Minnesota Gun Laws And Concealed Carry Guide

Minnesota is not a permitless carry state. You need a Minnesota Permit to Carry a Pistol to carry a handgun in public, open or concealed. The minimum age is now effectively 18, after a federal court struck down the age-21 rule for 18- to 20-year-olds.

The permit is shall-issue, costs no more than $100, and lasts 5 years. This guide covers how to apply, the live-fire training rule, reciprocity, open carry, vehicles, where you can’t carry, and Minnesota’s self-defense law.

Do You Need A Permit To Carry In Minnesota?

Yes. Under Minn. Stat. § 624.714, subd. 1a, carrying a pistol on your person, in a vehicle or in a public place without a permit is a gross misdemeanor. A second offense is a felony.

You don’t need a permit to keep or carry a pistol in your home, at your place of business or on land you possess. Subdivision 9 also allows carrying to or from a repair shop, between home and business, and while hunting or target shooting. A pistol moved in a vehicle without a permit must be unloaded and in a closed, fastened case, gunbox or securely tied package.

Age. The statute still says 21. A note on the statute says the age-21 rule for 18- to 20-year-olds was held unconstitutional in Worth v. Jacobson (8th Cir. 2024). The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review that ruling in 2025, so adults 18 and older can apply.

Who can’t get a permit. The sheriff must deny a permit if you are barred from having a gun under Minn. Stat. § 624.713 or federal law. The sheriff can also deny when there is a substantial likelihood you are a danger to yourself or the public.

Under Minnesota’s cannabis law, a sheriff may not deny a permit just because you are a medical cannabis patient. The same goes for adults 21 and older who use adult-use cannabis or certain hemp products.

How To Get A Minnesota Permit To Carry A Pistol

Permits are issued by the county sheriff. Residents apply to the sheriff in their county. Non-residents may apply to any Minnesota sheriff.

1. Take a certified training course. It must be within one year before you apply (details below). Your instructor gives you a signed certificate.
2. Fill out the state form. Use the official Permit to Carry a Pistol Application. Sheriffs must use this standard form.
3. Gather your documents. The packet is the signed application, a copy of your training certificate and a copy of a valid photo ID or passport photo page. The sheriff can’t ask for anything else.
4. Apply in person. The statute requires the packet to be submitted in person at the sheriff’s office.
5. Pay the fee. The fee can’t be more than the sheriff’s actual cost or $100, whichever is less.

Processing: The sheriff has 30 days to issue or deny. If you don’t hear about a denial within 30 days, that counts as issuing the permit. A denial must be in writing and give the facts behind it.

Term and renewal: A permit lasts 5 years. You can renew up to 90 days before it expires, for no more than $75. Renewals filed within 30 days after expiration carry a $10 late fee.

A permit holder doesn’t need a separate Permit to Purchase to buy a handgun, according to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Do You Need A Class For A Minnesota Carry Permit?

Yes. Minn. Stat. § 624.714, subd. 2a requires training in the safe use of a pistol within one year before an original or renewal application. The course must be taught by an instructor certified by an organization approved by the Department of Public Safety.

The course must include:

• The fundamentals of pistol use
• Successful completion of an actual shooting qualification exercise
• The legal aspects of pistol possession, carry and use, including self-defense and limits on deadly force

The statute sets no minimum hours. The shooting qualification is live fire, so an online-only course does not qualify. Sheriffs must accept qualifying training and may accept other satisfactory evidence, but that is up to them.

Recent work as a Minnesota peace officer also counts. Find instructors through the BCA instructor list.

A short online safety course is a good primer before your certified class. It does not replace the certified course or the shooting qualification, and it is not a permit.

Can Non-Residents Get A Minnesota Carry Permit?

Yes. Non-residents “may apply to any sheriff,” under subdivision 2. The fee, term and training rules are the same as for residents.

The packet must be submitted in person, so plan a trip to Minnesota. Ask the sheriff’s office whether training from your home state’s instructor will work. The BCA FAQ covers this question, but its answer isn’t shown on the page.

Which States Honor The Minnesota Permit To Carry?

About 31 states let Minnesota permit holders carry, according to the USCCA reciprocity page. That count includes permitless carry states such as Idaho, Indiana and South Dakota that let eligible visitors carry.

Notable states on that list include Florida, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, Missouri and Tennessee. Michigan honors resident permits only.

Colorado honors only resident permits issued after August 1, 2024. Wisconsin and Illinois are not on the list.

Permits Minnesota honors. The Department of Public Safety list recognizes permits from 33 states. These include Michigan, North Dakota (Class 1 only), South Dakota (enhanced only), Illinois, Ohio, Texas and Maryland.

The state does not honor permits from 15 states, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Florida, Arizona and Utah. The Department reviews the list every year, so check it before you travel.

Going next door? See our Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota guides, or the full concealed carry laws by state list.

Can You Open Carry In Minnesota?

Yes, with a permit. Section 624.714 requires a permit to carry a pistol in public but does not require it to be hidden. Without a permit, you can’t carry a handgun in public, open or concealed.

Long guns follow a different rule. Under Minn. Stat. § 624.7181, carrying a rifle or shotgun in a public place is a gross misdemeanor unless an exception applies, such as an unloaded gun in a fully fastened case. Permit holders are exempt from that section.

Can You Keep A Gun In Your Car In Minnesota?

With a permit, yes. You can carry a pistol in your vehicle the same as on your person. Without a permit, the pistol must be unloaded and in a closed, fastened case, gunbox or securely tied package (subd. 9).

• Work parking lots: Employers may restrict carry by employees on the job. They may not ban the lawful carry or possession of firearms in a parking facility or parking area (subd. 18). Private businesses that post no-guns signs can’t ban guns in their parking areas either (subd. 17).
• School parking lots: Minn. Stat. § 609.66, subd. 1d does not apply to permit holders while in a motor vehicle. It also covers stepping outside the vehicle to put a gun in or take it from the trunk or rear area.

Where You Can’t Carry A Gun In Minnesota

A permit doesn’t change these:

• School property, meaning public and private K-12 school buildings and improved grounds, plus school buses carrying students. For a permit holder, carrying on school property is a misdemeanor rather than a felony (§ 609.66, subd. 1d).
• Licensed child care centers while children are present for a child care program (§ 609.66, subd. 1d).
• Courthouse complexes and state buildings in the Capitol Area (§ 609.66, subd. 1g). Permit holders are excepted if they notify the sheriff or the commissioner of public safety. Your permit counts as notice to the commissioner.
• State correctional facilities and state hospitals, including grounds, without the chief executive officer’s consent (Minn. Stat. § 243.55).
• Anywhere while under the influence, or with an alcohol concentration over 0.04 (Minn. Stat. § 624.7142).
• Private businesses that post a compliant sign or tell you personally that guns are banned. If you refuse to leave, it is a petty misdemeanor (§ 624.714, subd. 17).
• Your workplace, if your employer restricts carry on the job (subd. 18).
• Federal buildings (18 U.S.C. § 930).

Bars and restaurants are not banned by statute. You can carry in one unless it posts a sign, as long as you aren’t over the alcohol limit.

Duty to inform: No, not on your own. You must carry your permit card and a photo ID and show both when a peace officer lawfully asks (§ 624.714, subd. 1b). If the officer asks, you must also say whether you are carrying a firearm.

Minnesota Castle Doctrine And Stand Your Ground Law

Minnesota is not a stand-your-ground state. It has a duty to retreat outside the home.

• Reasonable force: Minn. Stat. § 609.06 allows reasonable force to resist an offense against you or another person.
• Deadly force: Minn. Stat. § 609.065 allows intentionally taking a life only to resist an offense you reasonably believe exposes you or another to death or great bodily harm. It also allows it to prevent a felony in your place of abode.
• Duty to retreat: Outside the home, you must first try to get away if you reasonably can, and your response must be proportionate. The Minnesota Supreme Court applied this duty even to “fear” assaults involving a weapon in State v. Blevins (2024).
• Castle doctrine: You don’t have to retreat in your own home. Force must still be reasonable, and the right ends when the threat ends.
• Civil immunity: We found no Minnesota statute giving civil immunity for justified self-defense. You can still be sued.

A 2025 bill to remove the duty to retreat (HF 13) failed in the Minnesota House on March 6, 2025. It got 67 votes but needed 68.

The law doesn’t prevent an arrest, charges or a lawsuit. Self-defense must be shown with facts, and a defense can be expensive.

Minnesota Gun Laws FAQ

Is Minnesota A Constitutional Carry State?

No. You need a Permit to Carry a Pistol to carry a handgun in public, openly or concealed. Exceptions cover your home, business and land, and certain transport.

Can You Carry A Gun In Church In Minnesota?

Yes, unless the church bans it. No statute bans guns in places of worship.

In 2008, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that churches may ban guns, including in their parking lots, without using the state’s sign format.

The church may give notice in any form it chooses.

A church-run K-12 school is school property under § 609.66. Churches that want armed volunteers should look at legal protection for church security teams.

Can An 18-Year-Old Get A Carry Permit In Minnesota?

Yes. After Worth v. Jacobson, sheriffs can’t deny a permit only because you are 18 to 20. The statute text still says 21, but the Revisor’s note flags the ruling.

You must meet every other requirement, including training.

How Much Is A Minnesota Permit To Carry?

No more than $100 for a new permit and $75 for a renewal. The sheriff may charge only the actual, reasonable processing cost up to those caps, so the fee can vary by county. Training is a separate cost.

Can I Carry In Minnesota With A Wisconsin Permit?

Not on a Wisconsin permit alone. Wisconsin is on Minnesota’s list of states whose permits are not valid in Minnesota. A Wisconsin resident can apply for a Minnesota non-resident permit at any sheriff’s office.

Do I Have To Tell Police I’m Carrying In Minnesota?

Only if asked. You must show your permit and ID on lawful demand and answer truthfully if an officer asks whether you are carrying.

Sources

• Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 624.714 (permit to carry, with Worth note)
• Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 609.66 (schools, courthouses, Capitol Area)
• Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 624.7142 (carrying while under the influence)
• Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 624.7181 (long guns in public places)
• Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 609.06 (authorized use of force)
• Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 609.065 (justifiable taking of life)
• Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Permit to Carry
• Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Permit to Carry Reciprocity
• Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Permit to Carry a Pistol Application
• Minnesota House of Representatives Session Daily, HF 13 duty-to-retreat vote
• MPR News (backup), Appeals Court says churches can ban guns without posting signs
• Giffords Law Center (backup), Location Restrictions in Minnesota
• USCCA (backup), Minnesota Gun Laws and Reciprocity