Minnesota is an open carry state for handguns, but only if you hold a valid Permit to Carry. The state’s carry statute makes no distinction between open and concealed carry, so the same permit covers a pistol worn visibly in a belt holster and one tucked under a jacket.1Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Firearm Carry Laws – Minnesota Issues Guides Long guns are a different story: openly carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun in public is generally illegal in Minnesota, and no permit changes that.
How the Handgun Rule Works
Minnesota’s carry law does not use the phrases “open carry” or “concealed carry.” It simply requires a Permit to Carry for anyone who has a pistol on their person or in a vehicle in any public place.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit; Penalties Visibility is irrelevant under the statute. The permit is the gateway; without one, carrying a pistol in public is illegal no matter how you wear it.
One exception matters for daily life: you do not need a permit to carry a handgun on your own property or at your fixed place of business. Step off that property and the permit requirement applies.
Rifles and Shotguns Are Treated Differently
People often assume long guns are easier to carry openly than handguns. In Minnesota, the opposite is true. The state generally prohibits carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun in public, and a Permit to Carry does not authorize it. The exceptions are activity-specific:
- Going to, coming from, or engaged in hunting, target shooting, or other lawful firearm activity
- Going to or from a place where firearms are bought, sold, repaired, or displayed
- Funerals, parades, or other lawful ceremonies
- Transport in a vehicle when unloaded and either in a fully enclosed gun case or in a closed trunk
- Antique firearms carried as a curiosity or for historical significance
Outside those situations, walking down a public street with a rifle slung over your shoulder is not legal in Minnesota, even if it is unloaded.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit; Penalties
Getting a Permit to Carry
Permits are issued through county sheriff’s offices. You apply in person at the sheriff’s office in the county where you live. Out-of-state residents can apply at any Minnesota sheriff’s office.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Permit to Carry The sheriff runs a background check and has 30 days to issue the permit or deny it in writing.
Eligibility
You must be at least 21.4Minnesota Department of Public Safety. BCA: You Must Be 21 to Get a Pistol Permit You cannot fall into any of Minnesota’s prohibited-person categories, which include:
- Anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment
- Anyone subject to a qualifying protective order or convicted of a domestic violence offense
- Anyone judicially committed as mentally ill or developmentally disabled
- An unlawful user of a controlled substance (Minnesota statute specifically exempts legal cannabis use under the state’s adult-use and medical programs)
- Anyone discharged from the military under dishonorable conditions
The cannabis exemption is unusual. Minnesota statute explicitly states that using legal cannabis products does not trigger the controlled-substance disqualification.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 624.713 – Certain Persons Not to Possess Firearms Federal law still classifies cannabis as a controlled substance, though, and federal firearms forms ask about marijuana use. Minnesota’s statute cannot resolve that federal question.
Training
You need to complete a firearms training course certified by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It covers safe handgun use and includes a live-fire exercise. The training certificate must be dated within one year of your application. An expired certificate means starting over.4Minnesota Department of Public Safety. BCA: You Must Be 21 to Get a Pistol Permit
Duration, Renewal, and Cost
A Minnesota Permit to Carry is valid for five years. You can renew as early as 90 days before expiration using the same application process and a current training certificate. The renewal fee is capped at $75. Miss the expiration date and you have a 30-day grace period to renew with a $10 late fee; after that, the old permit is dead and you start over as a new applicant.6Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit; Penalties – Subdivision 7
A valid Permit to Carry also functions as a Permit to Purchase, so you do not need a separate document to buy a handgun or semiautomatic rifle while the carry permit is active.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Permit to Carry
Where the Permit Does Not Let You Carry
A valid permit is not a universal pass. Certain locations remain off-limits.
Schools and Child Care Centers
Possessing a firearm while knowingly on school property is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 609.66 – Dangerous Weapons – Subdivision 1d “School property” includes public and private K-12 buildings and grounds, licensed child care centers while children are present, school buses transporting students, and posted facilities under a school’s temporary control.
Permit holders get one narrow exception: you can keep a firearm in your vehicle on school property, and you can briefly step out of the vehicle to move it to or from the trunk.
Posted Private Businesses
Any private business can ban firearms on its premises, but the ban is enforceable only through a sign that meets specific statutory requirements: a clearly stated ban, an Arial typeface of at least 1.5 inches on a bright contrasting background of at least 187 square inches, posted within four feet of each entrance. If a business posts a compliant sign and you carry in anyway, you can be asked to leave. Refusing is a petty misdemeanor with a first-offense fine capped at $25. Your firearm cannot be confiscated.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit; Penalties – Subdivision 17 A private homeowner can ban firearms in any manner they choose; the detailed sign specifications apply only to businesses and other nongovernmental establishments.
State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management Areas
Rules on public lands depend on the type of land and what you are doing there. Permit holders can generally carry handguns in state parks under their Permit to Carry. On Wildlife Management Areas, you cannot possess an uncased or loaded firearm unless you are lawfully hunting or have a specific permit. In state forests, firearms must be unloaded and cased within 200 feet of any recreation area such as a campground or parking lot.9Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Hunting and Trapping Regulations Booklet 2025-2026
What You Must Do While Carrying
You must carry your permit card and a government-issued photo ID whenever you are carrying a pistol, and display both on lawful demand. If asked, you must provide a sample signature so the officer can verify your identity. Failing to produce your permit and ID is a petty misdemeanor with a first-offense fine of no more than $25, and the citation is dismissed if you later show at the officer’s office or in court that you held a valid permit at the time.10Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit; Penalties – Subdivision 1b
Minnesota does not require you to volunteer that you are armed. If an officer asks, though, you must answer truthfully. The duty to inform is triggered by the question, not by the encounter itself.
Out-of-State Permits
Minnesota recognizes carry permits from states whose permitting standards the Department of Public Safety has reviewed and found similar to Minnesota’s. The department updates the list annually.11Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Permit to Carry Reciprocity As of the most recent review, permits from these states are recognized: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado (issued or renewed on or after August 1, 2024), Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho (enhanced permit only), Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts (issued or renewed on or after August 1, 2024), Michigan, Mississippi (enhanced permit only), Missouri, Montana (enhanced permit only), Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota (Class 1 license only), Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota (enhanced permit only), Tennessee (enhanced permit only), Texas, and West Virginia.
Some states qualify only with specific permit types, so check which version you hold before assuming it is valid in Minnesota. A recognized out-of-state permit does not exempt you from Minnesota’s rules on restricted locations, long-gun carry, or disclosure when asked by law enforcement.
Penalties
Carrying a handgun without a permit is a gross misdemeanor on a first offense, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.12Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 609.0342 – Maximum Punishment for Gross Misdemeanors A second or subsequent conviction is a felony.13Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit; Penalties – Subdivision 1
Possessing a firearm on school property is a felony carrying up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 609.66 – Dangerous Weapons – Subdivision 1d Refusing to leave a posted business after being asked is a petty misdemeanor with a first-offense fine capped at $25.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit; Penalties – Subdivision 17 Before you strap on a holster, understand which weapon you are carrying, where you are going, and what the officer is entitled to ask.