In recent years, Minnesota has enacted several strong gun safety measures, including expanded background checks, an Extreme Risk Protection Order law, and laws blocking access for domestic abusers under restraining orders. However, Minnesota is still missing a number of lifesaving policies that can combat gun violence in the state.
In 2023, Minnesota had the eighth lowest gun death rate among the states. In an average year, 527 people die from gun violence in the state. That means someone dies from gun violence every 17 hours. Seventy-one percent of those deaths are gun suicides, and 26% are gun homicides. In Minnesota, the rate of gun deaths increased 35% from 2014 to 2023, compared to a 33% increase nationwide.
What Minnesota Does Well
- Permit-to-purchase for handguns
- Certain assault weapon restrictions
- Certain domestic violence gun laws
- Certain waiting period laws
- Certain open carry regulations
- Child access prevention laws
- Disarming procedures
- Partial handgun dealer regulation
- Ammunition sale regulation
- Extreme risk protection orders
- Community Violence Intervention (CVI) funding
- Universal background checks for most firearms
What Minnesota Is Missing
- Permit-to-purchase for long guns
- Large capacity magazine ban
- Lost & stolen firearm reporting
- Prohibit armed intimidation at polling places, drop boxes, and where votes are counted
- Bulk firearm purchase restrictions
- Enact a gun industry accountability law
- Require gun owners to safely store firearms
SPOTLIGHT
GUN LAW SCORECARD
The data is clear: States with stronger gun laws have less gun violence. See how your state compares in our annual ranking.
Read MoreEXPLORE MINNESOTA’S GUN LAWS
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OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES
CHILD & CONSUMER SAFETY
GUNS IN PUBLIC
HARDWARE & AMMUNITION
OTHER LAWS & POLICIES
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We’re in this together. To build a safer America—one where children and parents in every neighborhood can learn, play, work, and worship without fear of gun violence—we need you standing beside us in this fight.
