◆ MINNESOTA · CARRY LAW
Minnesota.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
Kept in this browser only. Never sent to us.
◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
No
Open, no permit
No
In a vehicle, no permit
No
Getting a permit
Yes, shall-issue
- You must produce your permit if an officer asks for it.
- A permit is required to buy a firearm, not just to carry one.
- This state has an extreme-risk protective order law.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What Minnesota requires
The state's permit is the Permit to Carry a Pistol, issued by your county sheriff.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
No
You need a permit. Carrying a pistol without one is a gross misdemeanor, and a felony the second time.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
No
No. Minnesota’s permit governs carrying a pistol at all. Visible or hidden makes no difference.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
No
No. The statute names a motor vehicle, snowmobile or boat expressly. You need the permit there just as on foot.
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Yes, shall-issue
The sheriff MUST issue to a qualified applicant. Training in the safe use of a pistol is required first.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
Yes
Yes. Minnesota issues to non-residents, which matters here, because it refuses many states’ permits outright.
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
21
21. There is no open-carry route at a lower age, because open carry needs the same permit.
If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Only if asked
You need not volunteer it, but you must carry the permit card and government photo ID whenever you are carrying, and display them on demand.
Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Required
Yes, for a pistol or a semiautomatic military-style assault weapon. A transferee permit from your sheriff, unless you already hold a permit to carry, which stands in for it.
Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
No limit
Minnesota sets no cap on magazine capacity.
No magazine capacity provision in Minn. Stat. ch. 609 or 624Read at the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes ↗Checked 11 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 609.67 in full on 2026-09-05. The machine gun and short-barreled shotgun section, including its trigger-activator definition added for bump stocks, with nothing about magazine capacity. § 471.633 separately preempts every city and county from regulating firearms, so a local cap could not fill the gap.How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
No, state law is the only law
The legislature preempts all local authority to regulate firearms. Cities, counties, towns and their instrumentalities alike.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
Yes, this state has one
Yes. Since 2023 a family or household member, a chief law enforcement officer, a city or county attorney, or a guardian may petition for an extreme risk protection order.
In force since January 1, 2024.
◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits Minnesota honors
If you are visiting Minnesota, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored9
Not honored15
Not settled30
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where Minnesota permits are honored
If you live in Minnesota, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored32
Honored, with a condition1
Not honored18
Not settled3
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork. Minnesota legalized suppressors in 2015 after decades of banning them.
Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork, and the reason is that Minnesota simply never mentions short-barreled RIFLES. Its prohibition covers shotguns only.
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Prohibited
Prohibited, on exactly the same terms as a machine gun. Federal registration does not help.
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Prohibited
Prohibited. Federal registration does NOT save it. Minnesota’s list of who may own one is a closed list of officials, dealers and BCA-approved collectors, and a private registered owner is not on it.
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
No any-other-weapon provision in Minn. Stat. § 609.67Read at the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes ↗Checked 11 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 609.67 subd. 1’s definitions on 2026-09-07. Machine gun, shotgun, short-barreled shotgun, trigger activator, and searched for “cane gun”, “pen gun”, “wallet gun”, “zip gun” and “any other weapon”. None appears.◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- your county sheriff ↗
- ATF’s index
- Minnesota firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)