• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

BECOME A 2A DEFENDER CONTACT JOIN/RENEW DONATE
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus

The trusted voice of Minnesota's Gun Owners to Defend and Restore the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

  • About
    • Activities & Results
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Board of Directors
    • Careers
    • Contact
    • Leadership
    • Media Kit
    • Minnesota Gun Owners Support Fund
    • Minnesota Gun Rights
    • Political Action Committee
  • News
    • Press Releases
  • Elections
    • 2025 Special Election – SD6
    • 2024 General Election Grades & Endorsements
    • Grading & Endorsement Criteria
    • Legislative Scorecard
  • Events
  • Learn
    • Federal Laws
    • Minnesota Laws
    • Minnesota Gun Laws Quick Reference
    • Case Law
    • Frequently Asked Legal Questions
      • Can 18-20-Year-Olds purchase Handguns in Minnesota?
      • Carrying at the State Capitol Complex
      • Constitutional Carry (Permitless Carry)
      • Courthouse Carry
      • Edible Cannabis in MN and your Gun Rights
      • Forced Reset Triggers
      • Long Guns – Carrying
      • Long Guns – Transporting
      • Open Carry
      • Permit to Carry
      • Permit to Carry Reciprocity
      • Permit to Purchase
      • Privately Manufactured Firearms (PMFs)
      • Prohibited Persons
      • Prohibited Places
      • Short Barreled Rifles & Shotguns
      • State v Kyaw Be Bee Explainer (BB Gun in a Car)
      • Suppressors (Silencers)
    • Binary Trigger Ban
    • Red Flag Gun Confiscation Orders in Minnesota
    • Universal Background Checks in Minnesota
  • Programs
    • Legal Action
      • Plaintiff Search
      • MN Gun Owners Caucus v. Walz (Binary Trigger & Single Subject Clause)
      • Christopher v. Ramsey County et al. (State Fair Case)
      • Worth v. Jacobson (18-20 Permit to Carry Case)
      • New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Kevin P. Bruen (US Supreme Court)
      • Anoka Technical College Gun Ban (2019)
      • Ramsey County Elections Gun Ban (2015)
    • Minnesota Gun Report Podcast
    • Minnesota Second Amendment Sanctuaries
    • Minnesota Sheriffs & Gun Control
  • Store
  • Take Action
    • What’s happening in the 2025 Legislative Session?
    • Action Center
    • Bill Tracker
    • Contact your Elected Officials
    • Legislative Scorecard
    • Petitions
    • Historical Legislative Trackers
      • 2016 Legislative Tracker
      • 2017-2018 Legislative Tracker
      • 2023 Session
      • What’s happening in the 2024 MN Legislative Session?
  • Join/Renew
    • Get our Action Alerts
    • Donate
    • Manage your Donations/Membership
    • Join the Caucus or Renew
    • Membership Benefits
    • Reset Password
  • About
    • Activities & Results
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Board of Directors
    • Careers
    • Contact
    • Leadership
    • Media Kit
    • Minnesota Gun Owners Support Fund
    • Minnesota Gun Rights
    • Political Action Committee
  • News
    • Press Releases
  • Elections
    • 2025 Special Election – SD6
    • 2024 General Election Grades & Endorsements
    • Grading & Endorsement Criteria
    • Legislative Scorecard
  • Events
  • Learn
    • Federal Laws
    • Minnesota Laws
    • Minnesota Gun Laws Quick Reference
    • Case Law
    • Frequently Asked Legal Questions
      • Can 18-20-Year-Olds purchase Handguns in Minnesota?
      • Carrying at the State Capitol Complex
      • Constitutional Carry (Permitless Carry)
      • Courthouse Carry
      • Edible Cannabis in MN and your Gun Rights
      • Forced Reset Triggers
      • Long Guns – Carrying
      • Long Guns – Transporting
      • Open Carry
      • Permit to Carry
      • Permit to Carry Reciprocity
      • Permit to Purchase
      • Privately Manufactured Firearms (PMFs)
      • Prohibited Persons
      • Prohibited Places
      • Short Barreled Rifles & Shotguns
      • State v Kyaw Be Bee Explainer (BB Gun in a Car)
      • Suppressors (Silencers)
    • Binary Trigger Ban
    • Red Flag Gun Confiscation Orders in Minnesota
    • Universal Background Checks in Minnesota
  • Programs
    • Legal Action
      • Plaintiff Search
      • MN Gun Owners Caucus v. Walz (Binary Trigger & Single Subject Clause)
      • Christopher v. Ramsey County et al. (State Fair Case)
      • Worth v. Jacobson (18-20 Permit to Carry Case)
      • New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Kevin P. Bruen (US Supreme Court)
      • Anoka Technical College Gun Ban (2019)
      • Ramsey County Elections Gun Ban (2015)
    • Minnesota Gun Report Podcast
    • Minnesota Second Amendment Sanctuaries
    • Minnesota Sheriffs & Gun Control
  • Store
  • Take Action
    • What’s happening in the 2025 Legislative Session?
    • Action Center
    • Bill Tracker
    • Contact your Elected Officials
    • Legislative Scorecard
    • Petitions
    • Historical Legislative Trackers
      • 2016 Legislative Tracker
      • 2017-2018 Legislative Tracker
      • 2023 Session
      • What’s happening in the 2024 MN Legislative Session?
  • Join/Renew
    • Get our Action Alerts
    • Donate
    • Manage your Donations/Membership
    • Join the Caucus or Renew
    • Membership Benefits
    • Reset Password

