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

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).[↩]