No person may carry, hold or possess a handgun in a motor vehicle, snowmobile or boat without a permit to carry a handgun.¹ However, a permit is not required to carry a handgun:

• About a person’s place of business, residence, or land that he or she owns;
• From a place of purchase to the person’s dwelling or place of business, or from the person’s dwelling or business to or from a place of repair;
• Between the person’s dwelling and place of business;
• In the woods, fields, or waters of the state for the purpose of hunting or target shooting in a safe area; or
• In a motor vehicle, snowmobile or boat if it is unloaded and contained in a closed and fastened case, gun box, or securely tied package.²

Minnesota allows the transportation of firearms in a motor vehicle if the gun is unloaded and either: 1) in a gun case made to contain the firearm, and the case fully encloses the firearm by being zipped, snapped, buckled, tied or otherwise fastened, without any portion of the gun exposed; or 2) in the closed trunk.³ The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources issued a report about the efficacy of this law.⁴

No person may carry a firearm or ammunition into an aircraft other than a public aircraft except in the manner in which a firearm may be lawfully carried in a motor vehicle.⁵

A person presently charged with a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year is not entitled to transport any handgun or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon.⁶ Also, a state administrative regulation prohibits transporting a firearm in a vehicle used for driver education.⁷

The owner or operator of a private establishment may not prohibit the lawful carry or possession of firearms in a parking facility or parking area.⁸

MEDIA REQUESTS

Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.

Contact

1. Minn. Stat. § 624.714, subd. 1a.[↩]
2. Minn. Stat. § 624.714, subd. 9.[↩]
3. Minn. Stat. § 97B.045, subd. 1. Exceptions are provided for disabled persons participating in hunting activities under specified circumstances. Minn. Stat. § 97B.045, subd. 2. Additional exceptions exist for transporting unloaded, uncased long guns while at a shooting range, lawfully hunting or when traveling to or from a hunting site. See Minn. Stat. § 97B.045, subd. 3(a).[↩]
4. Division of Enforcement, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2009 Uncased Firearms Report, at http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/aboutdnr/reports/2009_uncased_firearms.pdf.[↩]
5. Minn. Stat. § 360.075, subd. 1(10).[↩]
6. Minn. Stat. § 624.713, subd. 1a.[↩]
7. Minn. R. 7411.0545(F).[↩]
8. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 624.714.[↩]