Minnesota requires a permit to carry a pistol on or about the person or in a vehicle under Minn. Stat. 624.714, with state preemption barring stricter local rules under Minn. Stat. 471.633.
Under Minn. Stat. 624.714, transporting a pistol in a motor vehicle generally requires a permit to carry, even if the firearm is unloaded or cased. Limited exceptions exist for transport between a person's dwelling and a place of business, hunting, repair, or a target range when the pistol is unloaded and contained in a closed and fastened case, gunbox, or securely tied package. Long guns transported in a vehicle must be unloaded under Minn. Stat. 97B.045. Local governments cannot impose stricter vehicle carry rules because Minn. Stat. 471.633 preempts the field of firearm regulation. Permit holders may carry loaded pistols in the passenger compartment statewide.
Carrying a pistol in a vehicle without a permit, outside the narrow statutory exceptions, is a gross misdemeanor on first offense and a felony on subsequent offenses under Minn. Stat. 624.714.
See how St. Michael's firearms in vehicles rules stack up against other locations.
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