Minnesota Statewide Rule
Minnesota Open Carry Rules and Permit Requirement
Key Facts
- Pistol Open Carry
- Pistol open carry requires a state permit
- No Separate Opencarryonly
- No separate open-carry-only license exists
- Long Guns May
- Long guns may be carried openly with limits
- Local Opencarry Bans
- Local open-carry bans are preempted by state law
Summary
Minnesota law treats open carry of a pistol the same as concealed carry, requiring a permit under Minn. Stat. 624.714, while long-gun open carry is generally lawful absent local discharge or trespass issues.
Permit required; penalty. A person, other than a peace officer, as defined in section 626.84, subdivision 1, who carries, holds, or possesses a pistol in a motor vehicle, snowmobile, or boat, or on or about the person's clothes or the person, or otherwise in possession or control in a public place, as defined in section 624.7181, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), without first having obtained a permit to carry the pistol is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
Full Breakdown
Minnesota does not distinguish between open and concealed carry of a handgun: both require a permit to carry under Minn. Stat. 624.714. Visible carry without a permit can result in the same gross misdemeanor charges as concealed carry without a permit. Long guns may be carried openly by lawful possessors, though local discharge ordinances, hunting laws, and posted private property still apply. State preemption under 471.633 prevents cities from adding open-carry-specific restrictions outside narrow statutory exceptions.
Violations & Penalties
Openly carrying a pistol without a permit is a gross misdemeanor under Minn. Stat. 624.714 and triggers the same penalties as unlicensed concealed carry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is open carry legal in Minnesota without a permit?
Can a city ban open carry in parks or downtown areas?
Sources
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