Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 2024 ‘Minimum Age to Purchase & Possess in Minnesota.’ Who Can Have a Gun. San Francisco, CA: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 22 December
Relevant contents
Minimum Age to Purchase and Possess in Minnesota
Minnesota prohibits the possession of handguns or semiautomatic military-style assault weapons by persons who are under age 18. Under state law, such persons may carry or possess a semiautomatic military-style assault weapon or handgun in the actual presence or under the direct supervision of a parent or guardian.
The state prohibits a federally licensed firearms dealer from transferring a handgun or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon to a person under age 18 without complying with certain background check requirements.
Minnesota prohibits a person under age 16 from possessing a firearm without being accompanied by a parent or guardian, and provides that a parent or guardian may not knowingly direct, allow or permit a person under age 16 to possess a firearm, unless this person is:
- Accompanied by a parent or guardian;
- On land owned by, or occupied as the principal residence of, the person or the person's parent or guardian;
- Participating in an organized target shooting program with adult supervision;
- Participating in a firearms safety program or traveling to and from class; or
- Age 14 or 15 and has a firearms safety certificate.
Minnesota prohibits:
- Outside a municipality, furnishing a child under 14 years of age with a firearm, airgun or ammunition without the consent of the child's parent or guardian;
- Outside a municipality, for a parent or guardian to allow a child under 14 years of age to handle or use a firearm, airgun or ammunition outside the presence of the parent or guardian; or
- In a municipality, furnishing a minor under age 18 with a firearm, airgun or ammunition without the consent of the minor's parent or guardian, or the municipal police department.
Federal age restrictions impose stricter limits…
[Editor's note: The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence regularly updates its webpages with new data as US gun regulation evolves state by state. For the most up-to-date information on US gun laws, please refer to the Giffords URL below]
Last accessed at:
https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/minimum-age-to-purchase-possess-in-minnesota/