Minnesota Bans Guns in These Premises Sign: Wording and Placement

In Minnesota, a business’s “Bans Guns in These Premises” sign only works if it meets the exact requirements in Minn. Stat. § 624.714, subd. 17: it must name the operator followed by the phrase “BANS GUNS IN THESE PREMISES,” use black Arial lettering at least 1½ inches tall on a bright contrasting background, cover at least 187 square inches of sign area, and be posted within four feet laterally of every entrance with the bottom of the sign four to six feet above the floor or ground.¹ Miss any of those details and the sign may not be “conspicuous” or “prominently” posted as the statute defines those terms, which means the ban may not be enforceable.

What the Sign Must Say

The required language is short and specific: the identity of the operator, followed by the words “BANS GUNS IN THESE PREMISES.” A coffee shop called Bean There would post “BEAN THERE BANS GUNS IN THESE PREMISES.” The operator’s name is not optional. No additional wording is required by statute.¹

How the Sign Must Look

Minnesota law defines “conspicuous” with four formatting rules:

Typeface: black Arial lettering.
Letter height: at least 1½ inches tall.
Background: bright, providing clear contrast with the black letters. The statute does not require white specifically; any bright contrasting color qualifies.
Sign area: at least 187 square inches total.

A common mix-up is worth flagging. The 187 figure is the minimum area of the sign in square inches, not a font size in points. And the background does not have to be white. A sign printed in the wrong typeface, with letters shorter than 1½ inches, on a dark background, or smaller than 187 square inches does not meet the statutory definition of “conspicuous,” and a ban resting on that sign may fail if challenged.¹

Where the Sign Must Be Posted

Formatting is only half the job. To count as “prominently” posted, the sign must be readily visible and placed within four feet laterally of every entrance to the establishment, with the bottom of the sign between four and six feet above the floor or ground.¹

Every entrance means every entrance. Front door, side door, back door used by customers or employees: each gets its own sign. And the four-foot lateral rule is stricter than many operators realize. A sign in a window ten feet from the door does not qualify. Neither does one hung above the door at eight feet. Height and lateral distance both matter, and both are measured from the entrance itself.

Who Can Post One

The authority belongs to the operator of a “private establishment,” meaning any building or portion of one that a nongovernmental entity owns, leases, controls, or operates for a nongovernmental purpose.¹ For-profit businesses, nonprofits, and private clubs qualify. A private entity leasing space inside a government-owned building would likely qualify as well.²

Two boundaries. Government bodies cannot use this sign framework; their authority to restrict firearms in public buildings runs through separate, more limited provisions of the same statute. And the sign rules do not apply to private residences at all. A homeowner can prohibit firearms in any manner they choose without following the sign specifications above.¹

How a Compliant Sign Actually Bans Firearms

Once your signs meet the format and placement rules, the ban is in effect for every person who enters. The statute treats a compliant sign as a “reasonable request” that the person not carry a firearm on the premises. A verbal warning from the operator or an agent is an alternative way to make that request, not an additional requirement. Sign or spoken notice: either one, standing alone, satisfies the statute.¹

Enforcement then works in one direction: leave. A person who is carrying and who knows about the request can be ordered to leave the premises. Someone who complies and walks out has not violated the law. The violation happens only if they refuse to leave after being told to.

What the Sign Cannot Reach

A properly posted sign has statutory limits, and operators should not assume it extends further than it does.

Parking facilities and parking areas. The owner or operator of a private establishment cannot prohibit lawful carry or possession of firearms in a parking facility or parking area. A permit holder who leaves a firearm secured in their vehicle in the business’s lot is not violating the ban.¹
Tenants and their guests. A landlord cannot restrict the lawful carry or possession of firearms by tenants or their guests. Signs in a residential building do not override a tenant’s right to lawful possession in their own unit or by people visiting them.¹
Peace officers. A private establishment cannot prohibit a peace officer from carrying a firearm inside or deny the officer entry, though it can require the officer to show official credentials first.¹

Penalty for Refusing to Leave

Refusing to leave after a reasonable request is a petty misdemeanor. The fine for a first offense cannot exceed $25.¹ That is well below the usual $300 petty misdemeanor cap in Minnesota.³ The firearm itself cannot be forfeited for this violation. And this subdivision is the exclusive penalty for carrying in a private establishment after a reasonable request, which means the general trespass statute and its heavier penalties do not apply here.

For a business, that low ceiling is worth understanding. The sign is the legal tool that lets you ask someone to leave. The penalty is not designed to punish carriers severely; it is designed to make removal enforceable.

1
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 624.714 – Carrying of Weapons Without Permit; Penalties
2
Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust. Permit-to-carry Law: Restricting Firearms in Public Buildings
3
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 609.0331