Permit to Purchase

OVERVIEW

Minnesota law requires a person to hold either a Permit to Purchase, issued by your local Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO), or a Permit to Carry, in order to purchase certain “semi-automatic military-style assault weapons” along with most pistols and some shotguns.

The Permit to Purchase is free, valid for one year, and can be obtained by applying at your local law enforcement agency. A Permit to Carry also acts as a Permit to Purchase, so if you hold a Permit to Carry, there is no need to obtain a separate Permit to Purchase.

BACKGROUND

MN divides firearms broadly into three categories:  Shotguns, Long Guns and Pistols.

A special subset of these categories is “semiautomatic military-style assault weapon” (SAMSAW), and covers what are often known as tactical rifles, black rifles, or modern sporting rifles, along with some pistols and shotguns.

Under MN Statute 624.7132 every person who plans to transfer a Pistol or Semiautomatic military-style assault weapon (SAMSAW) firearm must provide the Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) of the buyer’s/recipient’s residence with specific information about the buyer/recipient of the firearm and an authorization for release of background information for purposes of a background check.

The actual delivery of the firearm cannot be completed until at least 5 business days after the application is delivered to the CLEO, or until they have approved/denied the request.

This process is the responsibility of the seller/dealer and they are allowed to charge a fee for this service.

This process is rarely used, and most gun shops/dealers will not use this process for you.

THE PERMIT TO PURCHASE (OR TRANSFEREE PERMIT)

The Transferee Permit system in Minnesota is setup to allow immediate transfer of a Pistol or SAMSAW.

Any MN resident may apply at their local CLEO office for a Transferee Permit – more commonly known as a MN Permit to Purchase – at no cost.  The CLEO has 30 days to approve/deny the permit under MN Statute 624.7131.  This statute also defines the appeals process for those who feel they have been denied unfairly.

Transferee Permits are good for one year from date of issue unless revoked by the CLEO.  The renewal process is identical to the initial application process.

If a buyer/recipient of a firearm transfer has a Transferee Permit at the time of sale, then the reporting process described above and associated waiting periods are removed.  In this case, the transfer of the firearm can be completed immediately if all federal rules for the transfer have been satisfied.

A MN Permit to Carry is also valid as a Transferee Permit, so Permit to Carry holders do not need to obtain a second permit.

The definition of a SAMSAW can be found in MN 624.712.

Footer

Reach Us

MN GUN OWNERS CAUCUS
+1.612.424.4032

PO Box 131718
Saint Paul, MN 55113
USA


contact@gunowners.mn

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Take Action!

Get our Action Alerts

2025 Gun Control Bills

Action Center

Bill Tracker

Legislative Scorecard

Petitions

Our Programs

Legal Action

Minnesota Gun Report Podcast

Second Amendment Sanctuaries

Join/Donate

Become a 2A Defender

Join the Caucus

Donate to the Caucus

Donate to our PAC

Donate to the Support Fund

Manage your Donations/Membership

Reset Password

Site Footer

All content is Copyright © 2015-2022 by the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus & PAC.


The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus is a Minnesota non-profit organization, recognized by the IRS as a 501c4 non-profit.


The Minnesota Gun Owners Support Fund is a Minnesota non-profit organization, recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 non-profit.


The Minnesota Gun Owners PAC is a Minnesota state political fund, registered with the MN Campaign Finance Board. Electioneering content paid for by the Minnesota Gun Owners PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Copyright © 2025 · Mai Law Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress