Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 2024 ‘Universal Background Checks in Minnesota.’ Background Checks. San Francisco, CA: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 24 April

Relevant contents

Private Sales in Minnesota

Transfers by persons other than federally licensed firearms dealers are not subject to the requirement that the transferor file a transfer report with the local police chief or sheriff, and that the police chief or sheriff conduct a background check.

In Minnesota, a person other than a federally licensed dealer who transfers a handgun or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon without complying with state background check requirements is criminally liable only if the transferee possesses or uses the firearm within one year after the transfer in furtherance of a felony crime of violence, and:

- The transferee was prohibited from possessing the weapon under Minnesota law at the time of the transfer; or
- It was reasonably foreseeable at the time of the transfer that the transferee was likely to use or possess the weapon in furtherance of a felony crime of violence.

In addition, a person commits a gross misdemeanor if he or she intentionally transfers a handgun or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon to a person he or she knows:

- Has been denied a permit to carry a weapon because he or she is not eligible under state law to possess a handgun or assault weapon;
- Has been found ineligible to possess a handgun or assault weapon by law enforcement as a result of an application for a transferee permit or state background check; or
- Is ineligible to possess a handgun or assault weapon under state law.

A person who recklessly furnishes another person with a firearm in conscious disregard of a known substantial risk that it will be possessed or used in furtherance of a felony crime of violence is criminally liable for a felony…

[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]

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https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/universal-background-checks-in-minnesota/