Can You Conceal Carry in Minnesota? Permits, Training, and Limits

Yes, you can conceal carry in Minnesota if you hold a valid Permit to Carry a Pistol issued by a county sheriff. The same permit covers both concealed and open carry, costs up to $100, and stays valid for five years. Minnesota is a “shall-issue” state, meaning the sheriff must grant the permit if you meet every statutory requirement.¹

Who Qualifies for a Permit

The statute sets the minimum age at 21, but federal litigation has shifted the practical floor. In Worth v. Jacobson, the Eighth Circuit struck down the under-21 restriction. Minnesota’s Attorney General appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in January 2025.² While that appeal is pending, the Eighth Circuit ruling controls, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension processes applications from people 18 and older.³

You also need to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, complete an approved firearms training course within the year before you apply, and clear both state and federal disqualifiers.¹

State Disqualifiers

Minnesota Statute 624.713 lists the people who cannot possess a pistol. The main categories:

Anyone convicted of a crime of violence (permanent bar unless firearm rights are specifically restored); other felonies bar possession until civil rights are fully reinstated.
A misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor controlled substance conviction, or a judicial commitment for habitual controlled substance use, which bars possession for three years.
Convictions for certain gross misdemeanors including gang-related crimes, bias-motivated assault, false imprisonment, child neglect or endangerment, fourth-degree burglary, setting a spring gun, riot, or stalking (three-year bar).
A domestic assault conviction (three-year bar from the conviction date).
An active Order for Protection or harassment restraining order, for as long as the order is in effect.
Judicial commitment as mentally ill, developmentally disabled, or mentally ill and dangerous, unless rights are restored by a court.
Being listed in the state’s criminal gang investigation system.

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Even if none of these apply, the sheriff can still deny an application when there is a substantial likelihood that you pose a danger to yourself or others.¹

Federal Disqualifiers

Federal law adds its own prohibited categories under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). You cannot possess a firearm if you’ve been convicted of any crime punishable by more than a year in prison, are a fugitive from justice, are an unlawful user of a controlled substance, have been adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, are unlawfully in the United States, were dishonorably discharged, have renounced your citizenship, are subject to certain domestic violence restraining orders, or have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.⁵

Cannabis Creates a Federal Problem

Under Minnesota’s Adult-Use Cannabis Act, a sheriff cannot deny your permit application just because you’re on the medical cannabis registry or legally use cannabis as an adult.³ Federal law has not caught up. Marijuana remains a controlled substance, and 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) bars firearm possession by any “unlawful user” of one.⁵ You can hold a valid Minnesota permit and still face federal criminal exposure if you use cannabis.

The Training Course

Every applicant, new or renewing, must complete a course taught by a BCA-certified instructor. The course covers safe handling, storage, Minnesota’s self-defense laws, and live-fire proficiency. Your certificate must be dated within one year of the date you submit your application.³ Courses typically run from around $80 to $200 depending on the instructor and whether range time is included, and this is separate from the permit application fee.

How to Apply

Minnesota residents apply at the sheriff’s office in their county of residence. Nonresidents can apply at any Minnesota county sheriff’s office. You must appear in person and submit:

The completed application (available from the BCA or your sheriff).
A copy of your firearms training certificate.
A copy of your driver’s license, state ID, or passport photo page.
The application fee, up to $100 for a new permit.

The sheriff has 30 days from receiving a complete packet to approve or deny. If you don’t hear back in 30 days, the permit is automatically issued and the sheriff must promptly mail the card. The permit is valid for five years from the date of issue.¹

Renewals can be filed as early as 90 days before expiration. The renewal fee is up to $75. If you miss the expiration date, you have a 30-day grace period to renew by paying an extra $10 on top of the standard renewal cost.¹

If the sheriff denies your application, the denial must be in writing and state the specific factual basis. You then have 20 business days to submit additional documentation, and the sheriff has 15 business days to reconsider. A continued denial can be challenged by petition in district court for de novo review, where the sheriff bears the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that you don’t qualify.¹

Where You Still Can’t Carry

A permit is not a universal pass. Several locations are off-limits.

