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Child Access Prevention

Minnesota prohibits any person from negligently storing or leaving a loaded firearm in a location where the person knows, or reasonably should know, that a child under age 18 is likely to gain access to the firearm, unless reasonable action is taken to secure the firearm against access by the child.1 This prohibition does not apply if the child obtained access as a result of any unlawful entry.2

A person who intentionally or recklessly causes a child under 14 years of age to be placed in a situation likely to substantially harm the child’s physical health or cause the child’s death as a result of the child’s access to a loaded firearm is criminally liable for child endangerment.3

Safe Storage

Minnesota has no law that requires unattended firearms to be stored in a certain way.

Minnesota also does not require a locking device to accompany the sale of a firearm, and no state statutes require firearm owners to affirmatively lock their weapons.

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  1. Minn. Stat. § 609.666, subd. 1(b), subd. 2.[]
  2. Minn. Stat. § 609.666, subd. 3.[]
  3. Minn. Stat. § 609.378, subd. 1(c).[]