If you have a valid Minnesota permit to carry, you may carry a pistol in the state buildings of the Minnesota State Capitol complex.
No other notification or special permit is required: the law treats your permit itself as the notice to the Commissioner of Public Safety.
Pistols only. The exemption covers “persons who carry pistols” under a permit. Rifles and shotguns are not allowed in state buildings in the Capitol Area.
Courtrooms and other judicial spaces follow separate court rules. See Courthouse carry.
See the specific statute in Minn. Stat. § 609.66, subd. 1g
Efforts to ban Capitol carry
In 2026, HF 3357 and SF 3631 would have banned lawful carry at the Capitol complex. Neither passed. Expect the idea again in 2027. See what to expect in 2027.
HISTORY – PRIOR TO AUGUST 2015
Prior to August 2015, permit holders who wished to carry a firearm at the Minnesota State Capitol Complex needed to have a valid Minnesota Permit to Carry and send a notification (e-mail or letter) to the Commissioner of Public Safety notifying him/her of their intent to carry a firearm.
This duplicative notification was resolved in the 2015 Omnibus Public Safety Finance & Policy bill by defining a Permit to Carry holder as someone who has already provided such notification to the Commissioner.
Passage of this bill was a key part of the 2015 legislative agenda for our connected political fund, the Minnesota Gun Owners Political Action Committee.