Minnesota Gun Laws The state of Minnesota has a juvenile possession laws and
juvenile sale or transfer laws in place along with a Child Access
Prevention law. Minnesota does not require a permit to carry a rifle or
a shotgun but it does require a permit to carry a handgun.
Firearms--including handguns, shotguns, and rifles--do not need to be
registered nor does there need to be a permit in place to purchase them
from a dealer. The owners of any rifles, shotguns, or handguns do not
need to be licensed to possess them.
There is a waiting period in place that can last up to seven days
before a permit can be obtained to buy a handgun. The Federal Bureau of
Investigations has the right to check any and all firearm negotiations
using a National Instant Check System. Through this power rifles,
shotguns, and other large guns are checked through a federal system
while all handguns are check through a state system. All records of
sale through dealers are kept on file for government and law
enforcement purposes.
Possession Eligibility Minnesota gun laws have been set up to protect citizens from
unnecessary incidents where individuals are accidentally injured. These
laws are to help keep firearms from reckless individuals and
individuals who are prone to violence. To do this Minnesota has created
different groups for those who are eligible and those who are not
eligible to possess firearms.
Those who are noted as unfit to possess firearms includes those who
have previously been convicted of a violence crime where ten years have
not yet passed to restore civil rights; those who are considered
mentally unstable or mentally ill and dangerous to others; those under
the age of eighteen; those who have been charged with the use of, the
sale of, or the possession of a controlled substance other than
marijuana; those who have been treated for controlled substance
addiction; and those who regularly abuse alcohol. Under these
categories certain time limits apply for how long ineligibility lasts
and can be between two years and ten years, and in some cases
eligibility can never be restored.
Those who have been convicted of felonies in the first class while
possessing a handgun lose their right to possess a firearm in the
future. Individuals who have been convicted of misdemeanors while using
a handgun also those this Constitutional right. Certain circumstances
can allow for these rights to be re-established, which is usually done
through a court of law.
Transferring and Carrying a Firearm Since Minnesota law states that all individuals carrying
handguns must possess legal licenses, the law also states where
unlicensed individuals may carry handguns. While transferring a firearm
from one place to another, the firearm must not be loaded and needs to
be enclosed in a secure package. Law enforcement officials and on-duty
military personnel are permitted to carry firearms without a license.
This law was set into place to prevent ineligible individuals from
obtaining any kind of firearm as to be used for illegal purposes.