession and transportation of firearms. Some would only allow transporting to and from the gun shops, shooting range, own business or house of the gun owner. Other states do not impose restrictions.

You may check the “Traveling in a Vehicle with a Firearm without a Minnesota Permit” section above to know more about this.

4/12/15 – Initial page created.