Minnesota limits where you can carry in a short list of places. Just as important, it bars cities, counties, and other local governments from making their own gun rules. This page covers both, and what to do when you see a local government overstepping.
Places where carry is prohibited or restricted
- Correctional facilities and state hospitals (§ 243.55, § 641.165).
- Courthouse complexes, unless you hold a Permit to Carry and have given the sheriff written notice (§ 609.66, subd. 1g). Since September 1, 2026, a statewide court order also bans firearms in court facilities, and notice doesn’t override it. See Courthouse carry.
- K-12 school property, without written permission from the principal or administrator, except in parking lots (§ 609.66).
- Licensed child care centers while children are present, without written permission from the operator, except in parking lots (§ 609.66).
- Employers and colleges can ban carry by their employees and students, except in parking lots. Violating that policy is not a crime, but it can cost you your job or enrollment.
- Private businesses that post the required notice, or that personally tell you guns are prohibited and demand that you comply (§ 624.714, subd. 17).
- Federal facilities such as post offices, VA buildings, and federal courthouses (18 U.S.C. § 930).
Places that cannot ban carry
- Landlords cannot bar lawful carry by tenants or their guests.
- State, county, and city buildings and land, and public colleges and universities, except as listed above.
- National parks, wildlife refuges, and national forests: the land is open to carry, but federal buildings on it are not (50 C.F.R. § 27.42).
Can a city or county post a “no guns” sign?
Generally, no. Under Minn. Stat. § 471.633 and § 624.714, subd. 23, the Legislature preempts cities, counties, towns, and other governmental bodies from regulating firearms, ammunition, or their components. A city hall, county service center, or library cannot make its own carry ban. A government “no guns” sign has no legal force of its own unless a valid law or court order backs it up.
What about arenas and event centers?
A public authority, such as the one that runs the Duluth DECC, doesn’t escape preemption just because it operates separately from city government. Preemption reaches governmental bodies and anyone exercising governmental authority.
A genuinely private tenant or event operator is different. It can ban firearms in space it controls for a private purpose, the same as any business. But hiring private management or security doesn’t turn a government ban into a private one. The actual arrangement matters.
Seeing a sign like this, or turned away at the door? Don’t argue with staff or security. Leave, take a photo, write down what happened, and report it to us. We take these up with the local government, and in court when we have to.
Can my city or county ban rifles or set hunting rules?
Two kinds of local rules are allowed. Local governments can regulate where and when firearms may be discharged, which is the exception in § 471.633. And state law expressly lets counties restrict the types of firearms used for deer hunting, so a county ordinance like that is not a preemption violation, though a county still has to follow the required procedures to adopt one.
Local governments cannot ban owning, carrying, or transporting rifles. If an ordinance goes beyond discharge or county deer-hunting rules, tell us.
Can I carry near a school?
On school property itself, Minnesota law prohibits carry without the administrator’s written permission, except in the parking lot.
The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act (18 U.S.C. § 922(q)) covers the area within 1,000 feet of a school. It has several exceptions that matter in Minnesota:
- A Minnesota Permit to Carry. A valid Minnesota-issued permit meets the federal license exception here, including for a nonresident who holds one. A permit holder can drive past a school or carry on public streets and sidewalks in the zone.
- Private property. Privately owned property that isn’t part of the school grounds has its own exception. You don’t need a permit to carry in a private business or home within 1,000 feet of a school just because of the federal zone.
- Unloaded and locked. Without a permit, you can pass through the zone if the firearm is unloaded and in a locked container or a locked gun rack in your vehicle.
Permitless carry and another state’s permit do not meet the federal license exception. The federal ban covers unloaded firearms too, unless they’re locked up as described above. None of these exceptions override Minnesota’s separate ban on school property itself.
Report a local violation
If a city, county, school district, park board, or other local government posts a gun ban, passes an ordinance, or enforces a policy you think breaks state law, send us:
- where it is (the building or place, and the city)
- a photo of the sign, or a link to the ordinance or policy
- the date you saw it, and what happened if you were turned away
Or email contact@gunowners.mn with “Local violation report” in the subject.
Consult with counsel
We can’t give legal advice. For your situation, talk with a Minnesota firearms attorney. See Need a lawyer?