Schools and Childcare

Firearms are banned on public and private K-12 school property, including buildings, improved grounds, and school buses in use. Licensed childcare centers are off-limits while children are present. A permit holder who violates this commits a misdemeanor. The one exception lets you keep a firearm stored in your vehicle on school property, generally unloaded and cased.⁶

The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act separately prohibits firearms within 1,000 feet of any school, but exempts people licensed by the state where the zone is located if that state verifies the applicant’s qualifications. Minnesota’s sheriff background check meets that condition, so your permit generally covers you inside Minnesota’s school zones.⁵

Government Buildings

Federal facilities, including federal courthouses and most federal offices, prohibit firearms under federal law. Military installations have their own restrictions.⁵ At the state level, carrying in a courthouse complex or in state buildings within the Capitol Area (excluding the National Guard Armory) requires prior notification to the sheriff or the Commissioner of Public Safety. State correctional facilities and state hospitals bar firearms unless the facility’s chief executive consents.⁶

Posted Private Businesses

Private businesses can ban firearms, but only through proper notice. The statute recognizes two methods: a conforming sign, or a personal request. A conforming sign must read “[Name of operator] BANS GUNS IN THESE PREMISES,” in black Arial type at least one and a half inches tall, on a bright contrasting background covering at least 187 square inches, posted at every entrance within four feet to the side, with its bottom edge four to six feet off the floor.¹

Here’s what often surprises people: walking into a posted establishment while carrying is not itself a crime. The violation happens only if the operator or an employee asks you to leave and you refuse, which is a petty misdemeanor with a maximum $25 fine for a first offense. Your firearm is not forfeitable for this violation, and these are the exclusive penalties under state law.¹

One carve-out matters: no private establishment, employer, or public college or university may stop you from keeping a firearm in your vehicle in a parking lot. That right is preserved by statute even when the building itself is off-limits.¹

Alcohol and Cannabis While Carrying

Minnesota prohibits carrying a pistol in public while under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, cannabis, or any combination. The alcohol threshold is strict: a BAC of 0.04 or higher triggers a violation, half the DUI limit. Carrying while “under the influence of alcohol” is separately prohibited even below 0.04.⁷

BAC of 0.10 or higher, or being under the influence of a controlled substance or cannabis: misdemeanor on a first offense, gross misdemeanor on a second or subsequent. Carry authority is revoked for one year.
BAC between 0.04 and 0.10: misdemeanor. Carry authority is suspended for 180 days. The firearm is not subject to forfeiture at this level.

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If you plan to have even a drink or two, leave the pistol at home or locked in the vehicle. The 0.04 threshold catches people who feel completely sober.

Rules You Must Follow While Carrying

Keep your permit card and a valid government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport) on you whenever you carry. If a peace officer asks, you must show both documents and tell the officer whether you are currently carrying.¹

If you move, notify the issuing sheriff’s office within 30 days of your address change. Failure is a petty misdemeanor carrying a maximum $25 fine for a first offense. The same 30-day notice applies if the card is lost or destroyed, and a replacement costs $10.¹ If your permit becomes void because you’ve fallen into a prohibited category under Section 624.713, you must return the card to the issuing authority within five days.

Carrying Without a Permit

Carrying a pistol in a public place without a permit is a gross misdemeanor on a first offense. A second or subsequent conviction is a felony. The rule applies to carrying on your person, in your clothing, or in a vehicle, boat, or snowmobile.¹

Visitors and Travel Out of State

Minnesota recognizes concealed carry permits from a list of states maintained by the Department of Public Safety. That list currently includes Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee (enhanced only), Texas, and West Virginia, among others. Some states qualify only with enhanced or specific permit types.⁸

Reciprocity is not always mutual. Minnesota honoring another state’s permit does not mean that state honors yours. Confirm the destination state’s rules directly before you travel. The DPS reciprocity page is the most reliable starting point and is updated as agreements change.

If you drive through a state that does not honor your permit, federal law provides a limited safe harbor. Under 18 U.S.C. § 926A, you may transport a firearm from one place where you can legally possess it to another, provided it is unloaded and not readily accessible from the passenger compartment. In a vehicle with a trunk, lock the firearm and ammunition in the trunk. In a vehicle without a trunk, use a locked container other than the glove box or center console.⁹ This protection covers continuous travel. Overnight stops, errands, and extended stays in a state where you cannot legally possess the firearm go beyond what the statute protects, and some states have enforced their own laws against travelers in that situation.

1
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 624.714 – Permit to Carry Pistol
2
Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. Worth v. Jacobson Press Release
3
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Permit to Carry
4
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 624.713 – Certain Persons Not to Possess Firearms
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
6
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 609.66 – Dangerous Weapons
7
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 624.7142 – Carrying While Under Influence of Alcohol or Controlled Substance
8
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Permit to Carry Reciprocity
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms