Minnesota Non-Resident Guide

Minnesota Already Honors a New York Carry License, So You May Not Need This Permit. If You Want One, Any Minnesota Sheriff Can Issue It; You Must Hand in the Application in Person.

At a glance (checked Nov 1, 2026):

• Can a New Yorker apply? Yes, at any Minnesota county sheriff's office. Minimum age 18

• Do you need it? Minnesota lists New York on its list of permits valid in Minnesota, so a valid New York carry license already lets you carry there

• Training: A pistol course with a shooting qualification, taught by a Minnesota-certified instructor, within 1 year before you apply. It does not have to be taken in Minnesota

• Fingerprints: None. The sheriff runs a background check

• In person: Yes. The application must be handed in in person to a Minnesota sheriff (no mail)

• Cost: Set by each sheriff, up to $100 (renewal up to $75)

• Processing: The sheriff must issue or deny within 30 days

• Valid for: 5 years

• If you do not live in Minnesota, you may apply to any Minnesota county sheriff.

• You must be at least 18. (The law said 21, but after the Worth v. Jacobson case, which the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear on April 21, 2025, sheriffs issue permits to qualified 18 to 20 year olds.)

• You must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident (bring your green card), and you must not be barred from having a firearm.

• The sheriff can also deny a permit if there is a substantial likelihood you are a danger to yourself or others. For more information click here

• Minnesota law requires proof of training in the safe use of a pistol within 1 year before you apply (for new permits and renewals).

• The course must include the fundamentals of pistol use, a shooting qualification, and the legal rules on carrying and on the use of deadly force. The instructor gives you a signed certificate. For more information click here

• The instructor must be certified within the past 5 years by an organization approved by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The BCA keeps the list of approved organizations. For more information click here

• Non-residents do not have to take the class in Minnesota, but it must be taught by a Minnesota-certified instructor. A New York class does not count unless the instructor is Minnesota-certified. You can also take the class in Minnesota on the same trip you apply. For more information click here

• Download the Minnesota Uniform Firearm Application, Permit to Carry a Pistol. For more information click here

• The packet is only three things: the completed application (signed and dated), a copy of your training certificate, and a copy of your driver's license, state ID or passport photo page. By law the sheriff may not ask for anything else.

• Some sheriffs want you to sign the form in front of them, so bring it filled in but unsigned (Hennepin County asks for this). For more information click here

• If your driver's license does not show your current address, Dakota County asks for a passport plus a recent bill or pay stub with your address. For more information click here

• Applications must be handed in in person to a Minnesota county sheriff. You cannot mail it. For more information click here

• Many sheriffs require an appointment (for example Hennepin County in Minneapolis and Plymouth); others, like Dakota County, take applications at the counter during business hours. Call or check the sheriff's page before you travel.

• Fee: set by the sheriff, up to $100 for a new permit. Hennepin and Dakota counties charge $100 (renewal $75) and take cash, check or card (card fee about 2.5%). For more information click here

• No fingerprints and no photo are required by the law.

• The sheriff must issue or deny within 30 days of receiving your packet. If you hear nothing in 30 days, the law treats the permit as issued. The card is mailed.

• If denied, you get the reason in writing and can send more documents within 20 business days, then ask a court to review. For more information click here

• Valid for 5 years. To renew, take the training again within 1 year before renewing, and hand in the packet in person at any Minnesota sheriff, no earlier than 90 days before it expires. Up to 30 days after expiration you can still renew for an extra $10, but you cannot carry until the new card is issued.

• Tell the sheriff that issued your permit within 30 days if you move, or if you lose the card (a replacement or updated card is $10). For more information click here

• Not valid in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, California or Washington, DC.

• Many states honor only out-of-state permits held by residents of the issuing state. For example Florida, Michigan, Colorado and Pennsylvania do not honor a non-resident permit.

• From our research, among states that require a permit, Nevada, North Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin honor a Minnesota permit held by a non-resident. Many other states let visitors carry without a permit anyway. Check the map and each state's own list before you travel.

• Carrying in Minnesota with your New York license: Minnesota's list of out-of-state permits valid in Minnesota includes New York, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and others. It does not include Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona or Utah. Minnesota also says that if you hold a permit from a listed state, you can carry in Minnesota even if you live in a state that is not listed. For more information click here

• Duty to inform: if a police officer asks, you must say whether you are carrying a firearm. Keep your permit and a photo ID with you whenever you carry, and show them when an officer asks.

• Minnesota's permit is a carry permit, not only a concealed permit; the pistol may be open or concealed.

• Private businesses can ban guns by posting a notice or by telling you in person. If you are asked to leave and do not, it is a petty misdemeanor.

• Places you cannot carry are in Minnesota Statutes 243.55 (prisons), 609.66 (schools), 624.714 and 641.165 (jails), and federal law 18 U.S.C. 930 (federal buildings). Your employer may also ban guns at work. For more information click here

• Without a permit (for example if your license is not honored), a handgun may be moved in a vehicle only unloaded and fully enclosed in a closed and fastened case, gun box or securely tied package.

• Legal conduct in New York may not be legal in Minnesota, and an out-of-state permit does not override Minnesota law. For more information click here

Every state has different laws pertaining to carrying, restrictions etc. It is your responsibility to know these laws and be familiar with them before visiting that state.

This guide summarizes the state's published instructions as of November 1, 2026 and is not legal advice. Fees, forms and rules change; always check the official page before you apply. Tips from others' experience come from users on the chats; they are personal experiences, not official rules.

Checked November 1, 2026.

• Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Permit to Carry (non-residents apply to any sheriff, 30 days, valid 5 years, training within 1 year). For more information click here

• BCA, Permit to Carry frequently asked questions (in person only, 18+, fees, renewals, duty to disclose, transport). For more information click here

• BCA, Permit to Carry reciprocity (out-of-state permits valid in Minnesota). For more information click here

• Minnesota Statutes section 624.714 (the permit law: training, application packet, fee, 30 days, recognition). For more information click here

• BCA, Permit to Carry a Pistol application form. For more information click here

• BCA, Firearms carry permit instructor certification (approved organizations). For more information click here

• Hennepin County Sheriff, Permit to carry a handgun (appointments, fees, out-of-state residents). For more information click here

• Dakota County Sheriff, Permit to Carry (non-Minnesota residents, documents, fees). For more information click here