To get a Minnesota Permit to Carry, Minneapolis residents start with an approved handgun training class, and concealed carry classes in Minneapolis are offered by firearms instructors certified by an organization the Minnesota Department of Public Safety recognizes. The certificate you receive is good for one year, and you take it to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Gun Permit Unit to apply for the actual permit.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit, Penalties The permit covers both open and concealed carry, and the whole process from class to permit card in the mail usually runs six to eight weeks.
What a Minnesota Carry Class Has to Cover
State law sets the curriculum, so every legitimate class in the Minneapolis area teaches the same three things:1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit, Penalties
- Pistol fundamentals: safe handling, storage, loading, and operation of a handgun.
- Live-fire qualification: an actual shooting exercise on a range. Classroom-only courses do not satisfy the statute.
- Legal instruction: when you can lawfully carry, when deadly force is justified in self-defense, and the consequences of getting it wrong.
The legal portion deserves more weight than students often give it. Minnesota draws sharp lines around justified deadly force, and a permit holder who misreads those lines faces criminal charges, not just permit trouble. A good instructor spends real time there instead of hustling everyone out to the range.
How to Vet an Instructor Before You Pay
Your instructor must have been certified as a firearms instructor within the past five years by an organization the Department of Public Safety has approved. The NRA and several other national organizations meet that standard.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit, Penalties Ask to see current certification before you hand over any money. An expired instructor certification makes the training certificate worthless, and you won’t find out until the sheriff’s office rejects your application.
One other piece of timing to pin down: the certificate must be dated within one year of the day you submit your permit application. A class taken 13 months ago won’t count, and you’ll have to take another one. The same one-year rule applies when you renew.
Who Can Actually Use the Certificate
Confirm you qualify for the permit before you sign up for a class. Minnesota is a shall-issue state, meaning the Hennepin County Sheriff must grant the permit if you meet the statutory requirements and has no authority to add extra ones. You qualify if you are at least 21, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, have the training certificate in hand, and are not prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit, Penalties You also cannot be listed in Minnesota’s criminal gang investigative database.
The firearm-prohibition piece is broad. Under federal law, you are disqualified if you have a conviction for any crime punishable by more than a year in prison, are a fugitive, use controlled substances illegally, have been committed to a mental institution, have a domestic violence misdemeanor conviction, or are subject to a restraining order protecting an intimate partner or child.2Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons A dishonorable discharge from the military also disqualifies you. Minnesota adds its own list, including certain assault convictions and active orders for protection.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit, Penalties
The sheriff can also deny on the separate ground that you pose a substantial likelihood of danger to yourself or others, but that finding has to rest on investigated and documented incidents, not speculation.
Applying at the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office
Minneapolis sits in Hennepin County, so you apply at the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Gun Permit Unit in Minneapolis City Hall, 350 South 5th Street, Room 22. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and you should schedule an appointment online rather than walking in.3Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. Online Scheduler for Gun Permit Unit
You have to apply in person. Bring:
- The completed Minnesota Uniform Firearm Application — Permit to Carry a Pistol. Do not confuse it with the similarly named permit-to-purchase form. Wait to sign and date it at the counter.
- The original training certificate, signed by your certified instructor and dated within the past 12 months.
- A valid Minnesota driver’s license or state-issued ID card. A passport works if you also bring separate proof of your current Minnesota address.
- The application fee. The maximum for a new application is $100, and the sheriff may charge less when actual processing costs are lower.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit, Penalties
The application asks for your full legal name, date of birth, physical description, and five years of residence history. Fill it out carefully. Errors slow processing and can trigger follow-up you did not need.
Timeline From Class to Permit Card
Once your complete application is in, the sheriff has 30 days to issue the permit or notify you of a denial. If the sheriff misses that 30-day window without notifying you, the permit is legally deemed issued.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit, Penalties Approved applicants get the permit card by mail.
If you are denied, the sheriff must send a written explanation citing the specific legal grounds. You have 20 business days to submit additional documentation, and the sheriff must reconsider within 15 business days of receiving it. If the denial stands, you can appeal to Hennepin County District Court, which must hold a hearing within 60 days. The sheriff carries the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that you are either disqualified or dangerous. If you win, the court orders the permit issued and awards reasonable attorney fees and costs, which makes appeals financially realistic for applicants with a strong case.
Emergency Permits
If you are facing an immediate safety threat such as stalking, credible death threats, or domestic violence, you can request an emergency permit from the sheriff. You fill out an application and sign an affidavit describing the emergency, and the sheriff can issue the permit on the spot without requiring training. There is no fee. The emergency permit lasts 30 days and cannot be renewed, but it gives you legal authority to carry while you complete a training class and apply for the standard five-year permit.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit, Penalties
Keeping the Permit Active
Your permit is good for five years from the date of issue. You can apply to renew as early as 90 days before expiration, and the renewal fee is capped at $75.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit, Penalties You will need a fresh training certificate, dated within one year of the renewal application. That is why many permit holders schedule a refresher class as the five-year mark approaches rather than relying on their original course.
Miss the expiration date and you have a 30-day grace period to renew late by paying an extra $10 fee. During that grace period your expired permit is not valid, and you cannot legally carry on it. After 31 days past expiration the renewal window closes entirely and you start over as a new applicant at the $100 maximum fee. Put the five-year date on your calendar with plenty of lead time.