State Law Background

Among other things, Minnesota:

State of Gun Violence Factsheet

• Makes it a crime for an unlicensed person to transfer a firearm without a background check under certain very limited circumstances;
• Imposes child access prevention requirements upon gun owners;
• Prohibits firearm possession by certain misdemeanants and domestic abusers;
• Requires individuals purchasing certain kinds of firearms from a licensed dealer to undergo a background check in addition to the federally required background check, and either comply with a waiting period or obtain a permit;
• Regulates unsafe handguns; and
• Provides some regulation of the possession and sale of certain “semiautomatic military-style assault weapons,” although the state does not generally ban assault weapons.

Minnesota does not, however:

• Require a background check prior to most transfers of firearms between unlicensed parties;
• Require firearms dealers to obtain a license, although they must comply with certain security measures;
• Require firearm owners to obtain a license, register their firearms, or report lost or stolen firearms;
• Restrict 50 caliber rifles or large capacity ammunition magazines; or
• Limit the number of firearms that may be purchased at one time.

Local governments in Minnesota generally lack authority to regulate firearms or ammunition, and Minnesota generally requires county sheriffs to issue a permit to carry a handgun to any applicant who meets certain basic qualifications.

In 2016, Minnesota had the seventh-lowest number of gun deaths per capita among the states. 432 people lost their lives from firearm-related injuries in Minnesota that year. According to 2016 Firearms Trace Data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Minnesota supplied the eighth lowest number of crime guns to other states per capita, and was a net importer of crime guns.

Minnesota Firearms Laws

For details about specific firearms laws in Minnesota, choose a topic below, or see all of the firearms laws in this state.

Reports

Cost of Gun Violence in Minnesota