Carrying a firearm for self-defense comes with a lot of responsibility. Knowing the laws where you carry is just one important task you must undertake as an armed American. To help with that, we’ve provided a comprehensive overview of Minnesota gun laws. Learn about the most important things to know when carrying in the Land of 10,000 Lakes below.
Minnesota’s gun laws have unique requirements every carrier should understand.
Understanding Minnesota gun laws is just the first step. Proper training transforms you from a gun owner into a confident protector.
USCCA’s expert-led classes cover everything from firearm fundamentals and accuracy training to legal considerations and conflict avoidance – giving you the confidence and skills to protect what matters most.
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Can You Carry a Gun in Minnesota
Open carry and concealed carry are legal with a Minnesota Permit to Carry a Pistol (PCP) or a permit/license from a state that Minnesota honors. There is no stipulation in the law regarding whether that weapon must be concealed.
Minnesota Concealed Carry Permit
Applicants for a PCP must be at least 21 years old* and complete a firearms training course. Resident and non-resident permits are available. A permit to carry constitutes a permit to purchase.
In terms of reciprocity, Minnesota will honor permits from states with similar requirements. At this point in time, 30 states honor a PCP, but this is subject to change. Visit the Minnesota gun laws page for up-to-date information.
*On March 31, 2023, a federal judge struck down a Minnesota law requiring a person to be at least 21 before obtaining a permit to carry a handgun in public, finding it violated the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
In July of 2024, the Eighth Circuit Court struck down the law prohibiting 18- to 20-year-olds from obtaining a Permit to Carry a Pistol. However, there is a hold on the ruling and the law is enforceable until the appeals process plays out.
An applicant must:
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Complete an application form
- Not be prohibited from possessing a firearm under Minnesota law
- Not be listed in the criminal gang investigation system
- Be a resident of the county from which he or she is requesting a permit, if residing in Minnesota (non-residents may apply to any Minnesota county sheriff)
- Provide a certificate of completed authorized firearms training
- Meet federal law requirements
Stand Your Ground
Minnesota law imposes a duty to retreat. This means that if a person feels threatened, he or she may only use deadly force as a last resort. However, Minnesota is a Castle Doctrine state.
Castle Doctrine applies when a person is resisting or preventing an offense which the individual reasonably believes exposes the person or another to great bodily harm or death. It also applies when preventing the commission of a felony in the person’s place of abode.
There is no duty to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense or to prevent a felony in one’s home. This isn’t as clear as it appears, however. There are four cases in Minnesota where the duty to retreat was upheld.
Gun Purchase and Handgun Registration Requirements
Under Minnesota gun laws, handguns require a permit to purchase and carry. In order to purchase a handgun from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), a person must have a PCP or a Permit to Purchase/Transfer a Firearm.
Without one of those permits, upon the purchase of a handgun from an FFL, there is a five- to seven-day waiting period. However, background checks are not required for private sales. There are no magazine-capacity restrictions. Minnesota prohibits the use of metal-penetrating bullets during the commission of a crime.
Less-Lethal Legal Self-Defense Weapons
Stun guns and Tasers are legal to purchase and possess without a permit. However, a background check is required.
A person may possess and use an authorized tear gas compound in the exercise of reasonable force in defense of the person or the person’s property only if it is propelled from an aerosol container.
Where Can One Carry Concealed in Minnesota?
Understanding where you can and cannot carry a firearm is crucial for staying compliant with Minnesota’s gun laws. The state has specific locations where carrying a concealed handgun is allowed and places where it is strictly prohibited, even for permit holders.
Other areas where permit holders can carry concealed are:
- Restaurants or bars (unless posted and provided you are not under the influence)
- State/national parks
- State/national forests
- Wildlife Management Areas
- Places of worship (however, since places of worship are private property, they may post signs prohibiting firearms)
Locations where concealed carry is prohibited, even for permit holders, include:
- Public or private elementary, middle or secondary school building and grounds
- School buses
- Portions of a building or facility under the temporary, exclusive control of a public or private school where signs are posted
- Child care centers while children are present
- Any jail, lockup or correctional facility
- State hospitals and grounds
- Private establishments that have posted a sign banning guns on their premises
- Places of employment, public or private, if the employer restricts the carry or possession of firearms by its employees
- Any public place when under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance or any combination thereof
- Minnesota State Capitol areas and other state-owned or state-leased property within the Twin Cities metropolitan area (without commissioner permission)
- Minnesota Zoological Garden
- The Bayport WMA in Washington County, the Hastings WMA in Dakota County and the Raguet WMA in Scott and Carver Counties
- Innkeepers may refuse to admit or refuse service or accommodations to any person the innkeeper reasonably believes is bringing firearms into the hotel
- State game refuges
- Minnesota courts have ruled that a church may prohibit firearms from its property, including parking facilities and parking areas owned or operated by the church, and may notify its employees and the public in any manner it chooses
- Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law
Can you Carry a Gun in Your Car in Minnesota?
Anyone with a Minnesota PCP or a license/permit from a state that Minnesota honors may carry a handgun concealed in a vehicle, snowmobile or boat. Without a valid permit, it must be unloaded and either in the closed trunk or in a closed and fastened case, gun box or securely tied package.
There is no duty to inform a law enforcement officer that you’re carrying a concealed firearm unless the officer asks. Any valid concealed carry license holder can carry concealed at roadside rest areas.
Ready to Learn More About Minnesota Gun Laws?
It is your responsibility as a gun owner to know and understand the laws regarding your concealed carry rights. The USCCA’s Concealed Carry Reciprocity & Gun Laws Map has been designed to help inform and educate armed citizens like you.
To learn more about Minnesota’s concealed carry permit application process, concealed carry restrictions and training requirements, visit the Minnesota gun laws page now.
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The information contained on this website is provided as a service to USCCA, Inc. members and the concealed carry community and does not constitute legal advice. Although we attempt to address all areas of concealed carry laws in all states, we make no claims, representations, warranties, promises or guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information disclosed. Legal advice must always be tailored to the individual facts and circumstances of each individual case. Laws are constantly changing, and, as such, nothing contained on this website should be used as a substitute for the advice of a lawyer.
